In addition to onychomycosis, there are many other causes and diseases due to which the usual appearance of the nails can change.
Thick, cloudy white nails can be the result of psoriasis or the unsuccessful use of harsh cosmetics. Detachment and delamination of the nail plate occurs both with injuries and with trophic disorders of the lower extremities with varicose veins or endocrine diseases. Onychomycosis very often begins not with changes in the nail plate itself, but with redness, itching and peeling of the skin surrounding the nail. If a person does not pay attention to these symptoms, the fungus begins to grow, penetrates into deeper tissues, incl. under the nail bed. Fungus damage to the nail plate usually begins from its free edge, which thickens, turns gray-yellow, easily breaks and crumbles. But even in this case, it is possible to accurately determine the presence of a fungus only with the help of laboratory research - microscopy.
The fungus appears only in the elderly and chronic patients.
In patients with chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular diseases, etc. ), nail fungus is really more common, but only for the reason that all these diseases reduce the activity of general and local immunity, affectnegatively the resistance of the skin to any infection. Old age, in itself, cannot be the cause of fungal diseases, but the older a person gets, the more health problems he accumulates, which contributes to the development of fungal infections. At the same time, perfectly healthy young people are not protected against onychomycosis. Sports enthusiasts can suffer from nail fungus. calluses, microtrauma to the skin of the feet and sweating create ideal conditions for the development of fungi. The fungus can occur in those who must spend most of the day standing, in closed shoes that do not allow excess moisture to evaporate. Smoking, frequent stress, and an excessive love of sweets increase the risk of developing fungal infections.
The fungus is usually contracted in a swimming pool, sauna, or beach.
In a sauna, swimming pool or on the beach, the risk of encountering a fungus is really very high, as in any other place where the air temperature and humidity are high, in which the spores of the pathogens of theonychomycosis remain viable for a long time. But this is far from the only opportunity to contract onychomycosis. The causative agents of fungal infections can get on the skin of a person going to a gym, beauty salon, shoe store, public transportation, or just wearing someone else's slippers. But contact with the fungus or its spores does not always lead to the development of an infection, it depends a lot on the condition of the skin and the body as a whole. And only if the fungus enters the optimal environment for its development and finds a weak point in the immune defense of the human body, it can damage the skin and nails. Risk factors for the development of onychomycosis are considered to be dry calluses and cracks in the skin of the feet, increased sweating of the feet, wearing tight and "non-breathable" shoes, as well as synthetic socks.
Fungal spores are everywhere, there is no effective protection against them.
Fungal spores can indeed be found almost everywhere, even at home, so it is impossible to completely exclude contact with it. And yet, even a person at high risk of developing yeast infection has the opportunity to protect themselves against the development of this infection. First of all, you should strictly follow the rules of personal hygiene: only use your own shoes, towels, etc. It is also important to carefully monitor the condition of the skin of the feet and nails - remove dry calluses in time, treat cracks, abrasions and properly cut the nails. It will not be superfluous to prevent excessive sweating of the feet, especially the use of antiperspirant products for the feet. If the risk of onychomycosis is very high, then you can prophylactically (once a week) cover your nails with a special antifungal varnish. You can also, after consulting with your doctor, start taking drugs that increase immunity - interferon inducers, drugs based on plant adaptogens, multivitamin complexes.
The mushroom is eternal. You cannot get rid of it completely.
Onychomycosis is a common infectious disease that ends as soon as its pathogen is cleared from the body. This can only be avoided by bad treatment or mistakes made by the patient himself. The peculiarity of onychomycosis is that the fungus is located under the nail plate (in the nail bed). Not all LPs can penetrate this deep. Therefore, today it is recommended to use either special forms of external agents or systemic antifungal therapy for the treatment of onychomycosis. In addition, treatment should be continued even if all the symptoms of the yeast infection have disappeared. You can only stop taking medicines after 3 repeated examinations (microscopy) showing that the fungus is no longer in the tissues. In addition, the use of antifungal agents should be combined with proper care of the nails and feet. this reduces the risk of further relapses.
It is unnecessary to treat the fungus with external agents.
Modern forms of external preparations make it possible to create a high concentration of an antifungal agent in the affected area. At the same time, external agents are not absorbed into the systemic circulation, have a wider spectrum of action and a low risk of developing resistance. Unfortunately, not all external drugs are able to penetrate the thickness of the nail, especially the tissues of the nail bed, where most of the pathogens are located. Therefore, it is recommended to combine local treatment with removal of the nail plate or the use of keratolytic agents - urea or salicylic acid preparations. This is especially important if the onychomycosis is accompanied by hyperkeratosis of the nails. Usually, monotherapy with external agents is used in cases where the nails of 1-2 fingers or 1/3 of the surface of the nail plates are affected. In other cases, external agents are used in combination with systemic antifungal drugs.
Antifungal pills are very dangerous and poisonous.
Due to the long duration of antifungal treatment (in some cases up to 12 months), there is a real risk of side effects and toxic effects on the liver. But today, methods have been developed which allow this danger to be reduced to a minimum. So, for example, some antifungal drugs are used in pulse therapy mode: that is, short courses of 5-7-10 days, with a break of 21 days. There are systemic antifungals that can only be taken once or twice a week. There are antimycotics with a high safety profile which, taken in therapeutic doses, do not have a negative effect on liver cells, even with prolonged continuous use. Therefore, the most important thing is not to take systemic antifungal agents without the appointment and supervision of a doctor. Only a dermatologist should prescribe such funds.
If you choose the right medicine, the fungus can be cured within a week.
It is only possible to stop the development of a fungal infection in a short time if the infection has occurred recently and the causative agent of onychomycosis has not had time to penetrate deep into the tissuessurrounding the nail. But, unfortunately, not many patients see a doctor at this stage, most often the treatment of onychomycosis begins in the later stages, when the nail plate (or even several) is severely affected and the process of dystrophy or dystrophyhyperkeratosis actively continues in the surrounding tissues. In such a situation, no medication will help to quickly solve the problem of the fungus, even if the treatment is combined with the complete removal of the affected nail plate, since it will take about 3 months to restore the nail. In a relatively short time, about 4-6 weeks, you can reduce only the most visible symptoms of onychomycosis. But the causative agent of infection, especially in the form of spores, always remains in the tissues. And only after completing the treatment prescribed by the doctor, you can get rid of this unpleasant disease.