This article will discuss such an unpleasant, but unfortunately quite common phenomenon as toenail fungus. The symptoms and causes of this disease are known to medical science and can be easily diagnosed at all stages. However, it can only be detected if you pay close attention to your own health. How to identify toenail fungus? How to treat it? Are the advertised ointments effective?
What causes nail fungus to form?
Nail fungus is a fairly common disease. The disease spreads particularly well in regions with temperate and tropical climates, that is, where it is humid and warm. However, paradoxically, people in cold countries most often suffer from nail fungus. This is due to the fact that in harsh climates you need to constantly wear warm shoes and socks. The foot sweats, the sock becomes wet and the person is forced to stay in this state for a long time without the possibility of changing shoes. This is the best way to encourage the formation of nail fungus. Before talking about how to identify toenail fungus, let's figure out who is most susceptible to this disease.
Nail fungus as an occupational disease
People at risk are those whose skin on their feet cannot breathe during the day due to tight shoes. These are miners, power plant workers, gardeners and representatives of other professions. You can "catch" the fungus while working in a laundry room, swimming pool, hotel or restaurant.
What diseases can serve as a prerequisite
Often, not only representatives of the above professions suffer from this disease, but also people with diabetes mellitus of group 1 or 2. In addition, a prerequisite for the formation of nail fungus may be deformity of the feet, varicose veins. Among the causes of this infection is insufficient nutrition of the nail due to blockage or obstruction of blood vessels. That is why the creams announced today, as well as nail polishes supposedly designed to protect you from fungus, will be completely useless in the fight against the disease. After all, this is often caused by internal ailments, and external influence will not eradicate the problem.
Who is at risk?
A few decades ago, nail fungus was mainly diagnosed in older people. However, every year the number of patients suffering from nail fungus increases, and the disease itself becomes younger.
Official data suggests that nail fungus develops two to three times more often in men. However, it is women who turn to a dermatologist much more often for this problem. The fairer sex is more concerned about their health and finds nothing shameful in consulting a doctor.
We will then see why it is so important to get recommendations from a dermatologist on the treatment of fungus, and we will also explain how to identify fungus on nails and what their symptoms are at each stage of their development.
What does nail fungus look like?
This disease is not fatal, but it is of course necessary to get rid of it. Fortunately, it is not difficult for anyone to recognize the onset of the disease. How to identify fungus on your feet? Tips are given below. First, take a closer look at your nails.
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the color of your nails. The nail affected by the fungus becomes dull yellow and opaque. Depending on the stage of the disease, the edge of the nail plate, the base or the entire nail may be affected.
Pay attention to the thickness of the nail
Answering the question of how to identify nail fungus, it is also worth mentioning changes in the nail plate. Despite the fact that due to the disease the nail becomes thinner, visually and in terms of sensations it seems to become thicker and swell.
How to identify fungus on nails? To detect the presence of an infection, a visual examination of the nail plate is not enough. Mix potassium permanganate and water in a ratio of 1 to 5, immerse your nails in the resulting solution for half a minute. A healthy nail will stain and turn brown. Part of the affected plaque will remain white.
Disease stages
The disease occurs in four stages. The sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of getting rid of toenail fungus for good.
The first stage is characterized by damage to the nail edge. As mentioned above, the color of the plaque changes and bulges appear. The nail grows of poor quality, hollow, and therefore breaks and crumbles.
A sign of the second stage will be an increase in the affected area. Additionally, it should be noted that sometimes the second stage can begin as if bypassing the first. Damage to the nail plate will not start from the edge, but at the base of the nail. Cure nail fungus in the second stage will be more problematic than in the first.
How to identify toenail fungus in the third stage? In medicine it is called white superficial fungus and it looks like the entire plaque is affected. It has a dense white color and crumbles strongly at the edges.
The fourth stage is called total dystrophic fungus. The nail has a yellowish-gray color, has a peculiar unpleasant odor and is very crumbly. In the fourth stage, a bare part of the skin can often be seen under the broken nail, as it has grown due to the fungus and breaks in most cases.
The reason for visiting a dermatologist is often the independent identification of the fourth stage of nail fungus. You should not look on forums or the Internet for advice on how to effectively treat nail fungus. It is best to consult a specialist at the first symptoms of the disease.
What to expect when going to the doctor?
Probably, each of us is afraid of doctors. However, do not hesitate to consult a dermatologist if you think you have nail fungus. The specialist will conduct an external examination and will also scrape the upper keratinized layer of the nail to send it to the laboratory for diagnosis. A detailed analysis will reveal the cause of the disease, determine the type of fungus, and also tell the doctor what type of treatment should be prescribed.
Treating nail fungus takes a long time. This can last from one month to three. After treatment, you will need to be tested again, even if the above symptoms are not observed.
A few words about effective treatment
Now we know how to identify fungus on toenails. The methods are given above. Now it is worth saying a few words about the treatment that you can carry out yourself. The drug based on naftifine has proven itself well. However, you should not use an ointment, but a solution. This medication can also be used in cases of foot fungus.
How to use the solution? If you have a fungus in the first stage of the disease, lubricate the affected nail surface twice a day. Nails must be dry and well washed. At later stages of the disease, you cannot do without pills. However, even in this case, the use of the solution containing naftifine should not be stopped: this will enhance the effect of the drugs.
Before applying the product, you must carefully clean the affected nail surface with a manicure device. However, you must be extremely careful. After completing the manipulations, it is necessary to apply a solution containing the active ingredient naftifine to the cleaned area. Repeat 2 times a day.
People who are familiar with this infectious disease also speak positively about kits for eliminating fungal infections of the nail. Which of these products to use, a nail removal solution or kit, is up to you. But without the help of a dermatologist, it will not be possible to permanently and completely get rid of nail fungus.
To summarize
The article answers the question of how to identify toenail fungus. However, it is worth remembering that self-medication does not always lead to complete recovery. If there are changes in the thickness or color of your nails, you should consult a doctor.
Depending on the degree of damage to the nail plate, the fungus can be divided into four stages. If at the first stage the disease does not cause concern, since it does not deform the nail plate much, then at the fourth stage you can easily lose your nails. Do not hesitate to contact a dermatologist.
It is strongly discouraged to self-medicate by giving in to advertising exhortations about the effectiveness of a particular medication. Cream or any other product applied to the nail plate from the outside will not eliminate the causative agent of the disease and therefore will be ineffective. As a result, you will only delay the treatment process by masking the manifestation of the disease. It is also worth remembering that nail fungus not only looks unsightly, but also serves as a kind of beacon indicating the presence of disorders in the body.