Mycoses take the second place among infectious skin diseases after coccal pyoderma, and mycoses of the feet take the first place not only among all mycoses, but also among any pathology of the foot.They are caused by a wide group of pathogenic fungi.In recent years, there has been an increase in mycoses, which is mainly due to endogenous factors - the increase in diabetes and blood circulation pathologies in the distal parts of the upper and lower extremities.
Some patients suffering from mycosis of the skin consider them to be an aesthetic or temporary problem and do not even ask how to treat the fungus of the body skin, trying to hide the external manifestations of the infection under clothes, shoes or foundation cream.But you should not expect the fungus to go away by itself: in the absence of proper therapy, mycoses can spread rapidly and affect all new tissues and areas of the body, and in addition, a person suffering from the disease poses a serious threat to others, especially to the household.The insidiousness of the fungus is also reflected in the fact that the therapy is easily repeated if it is not successful.
In this article, we will tell you how and how to treat skin fungus and what signs indicate its presence.
Causes of the development of fungal disease
Fungal infections are diverse, but the main causative agents of the disease are dermatophytes, yeast-like fungi, and molds.There is a system that takes into account the depth of penetration and localization of the infection, distinguishes:
- Keratomycosis affects only the superficial stratum corneum of the epidermis and the cuticle of the hair.
- Dermatomycosis - deeply affects the skin and its appendages - nails and hair, but does not affect the subcutaneous tissue (the largest group that includes onychomycosis and mycosis of the feet).
- Candidiasis - in addition to the above, it can affect the mucous membranes and internal organs (caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida).
- Deep mycoses are systemic mycoses (caused by yeast and yeast-like fungi) that can infect subcutaneous tissue, lymph nodes, ENT organs, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, brain, and the central nervous system as a whole.
- Pseudomycosis - affects only the stratum corneum, without affecting the nails and hair (caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium minutissimum, which was previously confused with fungi).
The most common types of skin mycoses are dermatophytosis - dermatomycosis caused by fungi of three genera: Trichophyton, Epidermophyton and Microsporum.The vast majority of all lesions of the skin and its appendages within the epidermis are associated with trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, and microsporia, and most often the disease affects the skin of the feet and nails.How can you get infected with a fungus?A number of factors can contribute to this:
- visiting public baths and saunas, swimming pools and water parks, public beaches, gyms, solariums and manicure/pedicure rooms, massage parlors, as the risk of contact of feet or hands with contaminated surfaces is particularly high in these places;
- try on someone else's shoes or use shared shoes;
- insufficient foot hygiene, especially with excessive sweating;
- wearing closed shoes for a long time that do not allow the foot to "breathe";
- living with a person who already suffers from skin fungus;
- Damage to the skin or nails with too tight shoes - the fungus penetrates the body more easily from damaged areas.
An important factor is the increased humidity and temperature that the feet are constantly exposed to.It is in such conditions that the fungus develops most actively, therefore, fungal infections are often found either in regions with a subtropical climate, or in regions with a cold climate, where people are forced to wear warm shoes for a long time.In mycosis of the skin of the feet, the initial localization of the fungus is usually the interdigital folds, but as the disease progresses, the lesion moves beyond them.
FYI
According to the Ministry of Health in 2010, mycoses of the feet (including onychomycosis) and hands were registered in more than 220,000 people.
However, mycoses do not only affect the skin of the feet;the disease can occur almost anywhere, including the face.Large folds, especially the inguino-femoral folds, legs and hips are often affected.
Mycoses of the skin have specific symptoms that are quite easily noticeable, such as:
- Peeling and dryness are one of the first manifestations of infection.Individual scales first appear in the affected area, which is caused by the rejection of the upper layer of the epidermis.As the fungus penetrates deeper, active peeling occurs, which only intensifies over time.
- White or red spots are round with clearly defined edges.It is very important not to miss this symptom at the initial stage of the disease, because at this time the spot may be single and small.Later, new spots appear that gradually merge with each other.
- Thickening of the skin.The affected areas are dense, rough and rough and often change color: the skin turns from pink or white to yellowish or gray.
- The appearance of small rashes, fluid-filled blisters.
- Partial loss of hair.
- Itching and burning is one of the most common symptoms of skin fungus.It can be continuous or appear only periodically.Here it is important to understand that itching and burning can be a symptom of other skin diseases, for example, allergies.
Do not ignore the appearance of cracks and calluses on your feet.Although they themselves are not symptoms of a fungal disease, through them the fungal infection enters the body faster.
How to treat skin fungus
Conventionally, two approaches can be distinguished for the fight against skin fungus.One of them is non-medicinal, where various traditional medicines are used, and the second is pharmacological.
The so-called home methods include the use of baths with infusions of medicinal plants, treatment of skin fungi with iodine, soda or vinegar solution... The effectiveness of such treatment of skin fungi has not been clinically proven.If it can help, it is only in the earliest stages of the development of the disease, because most folk remedies cannot penetrate the deep layers of the epidermis, where the fungal colony is usually located.Therefore, with any mycosis, you should not waste time and make the situation worse, but rather consult a doctor to determine the diagnosis and adequate therapy.
A significant effect is achieved by systemic treatment of skin fungus in the body using drugs in the form of capsules or tablets.Modern products contain substances that can stop the growth of new spores, inhibit cell division at the DNA/RNA level, and destroy fungal cell membranes.However, systemic antifungals (also known as systemic fungicides and fungistatic drugs) have many side effects and contraindications;they cannot be taken together with certain drugs - diabetics, antihistamines, contraceptives.Restrictions on the use of tablet forms are, for example, blood diseases, kidney or liver pathologies.In addition, it is recommended to follow a strict hypoallergenic diet during treatment.All this narrows the possibilities of systemic therapy.
Creams, sprays and solutions are an effective (clinically proven) method of topical treatment of skin fungus and onychomycosis without many contraindications.It has a high cure rate, is used at any stage of fungal infection, and can be used in combination with systemic therapy to reduce the dose of oral medications.
Antimycotic components contained in gels, ointments and solutions are mainly allylamines, azoles or pyrimidines, which inhibit the vital activity of the fungus, deprive it of nutrition, stop its development and spread to other areas of the skin.Local therapy with these drugs allows you to create a high concentration of the active substance that remains on the skin, nail surface and its cavities for weeks after the end of the treatment.When using external agents, it is important that the active substance almost does not enter the systemic circulation and therefore does not have a negative effect on the body as a whole.
Many local antifungal drugs have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, soften the skin, relieve itching and redness, are easily applied to the affected surface, and sprays and solutions are convenient for treating even hairy parts of the body in case of damage.The duration of treatment with external agents and the frequency of their application is determined by the attending physician.
It is easier to prevent ringworm than to treat it, but if signs of skin fungus are detected on the body, treatment should be started immediately.It is important not to start the process and take appropriate measures in time, but you need to start contacting a specialist.It is the doctor who will tell you how to cure skin fungus quickly.Attempts at artisanal treatment in this case can only worsen the situation.
Antifungal skin cream
As a medicine for the treatment of fungal infections of the skin, you can choose a cream based on naftifin (1%), which is part of the class of allylamines.The mechanism of action of the drug is based on the ability of the active substance to slow down the synthesis of ergosterol, the building material that makes up the cell wall and fungal membrane.As a result, the mycelium loses its ability to grow, which gradually leads to the death of the entire colony.
The drug is active against all main pathogens of mycosis and can be prescribed for trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, microsporia, candidiasis and aspergillosis of the skin, pityriasis versicolor, sporotrichosis.The cream has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, reduces the likelihood of secondary bacterial infections and helps to eliminate the symptoms of inflammation, especially itching.
The cream penetrates deep into the skin and creates a stable concentration of the antifungal agent in its different layers.After application to the skin, less than 6% of naftifin enters the systemic circulation.
Indications for the use of the drug are:
- fungal infections of skin folds and smooth skin;
- interdigital mycoses;
- onychomycosis (nail fungus);
- skin candidiasis;
- pityriasis versicolor;
- ringworm (with or without itching).
The cream has several contraindications.These include individual intolerance to the components, as well as pregnancy and breastfeeding, since the safety and effectiveness of the drug in this category of patients have not yet been studied.Use the cream with caution in children.
How to use: if the skin is damaged, it is enough to apply the cream once a day to the damaged surface and adjacent areas after cleaning and drying.The duration of treatment is from two to eight weeks (for candidiasis - four weeks).
To prevent relapses, it is recommended to continue the treatment for another two weeks after the disappearance of clinical symptoms.
Cream in aluminum tubes (30 g) is sold without a prescription.You can also order the product online.