Onychomycosis is an infectious disease of the nails caused by pathogenic fungi. According to statistics, it occurs in every tenth person on Earth. About a third of all nail pathologies are fungal infections. More than 30% of cases occur in patients over 65 years of age. Nail fungus is 3-5 times more common than on the hands.
Causes of nail onychomycosis
The disease begins with infection of the nail plates, which usually occurs in public places - swimming pools, saunas and baths. Scales with spores of the pathogen fall on the floor, benches, paths and rugs. Warm, humid environments allow fungi to survive and multiply, especially on unpainted wooden objects. Wearing tight shoes increases the chance of infection.
If one of the family members is sick, there is a high risk of transmitting the disease through a towel, rug or grill in the bathroom. Fingernails get infected mainly when combing the affected areas of skin. The risk of the disease increases with repeated nail injuries, decreased blood flow to the extremities, and with severe comorbidities (diabetes, AIDS, systemic blood disorders).
Symptoms and types of onychomycosis
There are three forms of the disease - atrophic (onycholytic), normotrophic and hypertrophic onychomycosis. The characteristic symptoms are:
- the appearance of white or yellowish spots in the thickness of the nail plate;
- inflammatory process in the nailfold roller;
- nail atrophy with bed separation;
- dystrophic processes in the nail plate.
With atrophic onychomycosis, the nail plate turns grayish-brown, atrophies, and separates from the bed. Loose layers are formed on the exposed area. The hypertrophic form is characterized by subcutaneous hyperkeratosis, which causes pain when walking, changes in shape and destruction of nails. The nail plates become opaque and thick. With normotropic onychomycosis, the nail does not thicken and retains its shine. Stripes and spots appear on the nail plate, changing its color.
nail fungus treatment
Onychomycosis begins to be treated immediately after diagnosis, as the infection develops quickly. Local antifungal therapy is effective only in the early stages. With the development of the disease, the use of systemic agents is necessary.
In order for the systemic treatment of nail fungus to be safe and effective, several rules must be followed:
- Therapy can only be started after confirmation of the diagnosis and medical consultation, as antifungal agents have several serious side effects. Dosage self-selection is unacceptable.
- During treatment with systemic antimycotics, the use of drugs other than vital drugs should be limited.
- The affected areas of the nail should be removed after softening them with keratolytic patches.
- To avoid digestive disorders during the treatment period, foods that can cause bloating are excluded from the diet - black bread, dairy products, cabbage, vegetables.
- You need to choose comfortable shoes that don't pinch your foot.
Nail onychomycosis treatment at home
Traditional medicine offers several prescriptions for remedies that help speed recovery, but they should only be used in combination with the main treatment.
- Treat affected nails 2 times a day with 5% iodine solution. During application, a slight burning sensation should be observed. With severe pain, treatment should be stopped.
- To facilitate the separation of infected nails and increase regeneration, a 20% tincture of propolis is used, which is applied to the lesions 2-3 times a day.
- Take a small piece of kombucha and attach it to the toenails of a washed and steamed toenail. Leave overnight, remove in the morning, rinse with water and remove softened nail areas. Treat affected areas with an antiseptic. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
- Grate the head of garlic and make compresses, applying porridge to infected nails for 10-15 minutes.
Prevention and prognosis of nail onychomycosis
To prevent the disease, one should observe personal hygiene, not use someone else's clothes, shoes and towels. In baths, pools and saunas, walk only in flip-flops, avoiding contact with potential pathogen accumulation sites (wooden pallets and rugs). You need to wear comfortable shoes, avoid nail damage, and combat excessive foot sweating.
The prognosis is favorable, depending on the severity of the disease, complete recovery takes from several weeks to a year. The effect of therapy is enhanced when damaged nails are removed. Reinfection is possible if personal hygiene rules are not followed.
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