In addition to onychomycosis, there are many other causes and conditions where the normal shape of the nails can change.
Thick, milky nails can be the result of psoriasis or an unsuccessful use of harsh cosmetics. Delamination and delamination of the nails occur with both trauma and nutritional disorders of the lower extremities accompanied by varicose veins or endocrine diseases. Onychomycosis usually begins not with changes to the nail 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 grow, penetrating deeper tissues, incl. under the nail bed. Fungal damage to the nail usually begins at its free edge, thickens, becomes yellow-gray, easily broken and crumbled. But even in this case, it is still possible to accurately determine the presence of a fungus only with the help of laboratory research - a microscope.
Fungi appear only in the elderly and chronic patients.
In patients with chronic diseases (diabetes, peripheral vascular diseases, etc. ), nail fungus is indeed more common, but only for the reason that all these diseases reduce the activity of the immune system. general and topical, negatively affecting the skin's resistance to all infections. . Old age itself cannot be the cause of fungal diseases, but the older you get, the more health problems accumulate, contributing to the development of fungal infections. At the same time, perfectly healthy young people are not protected from nail fungus. Sports enthusiasts can suffer from nail fungus. Calluses, papules of the skin of the feet and perspiration create the ideal conditions for fungal growth. Fungus can occur in people who have to spend most of the day on their feet, in closed shoes that don't let excess moisture evaporate. Smoking, frequent stress and excessive sweets increase the risk of developing a fungal infection.
This fungus is commonly found in swimming pools, saunas or beaches.
In a sauna, swimming pool or on the beach, the risk of getting a fungus is really high, as is any other place with high air temperature and humidity in which the spores of nail fungus pathogens remainexist for a long time. But this is not the only opportunity for nail fungus infection. Fungal infections can penetrate the skin of a person visiting the gym, beauty salon, shoe store, public transport, or simply wearing someone else's slippers. But contact with the fungus or its spores does not always lead to the development of an infection, which is highly dependent on the condition of the skin and the body as a whole. And only when the fungus enters the optimal environment to grow and finds a weakness in the human body's immune system, it can cause damage to the skin and nails. Risk factors for the development of nail fungus are considered dry calluses and cracks in the skin of the feet, increased sweating in the feet, wearing tight and "not breathing" shoes, as well as synthetic socks.
Fungal spores are everywhere, with no effective defense against them.
Fungal spores can actually be found almost anywhere, even at home, so exposure to it cannot be completely ruled out. And yet, even people who are at high risk for tinea capitis have a chance to protect themselves from the development of this infection. First of all, you must carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene: use only shoes, towels, etc. v. It is equally important to carefully monitor the condition of the skin of the feet and nails - remove dry calluses in time, treat cracks, scratches and cut nails correctly. It will not be superfluous to prevent excessive foot sweat, including the use of antiperspirant products for the feet. If your risk of nail fungus is very high, you can prophylactically (once a week) apply a special antifungal nail polish to your nails. After consulting a doctor, you can also start taking drugs that increase immunity - interferon inducers, drugs based on plant adaptogens, multivitamin complexes.
Mushrooms are permanent. You cannot get rid of it completely.
Nail fungus is a common infectious disease that ends as soon as its pathogen is eliminated from the body. This can only be prevented by wrong treatment or mistakes made by the patient himself. The peculiarity of nail fungus is that it is located under the nail (in the nail). Not every LP can penetrate that deep. Therefore, today it is recommended to use special forms of external agents or systemic antifungal therapy for the treatment of nail fungus. Furthermore, treatment must be continued even if all symptoms of the fungal infection have disappeared. You can stop taking the drug only after 3 repeat tests (microscopic) show that the fungus is no longer in the tissue. In addition, the use of antifungal drugs must be combined with proper nail and foot care. This reduces the risk of a new relapse.
It is useless to treat the fungus with external agents.
Modern forms of external preparations can produce high concentrations of antifungal agents in the affected area. At the same time, external agents are not absorbed into the systemic circulation, have a broader spectrum of action and a low risk of resistance. Unfortunately, not all external drugs can penetrate into the thickness of the nail, especially into the tissue of the nail bed, which contains a lot of pathogens. Therefore, local treatment is recommended in combination with the removal of the nail plate or the use of keratolytic agents - preparations of urea or salicylic acid. This is especially important if nail fungus is accompanied by hyperkeratosis of the nail. Usually, monotherapy with external agents is used in cases where the nail bed of 1-2 fingers, or one-third of the surface of the nail plate, is affected. In other cases, external agents are used in combination with systemic antifungal agents.
Fungicides are very dangerous and toxic.
Due to the long duration of antifungal therapy (in some cases up to 12 months), there is a real risk of adverse effects and toxic effects on the liver. But today, methods have been developed that allow you to reduce this danger to a minimum. So, for example, several antifungal drugs are used in the pulse therapy regimen: i. e. short courses, 5-7-10 days, with a break of 21 days. There are systemic antifungal medications that can only be taken 1-2 times a week. There are highly safe anticonvulsants that, when used in therapeutic doses, do not have a negative effect on liver cells even when used continuously for a long time. Therefore, the most important thing is not to arbitrarily use systemic antifungal drugs without the prescription and supervision of a doctor. Only a dermatologist should prescribe such funds.
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 in the short term if the infection is recent and the causative agent of onychomycosis has not had time to penetrate deeply into the tissues surrounding the nail. But, unfortunately, very few patients seek medical help at this stage, most nail fungus treatment begins at a later stage, when the nail plaques (or even some) are affected. severe, and dystrophy or hyperkeratosis is actively underway. in surrounding tissues. In such a situation, no medicine can help to quickly solve the problem of the fungus, even if the treatment is combined with the complete removal of the affected nail, because it will take about 3 months. for nail restoration. In a relatively short time, around 4-6 weeks, you may experience only the most noticeable reduction of nail fungus symptoms. But the infectious agent, especially in the form of spores, remains in the tissues. And only after completing the course of treatment prescribed by the doctor can you get rid of this unpleasant disease.