This article will talk about such an unpleasant, but, alas, quite common phenomenon as toenail fungus. The symptoms and causes of this disease are known to medical science and are easily diagnosed at all stages. However, it can only be detected if you pay close attention to your own health. How to identify toenail fungus? How to treat it? Are the advertised ointments effective?
What causes nail fungus to form?
Nail fungus is a fairly common disease. The disease spreads especially successfully in places with temperate and tropical climates, 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 harsh climates you constantly have to wear warm shoes and socks. The foot sweats, the sock becomes wet and the person is forced to remain in this state for a long time without the opportunity to change shoes. This is the best way to promote the formation of nail fungus. Before we talk about how to identify toenail fungus, let's figure out who is more susceptible to this disease.
Nail fungus as an occupational disease
At risk are people whose skin on their feet 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" the fungus while working in a laundry room, a swimming pool, a hotel, or a restaurant.
What diseases can serve as a prerequisite
Often, not only representatives of the above professions suffer from this disease, but also people who have diabetes mellitus of group 1 or 2. In addition, a prerequisite for the formation of nail fungus can be deformation of the feet, varicose veins. Among the causes of this infection is insufficient nutrition of the nail due to blockage or obstruction of blood vessels. This is why creams advertised today, as well as nail polishes supposedly designed to save you from fungus, will be completely useless in the fight against the disease. After all, it is often caused by internal ailments, and external influence 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 suffering from nail fungus is increasing, and the disease itself is getting younger.
Official data suggests that nail fungus develops two to three times more often in men. However, it is women who turn to a dermatologist much more often 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 will look at why it is so important to get recommendations on the treatment of fungus from a dermatologist, and we will also talk about how you can identify fungus on the nails and what symptoms it has 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 the 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 this nail color. The nail affected by the fungus becomes 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 nail
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 sensations it seems to become thicker and swell.
How to identify fungus on nails? In order to detect the presence of infection, a visual examination 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. A healthy nail will stain and turn brown. Part of the affected plate will remain white.
Stages of the disease
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 edge of the nail. As mentioned above, the color of the plate changes and bulges appear. The nail grows of poor quality, hollow, and therefore breaks and crumbles.
A sign of the second stage will be an increase in the affected area. In addition, it should be noted that sometimes the second stage can begin as if bypassing the first. Damage to the nail plate will begin not from the edge, but at the base of the nail. Curing nail fungus in the second stage will be more problematic than in the first.
How to identify toenail fungus at the third stage? In medicine, it is called white superficial fungus and looks as if the entire plate is affected. It has a dense white color and crumbles heavily at the edges.
The fourth stage is called total dystrophic fungus. The nail has a yellowish-gray color, emits a peculiar unpleasant odor and is very crumbly. At the fourth stage, you can often see a bare part of the skin under the broken nail, since it has grown due to the fungus and in most cases breaks 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 the disease.
What to expect when going to the doctor?
Probably, each of us has a fear of doctors. However, do not 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 upper keratinized layer of the nail 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 kind of treatment should be prescribed.
Treatment of nail fungus takes a long time. It can last from one month to three. After the course of treatment, you will 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 fungus on toenails. The methods are given above. Now it’s worth saying a few words about the treatment that you can do yourself. The drug based on naftifine has proven itself quite well. However, you need to use not an ointment, but a solution. This drug can also be used in cases of foot fungus.
How to use the solution? If you have a fungus at the first stage of the disease, then lubricate the affected nail surface twice a day. Nails should be dry and well washed. At the next stages 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 enhance the effect of the drugs.
Before applying the product, you should thoroughly clean the affected nail surface with a manicure device. However, you need to be extremely careful. After completing the manipulations, 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 kits for removing fungal infections from the nail. Which of these products to use, a solution or a nail removal kit, is up to you. But without the help of a dermatologist, it will not be 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 is worth remembering that self-medication does not always lead to complete recovery. If there are changes in the thickness or color of your nails, you should consult a doctor.
According to the degree of damage to the nail plate, the fungus can be divided into four stages. If at the first stage the disease does not cause alarm, since it does not greatly deform the nail plate, then at 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 exhortations about the effectiveness of a particular drug. Cream or any other product applied to the nail plate from the outside will not get rid of 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 is also worth remembering that nail fungus not only looks unaesthetic, but is also a kind of beacon indicating the presence of disorders in the body.