Mycosis is one of the most unpleasant skin diseases. Depending on the degree of damage, there are two categories of diseases: dermatomycosis and onychomycosis. In the first case, the skin is affected, and in the second, the nails. To successfully get rid of harmful microorganisms, you need to know what foot fungus looks like and how to fight it.
Main types
Experts in the field of dermatology identify several types of foot fungus, which differ from each other in the nature of the impact and the causative agent. As for the pathogenic microorganisms that cause the development of fungal diseases, these can be:
- moldy;
- yeast;
- dermatophytes.
Exposure to these parasites leads to the development of a dangerous disease called rubromycosis, which affects the skin of the feet. Additionally, the clinical manifestations of the disease can vary and may resemble membrane, moccasin, or vesicles.
The development of the fungus causes excessive saturation of blood vessels, dryness and peeling of the skin. Additionally, the process itself is slow and without significant symptoms. The first sensations of itching or burning are only felt after a serious foot injury. Soon the process of nail deformation begins, resulting in blisters, scabs, plaques and pustules.
If the necessary measures are not taken, the scale of the damage will be colossal and the process of walking will be accompanied by pain. Knowing what foot fungus looks like and how it manifests itself, the patient can seek help from a specialist in time and avoid dangerous consequences.
When it comes to therapeutic treatment, it is important to know the types of diseases. The method of approaching the problem is determined only after a complete examination under the microscope and the establishment of a clinical picture. Various exfoliating products are used to remove breakouts. These include ointments and creams containing salicylic acid. Complex treatment also includes antifungal drugs.
If the degree of damage is too severe, highly effective compresses and emollients are used. The success of the fight against the disease depends on the responsibility of the patient and his willingness to start treatment on time.
Infection methods
Many reasons and factors determine nail damage caused by fungal diseases. In most cases, this happens directly, when the nail plates come into contact with soil or vegetation, sick people or animals. As for indirect paths, they look like this:
- If a person uses personal items and belongings of a mushroom carrier.
- If a person comes into contact with items intended for caring for a pet.
There are also many predetermining factors that increase the risk of developing mycosis. These include age-related features, since young children are much more likely to suffer from the disease due to too thin skin and the lack of necessary protective functions in the body. 
Additionally, a fungal infection attacks a patient with deteriorated immune status. If the immune system is weakened, it cannot fight such manifestations, which leads to destructive processes.
Other factors include:
- Insufficient functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems. As a result, protection mechanisms are weakened.
- The development of chronic infectious diseases that negatively affect the immune system, thereby increasing the risk of fungal development.
- Excessive sweating of the feet. This discomfort is a congenital pathology or results from wearing uncomfortable shoes.
- Changes in the composition of sweat. This process creates a fertile ground for fungal microorganisms, which leads to their activation.
Symptoms of rubrophytosis
A parasite called Tr. Mentagrophytesvar is the main causative agent of the dangerous fungal disease rubrophytosis. Due to its small size, it instantly settles in the stratum corneum or granular layers of the skin, provoking the development of allergies and other unpleasant processes. In most cases, the vital activity of the parasite is accompanied by the following reactions:
- Bloating with a dense crust.
- The appearance of pustules and swellings.
- Severe skin corrosion.
- The appearance of scales and crusts on the skin, causing pain.
- Process of yellowing and deformation of nail plates.
In addition, severe itching and the development of pain when walking cannot be excluded. During the clinical examination, the specialist draws up an overview and describes the symptoms while examining the scraper.
If the disease progresses rapidly and worsens, the patient may be prescribed 0. 25% silver nitrate, 1% resorcinol and 10% calcium. Antihistamines are used to combat allergic manifestations. In severe cases, highly effective antifungal medications combat the symptoms of rubrophytosis.
Candidiasis of the foot
Candidiasis of the foot is rare. The causative agent of the disease is a dangerous fungus of the genus Candida, which exists peacefully in any organism, but is conditionally dangerous and does not pose a great threat. But if the number of microorganisms begins to increase, this leads to inconvenience and serious health consequences. Other factors contribute to this, including a deterioration of the immune system, frequent hypothermia, stressful situations and an unhealthy lifestyle. As for external factors, these include:
- Prolonged exposure to water causes massive separation of skin layers from each other.
- Accidents at home or at work.
- Using shoes of the wrong size or material.
Manifestations of onychomycosis
When trying to understand what a fungus on the toes looks like, you should learn about another type of dangerous pathology - onychomycosis. Its development is accompanied by fungal infection of the nails after water procedures in ordinary swimming pools, showers and saunas. In terms of prevalence, the disease is not inferior to mycosis, since scales containing dangerous parasites quickly separate from the nail plates and subsequently end up on fabric surfaces, benches or carpets. If there is high humidity in the environment, the parasite not only finds itself in comfortable conditions, but also begins to work on the reproduction of the colony.
In the early stages, the pathogen affects the skin of the feet, causing an itching sensation. As a result, the patient wants to scratch his foot, but this only aggravates the problem. Soon the skin becomes covered with tiny cracks and scratches, and pathogens begin to settle under the nail and actively multiply.
The likelihood of encountering pathology increases several times in case of nail injuries, unbalanced blood circulation and the presence of complex diseases, including diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases.
Depending on the form and degree of damage, nail fungus is divided into three groups:
- Normotrophic. As it develops, the color of the nails becomes yellowish brown. The thickness and shape of the nail remain the same.
- Hypertrophic. This causes a final color change, loss of shine and distortion of the nail shape. This type of onychomycosis causes pain and does not allow the patient to move freely. The problem can be made worse by wearing uncomfortable shoes.
- Onycholytic. The pathology causes a change in the color of the nails, causing them to turn brown. Additionally, the plates lose their usual strength and begin to peel off. Distorted layers appear in exposed areas of the nail bed.
Effective treatment
To treat the disease, the use of local antifungal drugs is practically useless, which is explained by the deep penetration of microorganisms under the nails. Before starting to fight the pathology, it is necessary to localize the fungus. To do this, specialists prescribe keratolytic drugs or patches to the patient. Sometimes the problem is solved mechanically, cutting off deformed and dead areas of the nail plate with a special file or pliers. When performing this procedure, you must ensure that the instrument is clean.
The most effective way to combat nail fungus is the combined use of patches and mechanical nail cleaning. As a keratolytic agent, you can use a set consisting of a patch, a nail file and a special ointment. At the end of the nail removal procedure, it is necessary to use systemic antifungal drugs.
Folk remedies
It is entirely possible to get rid of foot fungus without the help of a specialist. However, self-medication should be treated with special responsibility, knowing that such a process can take a lot of time and effort. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that different mushrooms react in their own way to the action of drugs or folk remedies. Home medicine, if used incorrectly, can only aggravate the problem by helping to detect parasites.
To avoid such a development of events and successfully destroy the fungal colony, it is necessary to combine good cleansing of the skin with cleansing the body from pathogenic microorganisms and complete restoration of the epidermal layer. For these purposes, it is advisable to use baths and daily wipe your feet and palms with antiseptics. The most effective folk remedies for baths are:
- boric acid;
- Apple vinegar;
- hydrogen peroxide.
To prepare a bath, you need to take 20 grams of any of the above compounds and dilute it in a liter of boiled water. After that, the feet are placed in the solution for 20-40 minutes. To see a significant improvement in the condition of your nails, it is enough to carry out such procedures regularly for several weeks.
To cleanse the skin of redness, itching and burning, it is recommended to wipe your feet daily with a mixture of soda with the addition of salt. A good antibacterial and anti-inflammatory scrub can be a mixture of equal amounts of minerals and essential oils. The selected components are mixed and the affected areas are covered with the finished mixture.
Tar soap is a serious enemy of fungi. It contains birch tar, which has long been considered one of the most powerful antibacterial substances. It should be applied to the affected areas and washed off after 5 minutes. Treatment with this soap lasts two weeks. At the end of the procedure, the skin is treated with zinc cream or ointment.
Hardware solutions
If the problem of nail fungus has noticeably worsened, and folk or official remedies practically do not give any results, you can use an innovative solution - hardware treatment. This method is very effective and can be the only salvation in cases where other drugs are powerless.
Among the available techniques, erbium laser treatment is the most common. Cauterizes the mycelium and allows you to get rid of the visible symptoms of nail fungus. In addition, the technology helps clean the skin around the nails, between the toes and on the feet, restoring its former elasticity and attractiveness.
If you follow the basic rules of skin care for fungal foot diseases, it is quite possible to destroy this dangerous pathology. It is important not to delay treatment and to immediately take appropriate measures if questionable symptoms appear.