Nowadays, dermatological diseases make up a significant percentage of the diseases that more and more people face every day.The rapid spread of diseases related to the violation of the integrity of the skin and the functions of the epithelial tissue is due not only to the constantly increasing number of pathogenic pathogens in the external environment, but also to our lifestyle, daily routine and bad habits, which are the impetus for the development of various pathologies.
What are fungi and why do they appear?
Fungal skin diseases are second in frequency of occurrence after purulent lesions of the epidermis, which are called pyoderma.Fungal infections have specific pathogens - fungal microorganisms that 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 acquire a pathological form due to a change in 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 diseases - dermatomycosis, which directly affects the skin of the heel, toes, metatarsus or foot, and onychomycosis, which affects the folds of the nails, nail plates and the epidermis below them.The causative agents of onychomycosis are able to increase the area of infection, spreading to the nearby covering tissues.
Fungus on the feet can be transmitted directly, for example, by walking barefoot on soil inhabited by fungal microorganisms, through infected plants or in close contact with a person or animal suffering from mycosis.The indirect route of infection with mycotic diseases includes the development of a fungal infection due to the use of personal hygiene items belonging to a fungal patient, through clothes and bedding, as well as during the use of patient care items.
Different degrees of susceptibility to pathogens of mycotic 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 are considered the most vulnerable age group.Most often, dermatologists diagnose infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungal microorganisms in children, because their outer skin is still quite thin, which allows the fungus to feed more easily on keratin, a specific skin protein that is a component of epithelial tissue.
In children, the immune defense mechanisms are still in the stage of development and are not able to protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic microflora, as well as the developed immune system protects it, therefore the child's organism is constantly exposed to the risk of infection with various diseases and pathologies.
Athletes belong to the group of people who are often in a state of constant spread of fungus on the skin of the feet.The changing rooms and showers, which are often used by athletes before and after training, are an ideal environment for intensive activity of fungal microorganisms, since the increased air temperature and increased moisture concentration are optimal conditions for the activation of the pathogenic form of the fungus.
That is why excessive sweating of the feet often precedes the development of a fungal infection on the skin of the feet, which can be due to the constant wearing of uncomfortable tight shoes that do not allow air flow.Constant sweating of the feet may be due to the specific composition of the genetic material and may 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 the secretion of the sweat glands (water, uric acid, ammonia, amino acids and fatty acids) to one that is more toxic to our body and more suitable for the activation of the fungus.Pathological changes in the composition of sweat have a particularly beneficial 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 system, as well as the gastrointestinal tract, are fraught with a decrease in the basic metabolism in the body, which negatively affects the activity of organs of other systems and the course of immune defense mechanisms.Since the weakened body cannot fully respond to the constant attacks of microbes and pathogenic microflora, preventing their penetration into the body, a person becomes more susceptible to the negative influence of environmental factors, as a result of which he is susceptible to infection with bacterial and fungal infections.
The specific parasitism of fungi on the skin of the feet and in the body manifests itself in different symptoms depending on the stage of the disease.
A weak or erased form of fungal infection is the earliest stage of disease development and is characterized by rather poorly expressed characteristic signs.A person who has an erased form of a fungal disease often experiences 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 ignored, the disease will develop into more severe forms, and with careless and irresponsible treatment, the disease will return again, since mycotic diseases are characterized by frequent relapses.
The squamous-keratotic form of the fungal disease develops after a mild form of mycotic infection, if the disease is not removed at an early stage.During the squamous-keratotic stage of the disease, fungal microorganisms form a white coating and 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 intertriginous form of fungal disease of the feet is classified by dermatologists as a severe stage of infection.In the intertriginous form of the disease, swelling appears in the folds between the toes, which is accompanied by redness of the surface layers of the skin.The swelling is most often raw and prone to erosion.The infected area of the skin is characterized by significant peeling of the epidermis and the appearance of deep cracks that facilitate the penetration of fungal cells into the body.The boundaries of parasitism expand and through the bloodstream the fungus spreads to other organs and systems.
The dyshidrotic form of a fungal infection of the skin of the feet is the most severe stage of the development of the pathology.In the dyshidrotic form of the disease, the most aggressive methods of treatment 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 blisters with liquid on the entire surface of the leg, which can burst and form deep erosions on the skin, which is accompanied by pain, severe itching and numerous inflammatory processes.
The treatment of fungal infections of the feet is carried out in three ways: external treatment, internal treatment and combined therapy.
External impact on the focus of the 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 massive.
The internal effect on pathogenic fungal microorganisms is carried out with the help of fungicidal drugs, which can negatively affect the activity of other organs and systems of the body, which is why such drugs often have many contraindications.They are used in the case of fungal parasitism in the body, which manifests itself in the later stages of the development of the disease.
Combined therapy gives the most noticeable effect, but in the initial stages of a fungal infection, external use will be sufficient, since the use of antimycotics internally can create additional complications and stress for the body.
The most effective drugs for eliminating mild forms of mycotic 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 prescribes in case of ineffectiveness of local drugs, drugs with active ingredients such as itraconazole and ketaconazole are used.This course of treatment is longer and is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, children under 3 years old, people with liver diseases and impaired kidney function.
To prevent the secondary development of the disease after treatment, you must carefully take care of the disinfection of your hygiene items, personal items and wardrobe items, since the fungus during the reproduction period is capable of leaving mycelium and other waste products on the things of an infected person.
A special spray is suitable for antifungal treatment of shoes.The antiseptic drug is designed 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 shoes from the inside and leave overnight.The spray also disinfects shoes well, is a hypoallergenic product that does not leave marks and 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.