This article will talk about an unpleasant, but, unfortunately, quite common phenomenon such as toenail fungus. The symptoms and causes of this disease are known by medical science and are easily diagnosed at all stages. However, it can only be detected if you pay attention to your own health. How to identify toenail fungus? How to treat it? Does the advertised ointment work?
What causes nail fungus to form?
Nail fungus is a fairly common disease. The disease spreads especially successfully in places with a temperate and tropical climate, that is, where it is humid and warm. However, paradoxically, residents of cold countries most often suffer from nail fungus. This is due to the fact that in a harsh climate you always need to wear warm shoes and socks. Feet sweat, socks get wet and the person has to stay in this condition for a long time without a chance to change shoes. This is the best way to encourage the formation of nail fungus. Before we talk about how to identify toenail fungus, let's think about who is more susceptible to this disease.
Nail fungus as an occupational disease
At risk are people whose foot skin cannot breathe during the day due to tight shoes. These are miners, power plant workers, gardeners and representatives of other working professions. You can "pick up" fungus while working in laundry rooms, swimming pools, hotels or restaurants.
What diseases can be a prerequisite
Often, not only representatives of the above professions suffer from this disease, but also people with diabetes mellitus group 1 or 2. In addition, a prerequisite for the formation of nail fungus can be deformation of the legs, varicose veins. Among the causes of this infection is insufficient nail nutrition due to blockage or blocked blood vessels. This is why today's advertised creams, as well as nail polishes that are supposedly designed to save you from fungus, will be completely useless in the fight against this disease. After all, it is often caused by internal diseases, and external influences will not eradicate the problem.
Who is at risk?
A few decades ago, nail fungus was mostly diagnosed in older people. However, every year the number of patients with nail fungus is increasing, and the disease itself is getting younger.
Official data shows that nail fungus develops two to three times more often in men. However, women more often contact dermatologists with this problem. Representatives of the fairer sex are more concerned about their health and do not find anything shameful in consulting a doctor.
Next, we'll see why it's so important to get advice on fungal treatment from a dermatologist, and we'll also talk about how you can identify nail fungus and what symptoms there are at each stage of its development.
What does nail fungus look like?
This disease is not fatal, but, of course, it is necessary to get rid of it. Fortunately, it is not difficult for anyone to recognize the onset of this disease. How to identify fungus on your feet? Tips are given below. First of all, take a closer look at your nails.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the color of these nails. Nails affected by fungus become 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 nails
When answering the question of how to identify nail fungus, changes in the nail plate should also be mentioned. Despite the fact that due to the disease the nail becomes thinner, visually and in sensation it seems to become thicker and swollen.
How to identify nail fungus? To detect the presence of infection, a visual inspection of the nail plate is not enough. Mix potassium permanganate and water in a ratio of 1 to 5, dip your nails in the resulting solution for half a minute. Healthy nails will stain and turn brown. Part of the affected plate will remain white.
Disease stage
The disease occurs in four stages. The sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of getting rid of nail fungus forever.
The first stage is characterized by damage to the edges of the nail. As mentioned above, the color of the plate changes and bumps appear. Nails grow with poor quality, are hollow, and therefore break and crumble.
The second stage sign will be an increase in the affected area. In addition, it should be noted that sometimes the second stage can start as if bypassing the first. Damage to the nail plate will start not from the edge, but at the base of the nail. Treating nail fungus in the second stage will be more problematic than the first.
How to identify toenail fungus in the third stage? In medicine, it is called white superficial fungus and looks as if the whole plate is affected. It has a solid white color and crumbles badly at the edges.
The fourth stage is called total dystrophic fungus. Nails have a yellowish gray color, give off an unpleasant smell and are very fragile. In the fourth stage, you can often see the exposed part of the skin under the broken nail, because it has grown due to fungus and in most cases has broken off.
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 on the Internet for advice on how to effectively treat nail fungus. It is better to consult a specialist at the first symptoms of this disease.
What to expect when going to the doctor?
Probably, each of us has a fear of doctors. However, don't be afraid to consult a dermatologist if you suspect you have nail fungus. The specialist will conduct an external examination and also take a scraping of the top layer of nail keratin to send it to the laboratory for diagnosis. A detailed analysis will reveal what caused the disease, determine the type of fungus, and also tell the doctor what type of treatment should be prescribed.
Nail fungus treatment takes a long time. It can last from one month to three. After treatment, you need to be tested again, even if the above symptoms are not observed.
A few words about effective treatment
So, now we know how to identify toenail fungus. The method given above. Now it is worth saying a few words about the treatment that you can do yourself. Drugs based on naftifine have proven themselves well. However, you do not need to use an ointment, but a solution. This medicine can also be used in cases of foot fungus.
How to use the solution? If you have fungus in the first stage of the disease, then lubricate the affected nail surface twice a day. Nails should be dry and washed well. At the next stage of the disease, you cannot do without taking pills. However, even in this case, the use of the solution with naftifine should not be stopped: this will increase the effect of the drug.
Before using the product, you should clean the affected nail surface thoroughly with a manicure device. However, you have to be careful. After completing the manipulation, 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 the kit to eliminate fungal infections from nails. Which of these products to use, nail removal solutions or kits, is up to you. But without the help of a dermatologist, it is not possible to get rid of nail fungus forever and completely.
To summarize
The article answers the question of how to identify toenail fungus. However, it should be remembered that the drugs themselves do not always lead to complete recovery. If there is a change in the thickness or color of your nails, you should see a doctor.
According to the degree of damage to the nail plate, the fungus can be divided into four stages. If in the first stage the disease does not cause alarm, because it does not change the shape of the nail plate much, then in the fourth stage you can easily lose your nails. Do not hesitate to contact a dermatologist.
It is strongly recommended not to self-medicate by succumbing to advertising advice about the effectiveness of certain drugs. Cream or any other product applied to the nail plate from the outside will not remove 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 should also be remembered that nail fungus not only looks unaesthetic, but is also a kind of beacon that indicates the presence of disorders in the body.