Nail fungus cannot be confused with anything in its advanced stage, when it is almost impossible to cure it. But if you know the early symptoms of nail fungus, it won't be too late to start fighting the infection and nail loss could well be prevented. But in different cases, the fungus looks different, so first you need to understand a little about the nature and course of the disease.
General signs of the disease
Regardless of the type of fungus, the variety, the course of the disease and even the stage, these symptoms will remain unchanged and will certainly indicate a developing or already ongoing onychomycosis.
- A change in the color of the nail plate is a key sign from which the disease begins to develop. Shades can range from whitish to black, but the most common color of a fungal toenail is brownish-yellow.
- An unpleasant odor always accompanies onychomycosis, although it may not be very noticeable in the early stages. True, you will hardly sniff your feet, and a specific smell will become noticeable already at the stage of development of the disease.
- Stratification, crumbling and peeling of the nail plate does not start immediately, but it is these signs of nail fungus that most people are alarmed about. If these symptoms are moderately expressed and appear locally, there is still a chance to restore a healthy look to the nail.
- Painful sensations rarely appear at the initial stage and at the stage of development, but as the disease progresses, discomfort and pain cannot be avoided: in any case, they will appear either due to deformation, either due to a destroyed nail plate, or due to the onset of inflammation with pus.
- Burning and itchy skin should also not be ignored. In addition, at the initial stage, it is these symptoms that can help to recognize the disease, since in some cases it passes to the nail plate from the skin on the ridges or the lateral or posterior cuticles.
Besides
Onychomycosis is much more common on the toenails, while the fungus enters the hands much less often, most often after contact with the affected nails.
Symptoms of foot fungus
It looks like you already know how to identify nail fungus, but this information is pretty general, although it will help you accurately diagnose onychomycosis. The fact is that there are more than 50 species of fungi that can cause it, and about 10 of the course of the disease. It is better to know in advance what awaits you in each of the possible scenarios.
More than 90% of all cases of infection with onychomycosis on the legs are due to dermatomycetes, just under 10% - to yeast-like fungi, and only a small proportion - to molds.
Different types of nail fungus have different symptoms.
- With a normotrophic fungus, the nail plate itself is not deformed, and the most noticeable manifestation of the disease is a change in the color of the plate on the sides to yellowish-brown. At the same time, its thickness does not change, it does not crumble, and the natural gloss does not disappear. If you do not treat the treatment of normotrophic fungi, it will affect a growing area, the plaque will begin to flake off and can completely peel off.
- The hypertrophic fungus causes thickening of the nail plate, resulting in the formation of claw-like growths. At an advanced stage, such a fungus causes discomfort and often pain when walking, and, of course, nail damage is accompanied by a grayish or yellow color change. These nails lose their natural shine and begin to crumble and peel off.
- If you are faced with an atrophic fungus, the risk of losing plaque without proper treatment is extremely high. Such a fungus gradually destroys the nail plate, making it loose and peeling, as a result of which its atrophy occurs. In the initial stages, it is difficult to distinguish an atrophic course, since it is accompanied only by a loss of luster and a change in the color of the plaque to yellow, brown or gray.
Less typical are latero-distal molds with blackening of the nail plate, pain, suppuration, and advanced nail plate atrophy; a proximal fungus with white spots in the area of the growth zone and damage to the nail plate from the side of the cuticle, as well as a superficial white fungus, which manifests itself in the form of small white spots onthe nail, gradually growing and occupying an increasing area.
Besides
The older the person, the more susceptible they are to fungal nail diseases. In addition, the appearance of the fungus can be influenced by climate, hygiene and gender.
Symptoms of a fungus on the hands
On the hands, the 3 main variants of evolution of the disease do not differ from those encountered on the legs, only the distribution of the causes of occurrence is somewhat different: approximately 30% and 45% are due to dermatomycetes and toyeasts. fungi, respectively, just under 15% are molds, and a small number of infections are also caused by other mycotic organisms.
The main symptoms are also the same for patches on the arms and legs, and the affected areas look similar. The only difficult point may be the question of how to recognize nail fungus in less common cases, such as infection with rubromycosis or trichophytons, but this is more a task for qualified doctors.
Mushroom progress
If at the initial stage the disease does not seem scary, and thoughts of serious treatment are rarely visited, being increasingly replaced by folk methods, then at an advanced stage it will not be possible to do without treatmentlong-term medical. And even he will not be able to guarantee that the nail will remain with you.
- It would be ideal to start treating the disease at an early stage, but it is almost impossible to determine it outside the laboratory: all symptoms have a barely noticeable manifestation. Although some signs are still visible. If you notice something wrong with the skin, for example, cracks, blisters or burns may appear, this is a clear sign of onychomycosis on the nails. If you see that the color of the nail plate began to change along the edges or from one edge, this is also cause for concern.
- Usually the fungus becomes noticeable at the stage of development, and in order to notice it as soon as possible, you need to regularly do at least a simple pedicure and monitor the condition of the nails and skin of the feet. During this period, the nail plate looks unhealthy, loses its shine, a significant color change begins, and closer to the beginning of the advanced stage, the nail begins to deform, peel off and crumble.
- At an advanced stage, the nail will definitely actively collapse: delaminate, break, loosen up to the complete destruction of the nail plate and even damage the nail bed. For the disease to reach its advanced form, it must be ignored long enough, enduring itching, discomfort, disgusting appearance and unpleasant smell, which people do not often do yet. Therefore, this stage is typical for the rapid development of the fungus in the elderly or in the presence of certain diseases.
It is important to remember that untreated nail fungus can turn into foot fungus, and this disease is even more unpleasant and difficult to treat.
It is not so difficult to determine the presence of a fungus on the nails, at least at the stage of development, but it is better to entrust qualified professionals to determine the cause and type of course. Do not neglect the help of doctors and contact them at the first suspicion of an illness.