Nail fungus is a disease that causes many problems for people. Severe itching, burning, aesthetic problems related to the ugly appearance of the nails are not the whole list of problems caused by this disease. The longer you ignore the problem, the more advanced the disease will become and the uglier your nails will become. In addition, gradually the whole body will be poisoned by the waste products of the fungal microflora. But how can we not ignore the initial stage of nail fungus, which is much easier and cheaper to treat than advanced ones? It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of not only the nails, but also the skin of the hands and feet. In this article, we will talk about how not to start the disease and what to do at the beginning, so that your beautiful, pink nails do not turn into the crooked nails of Baba Yaga over time.
Why does the initial stage of nail fungus occur?
Elderly people and people with a weakened immune system are most often affected by infection. At the same time, no one is immune from fungal diseases: even a child can "catch" an unpleasant disease.
Fungal spores are ubiquitous in the modern world, they are extremely hardy and survive on the soil surface even at low temperatures. But most of all they "love" heat and moisture, where they multiply extremely quickly. Warm public places with a lot of foot traffic are the favorite habitats of the fungus. Baths, saunas, swimming pools, fitness clubs: as soon as a person suffering from a fungus visits these places, small skin scales infected with the infection appear on almost every surface. Imagine how often you visit these institutions and consider yourself very lucky if you are reading this article for general development, and not because of the need to treat mycosis in the initial stage.
Sometimes it's enough to go barefoot in the bathroom or put on someone else's flip flops and you can make an appointment with a dermatologist or mycologist. Of course, you should not worry in advance: the infection takes root in the body if a person has a weakened immune system or has cracks, calluses or wounds on the skin. By the way, public transport, which we use several times a day for a long time, is also a dangerous habitat for fungal spores.
The disease can be "caught" in the nail salon, and both customers and employees are exposed to this danger. The use of poorly sterilized tools often causes a fungal infection.
Many chronic diseases can also cause unpleasant illness.
Wearing uncomfortable, tight, airtight shoes made of unnatural materials also often causes a nasty infection. In such shoes, the foot sweats and a very favorable environment for fungal spores appears.
Signs of fungus on the nail plate
The initial stage of onychomycosis is most often not obvious, so people who are careless about themselves can notice problems with their nails when the nails are already badly destroyed and the treatment will cost a fortune.
So what symptoms of toenail fungus can be detected almost immediately? In the initial stage of a fungal disease, the nail retains its usual pink color, the nail plate is smooth and shiny. Gradually, the structure of the nail partially thickens, laminations and small damages appear. There are several types of fungus, each of which may have specific symptoms, but there are common signs of fungal disease.
How does toenail and toenail fungus start? The symptoms are approximately the same: when the nail plate is still smooth and pink, the initial stage of a fungal infection can be recognized by severe itching. The affected areas are itchy, making normal daily activities very difficult. Itching and burning can be felt both directly on the nails and on the skin. A pungent, unpleasant odor often appears.
The skin between the toes becomes red and irritated. Gradually, the natural shine disappears from the nail plate, it becomes cloudy and the nail bed is difficult to see through it. The nail becomes uneven, uneven or wavy, which can be clearly seen both by touch and visually. A gap appears between the nail and the bed, which is easy to notice. Some areas of the nail become yellowish or even brown.
The initial stage of mycosis of the nail plate can sometimes be detected by peeling, brittle nails. Of course, peeling nails does not always mean that the nails are "sick", but often this is a harbinger of a fungal infection. In addition, we have already said that the spores of the infection penetrate through the damaged skin.
What does toenail fungus look like - initial stage? Photos will be no less informative:
Fungus on the nails - the initial stage, it looks like this: the nail also becomes uneven and dull, and whitish spots appear. Most often, this type of disease occurs in women on the "active" hand. The right hands of right-handed people are especially susceptible to this unpleasant disease, since they spend the longest time in an aggressive environment, which leads to rapid thinning and destructionon the nails.
A change in the thickness of the plate in the initial stage of a fungal infection is characteristic of nails and hands and feet. Depending on the type of fungus and the causes of the disease, the plates may thicken or, conversely, thin.
Photos of nail fungus in the initial stage are no less impressive:
Treatment of nail fungus in the initial stage
Like other diseases, nail fungus responds better to treatment in the initial stage. In this case, you can deal with products for external use, which, by the way, are not cheap. There are many local remedies for the problem. The sooner the procedures are started, the less likely the infection will develop further.
Medicines are applied either directly to the nail or to the skin near it. Nail fungus varnishes are effective remedies that work quickly and are very easy to use. Such preparations penetrate deep into the nail and, due to their texture, remain on it for a long time. Medicines are chosen based on the type of fungus.
Antifungal drops also penetrate deep into the nail tissue and also have a large selection of products. They disinfect the nail plates, kill bacteria and prevent the reproduction of fungal spores. The drops will help to cure the initial stage of nail fungus.
Lotions are less common but can also be effective at first. They act on the surface of the nail plate.
Nail fungus creams have become widespread. Mainly designed to treat the skin around damaged plaques. With their help, infections are prevented from spreading to undamaged areas, including new nails.
A special spray is used to prevent the disease and as part of the therapy. Or feet and shoes are treated.
The initial stage of mycosis is treated mainly with local drugs, if the disease progresses, doctors prescribe drugs that are taken orally. Such drugs are effective if a small part of the nail plate is affected by the infection.
Modern medicine offers a wide range of means to eliminate the disease. An expensive but effective method in the initial stage is laser therapy. Devices with laser radiation are aimed at the damaged areas.
The initial stage of nail fungus may require only 4 such procedures. But this method must be used in combination with the drugs described above.
Ozone therapy involves saturation of tissues with ozone. Special injections are made into the skin near the affected nail. This procedure helps to slow down the development of the fungus and prevents the reproduction of its spores.
Of course, you should not forget about folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus in the initial stage. There are many of them. Traditional methods are good because they are easy to use and economical. For example, the treatment of fungus with salt and soda is quite effective in the initial stage of the disease.
Prevention measures
Fungi are very difficult to treat: they take a lot of time, effort and money, and the treatment sometimes drags on for years. That is why it is necessary to take precautions in order not to "catch" an unpleasant disease.
It is extremely important to maintain personal hygiene: never wear someone else's shoes. When you go to a shoe store, only try on your own socks, don't use the ones offered by the sellers. Of course, you can't try on shoes with bare feet.
It is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after traveling on public transport. It is best to wash your nails with tar soap. Use preventive measures, there are many of them. Treat your shoes regularly with antifungal sprays.
When going to a nail salon, it is better to always have your own set of tools with you, which should also be disinfected regularly.
It is important to wash your socks and tights every day, making sure to iron them well afterwards. Bed linen should be washed frequently at high temperatures.
If the fungus affects the nails, it is necessary to protect your loved ones from the same fate. Fungi are not transmitted by close contact between a sick and healthy person, but can easily spread through shared objects and surfaces. Regularly treat the bathroom with disinfectants: the bathtub itself, carpets and floors.