In addition to onychomycosis, there are many other causes and diseases due to which the normal appearance of the nails can change.
Thick, cloudy white nails can be the result of psoriasis or unsuccessful use of raw cosmetics. Peeling and exfoliation of the nail plate occurs in both injuries and trophic disorders of the lower extremities with varicose veins or endocrine diseases. Onychomycosis very often begins not with changes in the nail plate itself, but with redness, itching and peeling of the skin around the nail. If a person does not pay attention to these symptoms, the fungus begins to develop, penetrating deeper tissues, incl. under the nail bed. Fungal damage to the nail plate usually starts from its free edge, which thickens, becomes gray-yellow, easily breaks and crumbles. But even in this case it is possible to accurately determine the presence of the fungus only with the help of laboratory tests - microscopy.
The fungus occurs only in the elderly and chronic patients.
In patients with chronic diseases (diabetes, peripheral vascular diseases, etc. ) nail fungus is really more common, but only for the reason that all these diseases reduce the activity of general and local immunity, adversely affect the skin's resistance to anyinfections. Old age alone cannot be the cause of fungal diseases, but the older a person gets, the more health problems accumulate, which contributes to the development of fungal infections. At the same time, completely healthy young people are not protected from onychomycosis. Sports fans can suffer from nail fungus. calluses, microtraumas of the skin of the feet and sweating create ideal conditions for the development of the fungus. The fungus can occur in those who have to spend most of the day on their feet, in closed shoes that do not allow excess moisture to evaporate. Smoking, frequent stress and excessive love of sweets increase the risk of developing fungal infections.
The fungus is usually infected in a swimming pool, sauna or beach.
In a sauna, pool or beach, the risk of encountering fungus is really very high, as in any other place with high temperature and humidity, where the spores of onychomycosis pathogens remain viable for a long time. But this is far from the only possibility of infection with onychomycosis. The causes of fungal infections can get on the skin of a person who visits a gym, beauty salon, shoe store, public transport or just wears someone else's slippers. But contact with fungi or spores does not always lead to the development of infection, much depends on the condition of the skin and body as a whole. And only if the fungus enters the optimal environment for development and finds a weak place in the immune defense of the human body, it can cause damage to the skin and nails. Risk factors for the development of onychomycosis are considered to be dry calluses and cracks on the skin of the feet, increased sweating of the feet, wearing tight and "non-breathable" shoes, as well as synthetic socks.
Fungal spores are everywhere, there is no effective protection against them.
Fungal spores can indeed be found almost anywhere, even at home, so it is impossible to completely rule out contact with it. However, even a person at high risk of developing mycoses has the ability to prevent the development of this infection. First of all, you must carefully follow the rules of personal hygiene: use only your own shoes, towels, etc. It is equally important to carefully monitor the condition of the skin of the feet and nails - remove dry calluses in a timely manner, properly treat cracks, abrasionsand cut your nails. It will not be superfluous to prevent excessive sweating of the feet, including the use of antiperspirant products for the feet. If the risk of onychomycosis is very high, then you can prophylactically (once a week) cover your nails with a special antifungal varnish. You can also, after consulting your doctor, start taking drugs that increase immunity - inducers of interferon, drugs based on plant adaptogens, multivitamin complexes.
The fungus is forever. You can't get rid of it completely.
Onychomycosis is a common infectious disease that ends immediately after the pathogen is removed from the body. This can only be prevented by improper treatment or mistakes made by the patient himself. The peculiarity of onychomycosis is that the fungus is located under the nail plate (in the nail bed). Not every LP can penetrate that deeply. Therefore, today it is recommended to use either special forms of external agents or systemic antifungal therapy for the treatment of onychomycosis. In addition, treatment should be continued even if all symptoms of the fungal infection have disappeared. You can stop taking the medication only after 3 re-examinations (microscopy) show that the fungus is no longer in the tissues. In addition, the use of antifungal agents should be combined with appropriate nail and foot care. this reduces the risk of new relapses.
It is useless to treat the fungus with external agents.
Modern forms of external preparations allow to create a high concentration of antifungal agent in the affected area. At the same time, external agents are not absorbed into the systemic circulation, have a wider spectrum of action and a low risk of developing resistance. Unfortunately, not all external drugs are able to penetrate the thickness of the nail, especially in the tissue of the nail bed, where most of the pathogens are located. Therefore, it is recommended to combine topical therapy with the removal of the nail plate or the use of keratolytic agents - preparations of urea or salicylic acid. This is especially important if onychomycosis is accompanied by hyperkeratosis of the nails. Usually monotherapy with external agents is used in cases where the nails of 1-2 fingers or 1/3 of the surface of the nail plates are affected. In other cases, external agents are used in combination with systemic antifungal drugs.
Antifungal pills are very dangerous and toxic.
Due to the long duration of the course of antifungal therapy (in some cases up to 12 months), there is indeed a risk of side effects and toxic effects on the liver. But today, methods have been developed that allow you to reduce this danger to a minimum. For example, some antifungal drugs are used in a pulse therapy regimen: ie short, 5-7-10-day courses, with a break of 21 days. There are systemic antifungals that can only be taken 1-2 times a week. There are antifungals with a high safety profile, which, when taken in therapeutic doses, do not have a negative effect on liver cells even with prolonged long-term use. That is why it is most important not to take systemic antifungals without a doctor's appointment and supervision. Only a dermatologist should prescribe such remedies.
If you choose the right medicine, the fungus can be cured in a week.
It is possible to stop the development of a fungal infection for a short time only if the infection has occurred recently and the causative agent of onychomycosis has not had time to penetrate deep into the tissues surrounding the nail. But, unfortunately, few patients seek medical help at this stage, most often the treatment of onychomycosis begins in the later stages, when the nail plate (or even several) is severely affected and the process of dystrophy or hyperkeratosis continues actively in the surrounding tissues. . In such a situation, no drug will help to quickly solve the problem of the fungus, even if the treatment is combined with the complete removal of the affected nail plate, as it will take about 3 months to restore the nail. In a relatively short time, about 4-6 weeks, you can only reduce the most noticeable symptoms of onychomycosis. But the cause of the infection, especially in the form of spores, still remains in the tissues. And only after completing the course of treatment prescribed by your doctor, you can get rid of this nasty disease.