If you have problems with the nail plates, it is important to know which doctor treats toenail fungus in order to visit a specialist without waiting for complications.It is difficult for a person who encounters a fungal infection for the first time to understand the name of this specialist.Dermatologists and mycologists deal with the problems of fungal diseases, so a visit to a therapist is hardly advisable.
What is nail fungus?
A disease caused by parasitic microorganisms is called a pathogenic fungus.The disease affects the horny layer (nails) and the skin of the feet around them, develops quickly, brings discomfort and inconvenience.Living in the body, dangerous parasites poison it with toxins and can worsen the general condition.You can get infected by wearing other people's shoes, not observing foot hygiene or walking barefoot on the beach or in the pool.People with such problems should know which doctor treats nail fungus in order to prevent complications and receive appropriate treatment to eliminate the unpleasant disease.
Symptoms of the disease
Which doctor will treat the symptoms of toenail fungus depends on how badly the plate affected by the fungus is destroyed and what the nature of the lesion is.The following characteristic signs of the appearance of fungi are distinguished:
- normotrophic type: stripes, spots on the sides of the nail with an ocher-yellow or white color, ease of separation of the plate from the skin, a person suffers from itching of the skin under healthy nails;
- hypertrophic: plate thickening, loss of luster, disintegration, dullness, severe deformation, dark yellow or gray color;
- atrophic: brown-gray color, loss of luster, pallor, necrosis and destruction of the nail bed of the toes;
- lateral and distal: loss of color, transverse yellowish furrows, decay, roughness, exposed nail bed of the toes, swelling, redness, thickening, pain in the skin of the foot, advanced cases may be characterized by the appearance of pus;
- proximal: bleaching, destruction;
- general: complete destruction of the toenail due to lack of therapy;
- white superficial: white spots, decay, delamination, pain.
Which doctor treats nail fungus?
Knowing which doctor deals with nails is helpful for any nail fungus patient.In this case, the therapist will not help;you should see a specialist.This doctor is a dermatologist, he advises in the initial stages of the disease.In advanced cases, a consultation with a mycologist is necessary - this is a specialist who treats nail fungus in an extremely targeted manner.
Dermatologist
This doctor can prescribe the right treatment and eliminate the nail fungus.His qualification allows him to eliminate skin problems, including viral and infectious lesions, dermatitis, eczema and parasitic diseases.The latter involves a fungal infection.If the case is not advanced, you should contact a dermatologist at your local clinic or dermatovenerological dispensary and make an appointment for a first examination.According to the indications, he can refer the patient to a mycologist.
Mycologist
In difficult cases, the answer to the question of which doctor treats toenails is to contact a mycologist.This is the name of the same dermatologist who only treats fungal infections of the skin, hair and nails.Not available in every clinic or even in the city.Consultation with mycologists includes treatment and prevention of fungal diseases: onychomycosis, candidiasis, microsporia, trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, foot mycosis.You should contact them after a referral from a dermatologist.
How's the meeting going?
Once you know which doctor treats toenail fungus, don't hesitate to make an appointment.During the first visit, the nail specialist interviews the patient about how long ago the problem appeared, the sensations experienced and the patient's lifestyle.After collecting information, a preliminary examination of the affected areas of the foot is performed, a diagnosis is made and the stage of the infection is determined.
External signs may not always indicate a fungal appearance, so a scraping of dead scales is taken for examination in the laboratory.The resulting medical material is examined under a microscope and placed on nutrient media.You should see a doctor as soon as possible to cure the fungus without consequences for the patient and his body.
Multiple consultation
After receiving the tests from the laboratory, a second consultation is held.A mycologist or dermatologist reports the cause of the growth, the presence of fungus, its type and prescribes the correct treatment.Medicines are selected depending on the individual characteristics of the patient.The procedure for treating the disease is long, so you will have to visit a specialist several more times to monitor the therapy and prevent infection of the patient's body.
Treatment options
After studying the etiology of the fungus that affected the nail plate of the toes, treatment is prescribed.It is not recommended to choose drugs yourself, as there is a risk of side effects.The main antifungal drugs and methods of treatment used:
- oral - tablets, capsules for a comprehensive effect on the parasite from the inside;
- local effects - applied externally, they include ointments, creams, compresses, drops, varnishes;
- special laser treatment - improves the penetration of agents inside and tissue microcirculation;
- a recommendation for surgical removal of the nail is given in extreme cases when recovery is impossible.
Popular effective drugs, divided into groups according to their effect on the fungal pathogen, are:
- Antifungal varnishes.
- Preparation for plaque removal (sometimes required to cure the fungus).
- Antifungal tablets.
- Creams, ointments, sprays.
- Other remedies: healing liquids, tea tree oil, etc.