Today, dermatological diseases constitute a significant percentage of the diseases that a growing number of people face every day.The rapid spread of diseases related to the breakdown of the integrity of the skin and the functions of the epithelial tissue is caused not only by the constantly increasing number of pathogenic pathogens in the external environment, but also by our way of life, daily routine and bad habits, which are the impetus for the development of various pathologies.
What is a fungus and why does it appear?
Mycotic diseases of the skin are ranked second in frequency of occurrence after purulent lesions of the epidermis, which are called pyoderma.Fungal infections have specific pathogens - fungal microorganisms, which determine the development of fungal skin lesions only in a pathogenic form or state.
Since fungi are part of our environment and usually do not show their presence in any way, they are opportunistic microorganisms that take a pathological form due to the change of environmental conditions suitable for reproduction and in case of weakening of the immune defense of the human body.
Foot fungus is characterized by two types of disease - dermatomycosis, which directly affects the skin of the heel, toes, metatarsus or sole, and onychomycosis, which affects the nail folds, nail plates and the epidermis beneath them.The causative agents of onychomycosis are able to increase the area of infection, spreading to nearby connective tissue.
Foot fungus can be transmitted directly, for example, by walking barefoot on soil populated by fungal microorganisms, through infected plants or during close contact with a person or animal sick with mycosis.The indirect route of infection with fungal diseases includes the development of a fungal infection due to the use of personal hygiene items belonging to a person suffering from a fungus, through his clothes and bedding, as well as during the use of patient care items.
Different degrees of susceptibility to pathogens of fungal diseases in each person are due to many factors that can affect the tendency to develop infectious diseases and the nature of the disease.
Children under 10-12 years old are considered the most vulnerable age group.Most often, dermatologists diagnose infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungal microorganisms in children, since their outer skin is still quite thin, which allows the fungus to more easily feed on keratin, a specific skin protein that is a component of epithelial tissue.
In children, the immune defense mechanisms are still in the development stage and are not able to protect the organism from the penetration of pathogenic microflora, as well as the developed immune system protects it, therefore the children's organism is constantly at risk of infection with various diseases and pathologies.
Athletes belong to the group of people who often find themselves in conditions of continuous spread of mold on the skin of the feet.Changing rooms and shower rooms, which are often used by athletes before and after training, are an ideal environment for the intensive activity of fungal microorganisms, since the increase in air temperature and the increase in moisture concentration are optimal conditions for the activation of the pathogenic form of fungi.
This is why excessive sweating of the feet often precedes the development of a fungal infection on the skin of the feet, which may be due to the constant wearing of uncomfortable tight shoes that do not allow air to flow.Constant sweating of the feet can be determined by the specific composition of the genetic material and can also be one of the external symptoms of diseases or pathologies present in the body.
Another impetus for the development of a fungal disease on the skin of the feet can be a change in the usual composition of sweat gland secretion (water, uric acid, ammonia, amino acids and fatty acids) to what is more toxic to our body and more suitable for the activation of fungi.Pathological changes in the composition of sweat have a particularly favorable effect on the development of infectious diseases caused by fungi of the genus Candida, or yeast-like fungi.
Disturbances in the normal functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems, as well as the gastrointestinal tract, are fraught with a decrease in basal metabolism in the body, which negatively affects the activity of organs of other systems and the course of immune defense mechanisms.Since a weakened body cannot fully respond to the constant attacks of microbes and pathogenic microflora, preventing their penetration into the body, a person becomes more sensitive to the negative impact of environmental factors, as a result of which he is susceptible to infection with bacterial and fungal infections.
Specific fungal parasitism on the skin of the legs and body manifests itself in different symptoms depending on the stage of the disease.
A weak or deleted form of a fungal infection is the earliest stage of the development of the disease and is distinguished by characteristic signs that are rather weakly expressed.A person who has a suppressed form of a fungal disease often feels a burning sensation in the area of infection, there are small cracks on the surface of the skin, and the epidermis itself becomes pathologically dry.
Although the initial stage of infection is best treated, if the symptoms of infection with fungal microorganisms are not taken into account, the disease will develop into more severe forms and with careless and irresponsible treatment, the disease will return again, since fungal diseases are characterized by frequent relapses.
The squamous-keratotic form of fungal disease develops after a mild form of fungal infection, if the disease is not removed at an early stage.During the squamous-keratotic stage of the disease, fungal microorganisms form a white layer and a hard crust on the surface of the skin;the area of infection gradually increases and can reach significant sizes, for example, from the interdigital folds to the metatarsus.
The intertrigenic form of fungal foot disease is classified by dermatologists as a severe stage of the infection.In the intertrigenic form of the disease, swelling appears in the folds between the toes, which is accompanied by redness of the surface layers of the skin.Edema is more often raw and prone to erosion.The infected area of the skin is characterized by significant detachment of the epidermis and the appearance of deep cracks, which facilitate the penetration of fungal cells into the body.The boundaries of parasitism expand and the fungus spreads through the bloodstream to other organs and systems.
The dyshidrotic form of fungal infection of the skin of the feet is the most severe stage in the development of the pathology.For the dyshidrotic form of the disease, the most aggressive treatment methods are used, including pulse therapy, which involves taking loading doses of powerful drugs in a short period of time.It is characterized by the presence of fluid bubbles inside the entire surface of the leg, which can burst and form deep erosions on the skin, which are accompanied by pain, severe itching and numerous inflammatory processes.
The treatment of fungal infections of the feet is carried out in three ways: using external treatment, internal treatment and combined therapy.
External influence on the source of infection with antifungal creams, ointments, gels, varnishes, powders, tonics and sprays is used in the first stages of the disease, when the fungal parasitism has not become more widespread.
The internal effect on pathogenic fungal microorganisms is carried out using fungicidal drugs, which can negatively affect the activity of other organs and systems of the body, therefore such drugs often have many contraindications.They are used in case of fungal parasitism inside the organism, which appears in the later stages of the disease's development.
Combined therapy gives the most visible effect, but in the initial stages of a fungal infection, external use will be sufficient, since the use of antimycotics inside can create additional complications and stress on the body.
The most effective drugs to get rid of mild forms of fungal diseases are drugs based on terbinafine, which promotes the accumulation of squalene in the skin, which destroys the mechanism of the pathological effects of fungal microorganisms.Terbinafine is a substance that is included in various antifungal drugs, which allows it to eliminate fungal diseases caused by various pathogens.
For systemic treatment, which the attending physician takes in case of ineffectiveness of local drugs, medications with active ingredients such as itraconazole and ketaconazole are used.This course of treatment is longer and is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 3 years old, people with liver disease and impaired kidney function.
To prevent the secondary development of the disease after treatment, you must take care of the disinfection of your hygiene items, personal items and clothing, as the fungus during the reproduction period can leave mycelia and other waste products on the belongings of an infected person.
A special varnish is suitable for antifungal treatment of shoes.Antiseptic medicine aims to remove the products of the proliferation of fungal cells from the personal belongings of a person suffering from mycosis.With a 0.1% solution, rinse the inside of the shoes and leave overnight.The spray also disinfects shoes well, is a hypoallergenic product that does not leave marks or odors and is suitable for shoes made of any material.
To effectively get rid of a fungal infection and prevent its occurrence, you must carefully follow all preventive measures and monitor your health.Any disease, including fungal disease, is always easier to prevent than to cure.