Skin yeast infections are a common group of diseases.
Patients do not always take them seriously enough, which leads to advanced forms of disease that are difficult to treat. Fortunately, there are many ways to get rid of the fungal infections on your feet and get rid of the nasty disease like fungal infections of the toes and feet.
Skin yeast infection between the fingers - how does the disease occur?
Skin yeast infection is an infectious disease caused by fungi that parasitize the skin. They can appear anywhere on the body. But most often they choose the skin folds. The spaces between the toes are their favorite spot. This is due to the fact that the legs often sweat, and in tight shoes the moisture does not have time to evaporate. As a result, the spaces between the fingers are often wet and damp. And these conditions are exactly what the fungus needs in order to reproduce. It is not uncommon for the fungus to enter the indentations between the fingers of infected nails.
Contribute to the development of skin diseases:
- insufficient hygiene of the feet, their overheating or hypothermia;
- predisposition to increased sweating;
- poor blood circulation in the foot associated with heart disease, smoking, diabetes mellitus;
- stress;
- calluses and cuts on the skin of the feet;
- lack of vitamins and minerals (mainly zinc) in the body;
- trophic ulcers on the leg;
- hormonal imbalance and thyroid disease;
- Overweight;
- excessively dry skin.
However, in most cases, the fungus between the toes does not develop if the person has healthy immunity.
The disease is more common in men, due to the more frequent wearing of tight shoes. Fungi on the legs can appear not only in adults, but also in children.
Skin fungus between the toes in 90% of cases is caused by the activity of three types of fungi from the group of dermatomycetes - Trichophyton, Microsporum, Epidermophyton. In addition, the skin of the interdigital spaces is often affected by fungi of the genus Candida.
Most often, the infection initially develops in the cavity between the two smaller toes. However, other interdigital spaces can also be affected. Once on the skin, the fungus actively multiplies on it. The remains of the stratum corneum of the skin serve as food for microorganisms.
A skin infection can spread from person to person. For this, a simple contact of the skin of the feet with surfaces containing the fungus is sufficient. Transmission of the pathogen can occur using shoes, socks, shared towels, and the wet floor in another person's shower room. It is necessary to carefully monitor personal hygiene, use only personal effects. In swimming pools, showers, baths and saunas, personal or disposable slippers and flip-flops should be used.
Often a skin disease is passed from one family member to another, using the same shoes, pedicures, socks, towels, walking around the house with bare feet, etc.
Symptoms of a fungal infection on the skin of the feet.
Symptoms of early stage foot fungus:
- itching and burning, worse at night;
- drought;
- peeling of the skin;
- small cracks.
With the development of the disease, the symptoms intensify, the itching and burning become unbearable, lead to scratching and irritation of the skin, the cracks become deeper. The skin of the feet becomes rough. Pains appear, an unpleasant smell that does not pass even after washing, edema and hyperemia, there is a detachment of the epidermis.
Then bubbles filled with serous fluid appear. After opening, non-healing purulent ulcers remain on the skin. A bacterium joins the mycotic infection.
Peeling the nails, abscesses may appear. A complication of yeast infection of the feet can be the entry of the fungus into the bloodstream and the infection spreading throughout the body. At the same time, the body temperature rises. Gangrenous lesions of the feet can also develop. Cardiovascular disease, immunodeficiency conditions and diabetes mellitus complicate the course of the skin disease.
To diagnose yeast infection of the feet, it may not be enough for a doctor to examine the skin. It is often necessary to analyze the composition of the skin microflora. For this, a scraping is taken from the affected surface. The fungus can be found on the skin even if there are no visible symptoms of infection.
There is also a popular method for determining the presence of a fungus on the leg. To do this, you need to place your foot in a potassium permanganate bath. If there is no fungus on the skin, it will turn pink and the affected areas will turn white.
How to eliminate fungus between the toes?
It is very easy to get a skin infection, but it is much more difficult to get rid of it. Mycosis of the skin is always treated at home, but this does not mean that the patient will definitely be helped by a completely independent treatment. In all cases, a medical consultation is required.
There are many antimycotic drugs that effectively kill the fungus. However, the success of treatment largely depends on the stage of the disease. If it has gone too far, it will be difficult to get rid of the infection. At the initial stage, external antifungal drugs are used. If the disease is already in progress, doctors recommend treating with systemic means. Most often, terbinafine, itraconazole, fluconazole are prescribed in the form of tablets.
Popular antifungal agents:
- nystatin,
- fluconazole,
- ketoconazole,
- clotrimazole,
- terbinafine,
- naftifine,
- miconazole,
- itraconazole,
- natamycin.
Some antifungal ointments also contain anti-inflammatory ingredients.
The method of applying all ointments is the same - they should be regularly applied to the affected areas of the skin with a thin layer. Some ointments are sufficient to be used once a day, others require more frequent application. Antifungal sprays that can be sprayed on the affected area are even more convenient than ointments.
Treatment with antifungal ointments can be long. Some types of ointments can get rid of the infection after 2 weeks. But with severe damage, the course of treatment can take up to 3 months. Doctors advise to apply the ointment at least 2 weeks after the visible symptoms of the disease disappear. And once every six months it is necessary to lubricate the toes with ointments for preventive purposes.
Also, with severe infection, systemic antifungal drugs can be used. However, they have a long list of contraindications and side effects. In particular, pills against fungus are contraindicated in pregnant women. In addition, many skin ointments are prohibited during pregnancy. If it is necessary to use such topical preparations, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Not all drugs are allowed in childhood. Therefore, you should consult the instructions of the selected tool. Some medicines can be used from 2 years old, others from 12 years old.
A specialist must select the right drug. Incorrect use of antimycotic drugs not only will not relieve the patient of pathogenic microorganisms, but can also lead to the development of resistance in them (especially in conditions where the patient is constantly re-infected). The toxins secreted by many fungi suppress local immunity, which contributes to the further development of infection.
In addition, vitamin and mineral complexes are taken. If the disease is complicated by a bacterial infection, the doctor prescribes antibiotics, but if there are signs of allergy, antihistamines are prescribed. Treatment can be supplemented with anti-inflammatory ointments, salicylic, sulfuric, ichthyol and zinc ointments.
Salicylic ointment:
- has antiseptic properties,
- prevents keratinization of the skin,
- promotes the restoration of the epidermis,
- prevents the spread of infection.
Zinc ointment contains lanolin, menthol, zinc oxide. Zinc ointment has disinfecting properties, promotes skin regeneration, relieves itching and burning.
Sulfur ointment has anti-inflammatory, emollient and disinfectant properties. Ichthyol ointment has a keratolytic, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect. In addition, ichthyol ointment promotes tissue regeneration.
Also, don't forget about foot hygiene. It is necessary to abandon tight and uncomfortable shoes, synthetic socks and stockings, regularly change the insoles. Shoes should be disinfected with antimycotic sprays. This is because the treatment will have no effect if the patient's skin is continually infected with new portions of the fungus that lives in the shoes.
Fungus between the toes: treatment with folk remedies at home
Treatment with pharmaceutical preparations does not always bring the desired effect. Therefore, people turn to folk remedies. This approach is also understandable because many synthetic antimycotic ointments and sprays are by no means cheap. Treatment with folk remedies can be carried out in addition to treatment with pharmacy ointments for the skin.
The simplest folk remedies for getting rid of the fungus are salt and soda baths. To prepare the trays you will need 2-3 tablespoons of salt or soda per 5 liters. the water. Water temperature - + 40-45 ° C. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes.
One of the best home remedies is an herbal bath with antiseptic properties. It can be chamomile, sage, calendula, nettle, St. John's wort. To prepare the bath you need 2-3 tbsp. vegetable matter (you can take a mixture of various herbs) insist in a glass of boiling water, strain and add to a 5-liter container with water for a bath. The water should be lukewarm, but not burn the skin of the feet. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes.
Many people in the presence of fungus on the skin of the feet are also helped by bathing with a solution of potassium permanganate. To prepare a pale pink solution, only a few grains of potassium permanganate are needed. You can also moisten cotton pieces with a solution of potassium permanganate and stick them between your fingers.
Boric acid is also effective in treating the disease. You can use both liquid boric acid and powder. Acid can be added to baths and treated with affected areas.
For the platters, you can also use a slightly warmed 9% solution of table apple cider vinegar. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. You can also make vinegar lotions.
Another recipe is iodine baths. To prepare the solution, it is enough to dilute 20 drops in 3 liters of lukewarm water. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, the duration of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
After the completion of water procedures, it is necessary to cleanse the skin from keratinized and scaly tissue. It is recommended to do the baths at least once a day, preferably at night.
In addition, for the treatment of mycosis of the feet, you can use garlic ointment, drugstore anti-dandruff shampoos with antifungal components, lotions with chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide.
Prevention of cutaneous toe fungus
The disease occurs as a result of non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. Therefore, it is necessary:
- do not use other people's pedicure tools, towels, slippers, socks and shoes, do not allow strangers to use their shoes, socks, hygiene items
- observe foot hygiene, wash the skin daily with soap, carefully treat the interdigital spaces;
- cut nails regularly;
- wear comfortable shoes and breathable fabric socks;
- regularly change socks, put on socks washed at a temperature of at least + 40 ° C;
- exercise to improve blood circulation in your legs.
What is the fastest treatment?
It is impossible to say unequivocally which remedy is faster and better. After all, the effectiveness of treatment of a fungal skin disease depends on many circumstances - the severity of the pathology, the level of immunity, the presence of concomitant diseases. Some patients are helped by traditional methods, others - by pharmaceutical ointments. It is important not to start the disease and to start treatment at the first signs of it. It is also important to identify the type of pathogen. To do this, you need to consult a doctor. Maybe he will be able to find the best option for the drug.