Croatia (en)
Athlete's foot or foot fungus is one of the most common forms of dermatological disorders. According to statistics, every third man at least once in his life faced with a similar lesion of the epidermis. Mycosis refers to infectious diseases, therefore, should be treated as soon as possible.
Statistics show that approximately one-third of the world population suffers from foot fungus. Among all the fungal infections of the skin, this form of the disease is more frequent. To be infected by the fungus at any age. Approximately 20% of patients are children and adolescents, approximately 40% of the elderly and patients with diabetes.
Fungal infection causes the development of the erysipelas on the feet. This diminishes local cell-mediated immunity and complicates the treatment. Timely detection of a disease fungal well enough it is treatable, but the therapy of advanced forms of the fungus can drag for months.
Timely treatment is often hampered by the lack of bright symptoms. In the initial phase of the fungus appears less dryness and flaking, which many people do not pay enough attention to the expectation that the discomfort will pass if the same. As a result, the fungus is not treated, the disease progresses and after some time, raises a number of specific symptoms.
Pathogens:
In the second place in the prevalence of the infection is Trichophyton mentagrophytes. This mycosis is characterized by severe symptoms, but treated quickly enough with the correct choice of the therapy.
The most rare form of mycosis caused by Epidermophyton floccosum, and yeast (yeast) fungi. The treatment in these cases depends on the stage of the disease. Infection stop yeast-like fungi is rarely independent of the disease, in general, a form of infection widespread in nature, affecting several areas of the epidermis, including the feet and nails.
To be infected with the fungus feet simply to violate the rules of personal hygiene and visiting public places with high humidity. The fungus lives where it is wet and hot. He loves the swimming pools, public showers, gyms. The fungus dies only by prolonged boiling. You can find in the saunas, where the temperature is in the range of 60-70C due to the fact that the temperature of the spores do not die.
To fungus can cause:
People infected with the fungus, potentially dangerous for the environment. The fact that the spores live in the upper layers of the epidermis. Every day, thousands of cells of the human skin, and are shed in the environment that surrounds it. Infected with the fungus the epidermis retains spores of the fungus for a long time. Thus, the cells of the skin of the feet falling on the carpet and remain in the thick pile. When the members of the family or guests are on the carpet barefoot, the spores reach the skin. As a result, there is a high risk of developing fungal infections. The same thing happens when it comes to the look in his eyes, as the disputes for a long time remain viable. It has been demonstrated that the spores of the fungi in the shoes may remain active for years.
Communal shower in a gym, the public pool or sauna is a real focus of fungal infection. Because of the constant humidity and hot weather, the fungus in these conditions can live a very long time. It is necessary to go to the toilet without Slippers, such as the skin disputes of pathogenic microflora. The symptoms begin to occur immediately, since the immunity may long prevent the development of infection, but after a few weeks or months will show the first signs.
Despite the high degree of infection, athlete's foot develops not for everyone. This is due to the activity of the immune system. A strong and healthy body can defeat the infection by fungi and prevent its spread. At the same time, often the opposite happens – the human immune system for a long time trying to contain the fungus, and it is possible that, for months, but after the stress of the SARS or any other internal failure, and fungus infection begins to progress quickly.
Risk Factors:
All of these States in one way or another affect the immune system.
Profuse sweating and poor personal hygiene create an ideal environment for the development of fungi and reduce the local immunity. Sweat contributes to the rapid multiplication of various pathogenic microorganisms, including fungal microflora. Insufficient hygiene of the feet, the choice of socks made of synthetic fibres, tight and closed shoes to accelerate the process of development of the fungal infection and destruction of the epidermis.
Hormonal disorders lead to a decrease in General immunity. Fungal infection are very susceptible to adolescents. Due to the restructuring of the hormonal system that from some time, a decrease in the immune system and excessive sweating, which provides the ideal conditions for the growth and proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
Reduced immunity also contributes to the intake of certain medications. This happens in the background of the prolonged therapy with antibiotics and corticosteroids. Stress, chronic fatigue, a disorder of the nervous system— all increase the vulnerability of the organism before the activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
Increase the risk of infection can be:
When vascular disease and diabetes there is a violation of the circulation of the blood in the lower extremities. This reduces local immunity and increases the risk of fungal infection.
The symptoms of foot fungus can be divided into General and specific, characteristic for a certain forms of clinical disease.
Seems to be a fungus in the feet, describe the most common symptoms:
The exact changes of the epidermis, it will depend on the form of the disease. Can affect both the color and the density of the skin in the affected area.
There are five main ways clinics of athlete's foot:
The most common type of fungal lesions on the feet is said fungi. The disease is manifested by flaking of the epidermis in the interdigital intervals. The disorder usually captures the space between the 3 and the 4 and the 4 and 5 toes. Specific symptoms of this form of the disease:
With timely therapy, the symptoms of foot fungus are fast enough if you know how to treat the affected feet.
Deep form of mycosis is complicated by interdigital form of the disease. Develops in the absence of timely treatment. Characteristic symptoms – deep cracks between the toes, lose the front part of the foot, the accession of secondary infection. Erosions and ulcers are infected by pathogenic microbes, adherence to infection by staph provokes the appearance of ulcers. In the absence of treatment, the pathological process extends to the entire foot, there is a marked suppuration, the person becomes more painful to walk.
The infection of the fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes causes the development of vesicular dishydrotic or forms of fungi. The disease is characterized by the following features:
This form of fungal infection in many aspects, is similar to a severe allergic reaction or contact dermatitis. Very often there is an infection secondary, then the affected area appear small vesicles, filled with pus. In spite of the frightening symptoms of this form of the disease is successfully treated. Timely treatment allows you to get rid of symptoms for 2-3 weeks.
One of the most severe clinical forms of mycoses is dermatophytosis of the plantar of the foot. The disease caused by a fungus of the genus Trichophyton:. The disease is manifested by severe peeling. In the area of the peeling are formed of thick keratinized. Due to the poor circulation of the skin becomes blue or yellow hue. In this disease, the affected individual alone, this fungus in the feet in the photo it looks very recognisable, so that the diagnosis will not have problems. When to plant form there is severe itching, pain and burning sensation when walking, appears sharp unpleasant smell of feet. This form of the disease treated for a long time.
The easiest way to defeat it is removed. It is also called the mixed form of the disease. More often causes similar to the yeast fungi. The symptoms of this form of the disease is mild and often go away without treatment. During the infection similar to a yeast fungi highlights the flaking and itching between the toes, the unpleasant odor of the feet, perhaps redness of the skin. Prompt treatment allows you to completely get rid of the disease for 10-15 days.
When you see the flaking of the limbs treatment of the fungus in the feet and legs should start immediately. Advanced forms of the disease difficult for the treatment, complete recovery of the skin may take more than six months.
Fungal infection in the child and the adult requires a global approach, in the first place you need to find out the fungus is going to cause the inflammation of the skin and lesions on the feet. It is necessary to consult a dermatologist. The doctor will take a scraping of affected skin to determine the causative agent, and the results of the analysis to select the optimal treatment regime.
When the fungus is practiced complex therapy, which includes:
Supplement therapy can be a traditional medicine. At the time of treatment, it is important to carefully follow the hygiene, to abandon the synthetic socks and too tight shoes.
The traditional methods of treatment can be used only as an auxiliary tool. The main method of treatment of fungal folk remedies are ineffective, but it may improve the therapeutic action of drugs.
First apply the bath. Have antifungal activity and the vapor of the skin, improves the penetration of ingredients of ointments and solutions of the fungus in the deeper layers of the epidermis. The trays can be made in accordance with the following recipes.
Baths should be done every day during the treatment period. It is recommended for use before applying agents to the antifungals.
When foot fungus, you can use lotions. To speed up the recovery help tincture of propolis. It must be mix evenly with water, and then dive into the resulting solution with a cotton to clean and treat the skin of the feet. In the same way that you can apply the oil and celandine extract, essential oil of tree of tea, boric acid solution.
Quickly cure fungus of the feet, you must carefully follow the steps. In the first place, the hygiene of the feet. It is necessary to repeatedly wash the feet always dry. It is important to remember that the moist environment contributes to the spread of the fungal infection. To wash the feet it is better to use economic or tar soap.
Any means for external use is applied only on clean and dry skin. Components of the ointment to penetrate better in the epidermis, it is recommended that before the intervention to steam the legs, making the tray.
To prevent re-infection, it is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of socks and shoes. Socks it is recommended to boil water with soap, shoes treatment with special solutions. For the treatment of footwear, you can use antiseptic or a special spray to Stop Fungi.
After a shower it is necessary to disinfect carefully the shower. It is recommended to leave the carpet, as it can accumulate fungal spores of the infection.
