There are many reasons why toenail fungus develops. In most cases, the infection is spread through household contact. Especially often the disease strikes in the summer, when everyone wears mostly open shoes. Also, in a warm and humid environment, bacteria multiply faster and become more active.
Often, the pathology develops in people who like to walk barefoot in public places such as swimming pools, baths and saunas, dressing rooms on the beach and sports clubs. Also, toenail fungus often affects children who like to try on other people’s shoes. As a rule, this happens in schools or kindergartens.
Nail fungus can be caused by a weakened immune system. And even if a person follows all the rules of behavioral safety in public, the infection can easily penetrate the skin with excessive sweat on the feet or with inadequate personal foot hygiene.
It is recommended to wash your feet as often as possible with warm water and soap and be sure to wipe them dry, in the summer use the powder so that the skin does not sweat so much. This is especially true for people who are prone to colds and infectious diseases.
In some cases, low quality shoes are the cause of the fungus. Often this happens when a person wears closed shoes for a long time, which does not allow air to pass through them. This creates a favorable environment for bacterial growth.
It is recommended, if possible, to buy shoes made of natural materials, wash and air them constantly.
Symptoms of fungus on the nails
Symptoms of toe fungus are relatively easy to detect. After all, they appear almost immediately, as the infection is introduced into the body. But the problem is that people don’t always pay attention to the first change, thus delaying the treatment of the disease. Let's look at these symptoms in more detail.
- Early in the development of the disease, sweating between the toes may increase. In this case, an unpleasant odor will be observed, which is almost impossible to remove. As the disease progresses, it will get worse, giving great discomfort.
- Nails change color and structure. Often they acquire yellow, gray and even green colors. Nail plates can be painted gradually. Also, the nails on the thumb start to peel off. Sometimes it also collapses. At the same time, nail files and nail clippers do not help to fix it.
- As the disease progresses, the skin around the nail plate begins to become inflamed. The characteristic features of the fungus are severe itching and burning. This is enhanced especially if the foot is always in the shoe. In summer the itching is not so strong.
- Often, against the background of toenail fungus, the disease begins to develop, which until then was only a stimulus factor for bacterial reproduction. The course of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and thyroid gland is complicated.
- If the nails start to become thicker, this indicates that the disease is developing. Usually, when large growths appear on the nail plate, fungal treatment takes a long time. And only an integrated approach can guarantee good results.
Specificity of treatment
When nail fungus appears on the big toe or if the foot is affected, treatment should be timely and thorough.
Thumb fungus in children is best treated with safe folk remedies at the beginning of the development of the disease. Or consult your doctor first.
For adults, treatment of toe fungus can be done with the help of pharmaceutical preparations and home remedies. Let’s think about this in more detail.
Pharmaceutical supplies
If the fungus on the thumb has gone too far, the problem should be treated not only with local remedies. It is advisable to consult a specialist about taking the pill. There are a huge number today, so it is important to choose the most suitable for yourself.
The most popular tablets are based on Terbinafine and Ketoconazole. But the fact is that tablets have many contraindications. So, they should not be drunk by people with kidney or liver failure, and also by those with heart problems. Care should be taken to take such tablets simultaneously with other medications. This is especially true for hormone medications.
Sprays, gels and ointments are used for the topical treatment of fungus. They are also recommended to be selected along with the treating physician. They perfectly help fight nail fungus in the early stages of disease development. Medicinal varnish, which should be applied directly on the affected nail, is an excellent help.
Varnishes are capable of destroying the cell membrane structure of pathogenic fungi in the shortest possible time. It is also useful to use such funds for disease prevention, as it has absolutely no side effects and is completely safe.
But if the nail is affected so much that you need to remove it, then there is a special solution for this. These materials are applied to the affected toenails pre-steamed, after which the sore spot is covered with a plaster and bandage. After a few hours, everything was removed without pain.
Removing unhealthy nails is the best alternative to surgery. After all, along with the stratum corneum, pathogenic microorganisms are killed and removed. And special additional components allow new healthy nails to grow as actively as possible.
Folk recipes
You can deal with nail fungus and folk methods simultaneously. There are a large number of them. Consider some of the most common and effective. So, a warm bath every day with salt helps a lot. They help soften the skin and disinfect nails.
Kills fungi and fresh garlic juice. You have to mix warm vegetable oil with garlic gruel, let it brew for a day.
Lubricate sore fingers and sore foot skin daily before bed for a month for a complete cure. Please note that the visible results after the first two procedures should not stop, as it is necessary to completely kill the entire infection.
Fighting toenail fungus is very difficult if you start the disease.
Therefore, it is recommended to take immediate action after the first symptoms are detected. Concomitant treatment with folk remedies and pharmacies will certainly give good results.