Dermatological diseases today constitute a significant percentage of the diseases that an increasing number of people face every day.The rapid spread of diseases associated with disruption of the integrity of the skin and functions of epithelial tissue is due not only to the increasing number of pathogenic pathogens in the external environment, but also to our way of life, daily routine and bad habits, which are the impetus for the development of various pathologies.
What is a fungus and why does it occur?
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, which determine the development of fungal skin lesions only in a pathogenic form or condition.
Since fungi are part of our environment and generally 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 a weakening of the immune defenses 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 sole, and onychomycosis, which affects the nail folds, nail plates and the epidermis under them.The causative agents of onychomycosis can increase the area of infection and spread to nearby integumentary tissues.
Foot fungus can be transmitted directly, for example, by walking barefoot on soil populated with fungal microorganisms, through infected plants, or during close contact with a person or animal sick with mycosis.The indirect route of infection with fungal diseases includes the development of a fungal infection due to the use of personal hygiene items belonging to a person suffering from a fungus, through his clothing and bedding, as well as during the use of patient care items.
Different degrees of susceptibility to the pathogens of fungal 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 to 12 years old are considered the most vulnerable age group.Very often, dermatologists diagnose infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungal microorganisms in children, since their outer skin is still quite thin, which allows fungi to feed more easily on keratin, a specific skin protein that is a component of epithelial tissue.
In children, immune defense mechanisms are still at a stage of development and cannot protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic microflora as well as the developed immune system protects it, therefore the child's body is constantly at risk of infection with various ailments and pathologies.
Athletes belong to the group of people who often find themselves in conditions of constant proliferation of fungi on the skin of their feet.Changing rooms and showers, which are often used by athletes before and after training, are an ideal environment for the intensive activity of fungal microorganisms, since the increase in air temperature and the highest concentration of humidity are the optimal conditions for the activation of the pathogenic form of the fungus.
This is why excessive sweating of the feet often precedes the development of a fungal infection on the skin of the feet, which can be caused by constantly wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes that do not allow air flow.Constant sweating of the feet can be determined by the specific composition of the genetic material, and can also 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 legs may 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 activating the fungus.Pathological changes in the composition of sweat have a particularly favorable 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 organs of other systems and the course of immune defense mechanisms.Since a 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 bacterial and fungal infections.
Specific fungal parasitism on the skin of the legs and body manifests itself in various symptoms depending on the stage of the disease.
A weak or erased form of fungal infection is the earliest stage of the development of the disease and is distinguished by rather weak characteristic signs.A person who has an erased form of a fungal disease often feels a burning sensation in the area of infection, small cracks appear on the surface of the skin, and the epidermis becomes pathologically dry.
Although it is better to treat the initial stage of infection, 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 appear again, since fungal diseases are characterized by frequent relapses.
The squamous keratotic form of the fungal disease develops after a mild form of fungal infection, if the disease was not eliminated 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.
Dermatologists classify the intertriginous form of fungal foot disease as a severe stage of the infection.In the intertriginous form of the disease, swelling occurs in the folds between the toes, which is accompanied by redness of the superficial layers of the skin.The edema is usually raw and prone to erosion.The infected area of the skin is characterized by a significant detachment of the epidermis and the appearance of deep cracks, which facilitate the penetration of fungal cells into the body.The limits of parasitism expand and the fungus spreads through the bloodstream to other organs and systems.
The Dyshidrotic form of fungal infection of the skin of the legs is the most serious stage of the development of pathology.For the Dyshidrotic form of the disease, the most aggressive treatment methods are used, including pulse therapy, which involves taking loading doses of potent medications in a short period of time.It is characterized by the presence of blisters with fluid inside all over the surface of the foot, which can burst and form deep erosions in the skin, which is accompanied by pain, intense itching and multiple inflammatory processes.
Treatment of fungal infections of the feet is carried out in three ways: by external treatment, internal treatment and combined therapy.
External impact on the source of infection with antifungal creams, ointments, gels, varnishes, powders, tonics and sprays is used in the early stages of the disease, when parasitism of the fungus has not become widespread.
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, therefore such drugs often have many contraindications.They are used in case of fungal parasitism inside the body, which occurs in later stages of the development of the disease.
Combination therapy produces the most noticeable effect, but in the initial stages of a fungal infection, external use will be sufficient, since using antifungals internally can create additional complications and stress on the body.
The most effective drugs for getting rid of mild forms of fungal diseases are drugs based on terbinafine, which promotes the accumulation of squalene in the skin, which destroys the mechanism of pathological effects of fungal microorganisms.Terbinafine is a substance that is included in various antifungal drugs, which allows you to eliminate fungal diseases caused by various pathogens.
For systemic treatment, which the treating doctor prescribes in case of ineffectiveness of local medications, drugs with active ingredients such as itraconazole and ketoconazole 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 kidney failure.
To prevent the secondary development of the disease after treatment, it is necessary to carefully take care of the disinfection of your hygiene items, personal belongings 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 well suited for antifungal treatment of shoes.The antiseptic drug is intended 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 shoes and leave overnight.The spray also disinfects shoes well, it is a hypoallergenic product that does not leave marks or 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 ones, is always easier to prevent than to cure.