Dermatological diseases nowadays make up a significant percentage of the diseases that more and more people face every day.The rapid spread of diseases related to disruption of the integrity of the skin and epithelial tissue function is caused not only by the growing number of pathogens in the external environment, but also by our way of life, daily routines and bad habits, which are the impetus for the development of various pathologies.
What is fungus and why does it occur?
Fungal skin diseases are second in frequency of occurrence after purulent lesions of the epidermis, called pyoderma.Fungal infections have specific pathogens - fungal microorganisms, which determine the development of fungal skin lesions only in the form or state of the pathogen.
Since fungi are part of our environment and usually do not show their presence in any way, they are opportunistic microorganisms that acquire pathological forms due to changes in environmental conditions suitable for reproduction and in case of weakening the immune defense of the human body.
Foot fungus is characterized by two types of disease - dermatomycosis, which directly affects the skin of the heel, toe, metatarsus or sole, and onychomycosis, which affects the nail folds, nail plate and the epidermis underneath.The causative agent of onychomycosis can increase the area of infection, spreading to nearby integumentary tissue.
Foot fungus can be transmitted directly, for example, by walking barefoot on soil inhabited by fungal microorganisms, through infected plants, or during close contact with a person or animal sick with mycosis.Indirect routes of infection with mycotic diseases include the development of fungal infections due to the use of personal hygiene items belonging to a person suffering from fungi, through his clothes and bedding, as well as during the use of patient care items.
The varying degree of susceptibility to pathogens of microtic diseases in each person is due to many factors that can affect the tendency to develop infectious diseases and the nature of the disease.
Children under the age of 10-12 are considered the most vulnerable age group.Often, dermatologists diagnose infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungal microorganisms in children, because their outer skin is still relatively thin, which allows the fungus to more easily eat keratin, a specific skin protein that is a component of epithelial tissue.
In children, the immune defense mechanism is still in the development stage and cannot protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic microflora and the developed immune system protects it, therefore the child's body is always at risk of being infected with various diseases and pathologies.
Athletes belong to a group of people who are often in a state of constant fungal growth on the skin of the feet.Locker rooms and bathrooms, which are often used by athletes before and after training, are ideal environments for the intensive activity of fungal microorganisms, because increased air temperature and increased moisture concentration are optimal conditions for the activation of pathogenic forms of fungi.
That is why excessive sweating of the feet often precedes the development of a fungal infection on the skin of the feet, which may be caused by wearing uncomfortable tight shoes that do not allow air flow.Persistent foot sweat can be determined by the specific composition of genetic material, and can also be one of the external symptoms of a disease or pathology present in the body.
Another impetus for the development of fungal diseases on the skin of the feet may be a change in the normal composition of sweat gland secretions (water, uric acid, ammonia, amino acids and fatty acids) to one that is more toxic to our body and more suitable for activating the fungus.Pathological changes in the composition of sweat have a very positive 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 systems, as well as the gastrointestinal tract, are fraught with a decrease in basal metabolism in the body, which negatively affects the activity of other system organs and immune defense mechanisms.Since a weak body cannot fully respond to the attack 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.
Specific fungal parasitism on the skin of the feet and in the body manifests itself in various symptoms depending on the degree of the disease.
The weak or eliminated form of fungal infection is the earliest stage of the development of the disease and is distinguished by relatively weak characteristic signs.A person with a suppressed form of fungal disease often feels 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 stages of infection are treated well, if the symptoms of infection with fungal microorganisms are ignored, the disease will develop in a more severe form, and with irresponsible and irresponsible treatment, the disease will return again, because mycotic diseases are characterized by frequent relapses.
The squamous-keratotic form of fungal disease develops after a mild form of microtic infection, if the disease is not removed at an early stage.During the squamous 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 a significant size, for example, from the interdigital fold to the metatarsus.
A threatening form of fungal foot disease is classified by dermatologists as a severe level of infection.In the form of intertriginous disease, swelling occurs in the folds between the toes, which is accompanied by redness of the surface layer of the skin.Edema is most often raw and susceptible to erosion.Infected skin areas are characterized by significant detachment of the epidermis and the appearance of deep cracks, which facilitate the penetration of fungal cells into the body.Limits of parasitism develop, and the fungus spreads through the bloodstream to other organs and systems.
Dyshidrotic form of fungal infection of the skin of the feet is the most severe stage in the development of the pathology.For dyshidrotic forms of the disease, the most aggressive treatment methods are used, including pulse therapy, which involves taking strong doses of drugs in a short time.It is characterized by the presence of blisters with fluid on the entire surface of the feet, which can burst and form deep erosions on the skin, which are accompanied by pain, severe itching and various inflammatory processes.
The treatment of foot fungus infection is carried out in three ways: using external treatment, internal treatment and combined therapy.
External effects on the source of infection with antimycotic creams, ointments, gels, varnishes, powders, tonics and sprays are used in the first stage of the disease, when fungal parasitism has not become more widespread.
The internal effect on pathogenic fungal microorganisms is carried out using fungicide drugs, which can affect the activity of other organs and systems, therefore such drugs often have many contraindications.They are used in the case of fungal parasitism in the body, which occurs at a later stage of the development of the disease.
Combined therapy gives the most significant effect, but in the early stages of fungal infection, external use will be sufficient, because the internal use of antimycotics can produce additional complications and stress on the body.
The most effective drugs to get rid of microtic forms of disease are drugs based on terbinafine, which promotes the accumulation of squalene in the skin, which destroys the mechanism of the pathological effect of fungal microorganisms.Terbinafine is a substance 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 of age, people with liver disease and impaired kidney function.
To avoid the development of secondary diseases after treatment, you must carefully take care of the disinfection of your hygiene items, personal items and wardrobe items, because the fungus during the breeding period is able to leave mycelium and other waste products on the things of the infected person.
Special sprays are ideal for antifungal treatment of shoes.Antiseptic medicine aims 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 inside of the shoe and leave overnight.The spray also disinfects shoes well, is a hypoallergenic product that leaves no marks or odors, and is suitable for shoes made of any material.
To effectively eliminate fungal infections and prevent their occurrence, you must follow all preventive measures and monitor your health.Any disease, including fungal diseases, is always easier to prevent than to cure.