Onychomycosis (onychomycosis): What do you need to know about treatment and prevention?

Onychomycosis or onychomycosis (the medical name) is a disease that occurs when the nail plate becomes infected by a fungus. Onychomycosis affects 5 to 15 percent of people. Although this fungus is often found in children, the risk of developing it increases with age. Every 10 years of life, the incidence rate increases 2. 5 times. If it is 3% for children, it is already 50-60% for the elderly.

Pathogen

Onychomycosis is caused by microorganisms from the fungal kingdom. The world of mushrooms is diverse, and not all of them are as delightful as the mushrooms, chanterelles or honey mushrooms we commonly see on our dinner tables. There are microscopic parasitic species that feed on plant, animal and human tissue.The causative agent of onychomycosis consumes keratin, which is part of the nail plate, hair, and upper layer (keratinization) of the skin. About 50 species of parasitic fungi are known to cause the disease.They are divided into three groups:

• Dermatophytes. They account for 80% of onychomycosis cases. They are characterized by high survival and vitality. Found naturally in soil;
• Yeast-like mushrooms. These include Candida albicans (a microorganism of the genus Candida) known in women to cause thrush or vaginal candidiasis. Yeast fungi are 5 times more likely to affect fingernails than toenails. Toxic and impairing the functions of the entire body;
• Mold. Onychomycosis caused by mold is rare. But it is the most dangerous, progresses quickly, and can completely destroy the nail plate and spread to adjacent tissues.

Onychomycosis can affect both fingernails and toenails, but toenail fungus is more common on the feet. This is because people pay more attention to their hands, wash their hands more frequently during the day, and use disinfectants to treat them. They are always open and well ventilated except in the winter when we wear gloves. And your feet are often covered in street shoes, house slippers, tights, socks, and sweat more. These factors create ideal conditions for foot fungus to grow, as heat and moisture are foot fungus's best "friends. "The pathogens of onychomycosis penetrate the nails from different directions. The most common method is from above, from the side of the free edge of the deck. It can also be introduced from the side of the lateral ridges or from underneath the cuticle and nail growth zone.Onychomycosis is most dangerous near the stratum corneum. In this case, the fungus slows or stops the division of onychoblasts (the cells in the growth zone beneath the lower nail fold). The nail stops growing and the infected area may not recover. The nail structure undergoes pathological changes and is destroyed.Fungi rarely penetrate directly into the deck. First, their spores enter the skin around nails or the spaces between fingers through micro-tears, cuts, scrapes, abrasions and calluses. Then colonies begin to grow and the pathogen moves toward the nail plate, penetrates it and begins to colonize.

Why does onychomycosis occur?

Fungi live in warm, moist places and are easily infected wherever such conditions exist. For example, if you walk barefoot in a public bathroom, swimming pool, shower, or gym locker room, your chances of becoming infected are high.Some diseases can cause onychomycosis:

• diabetes. Fungi are three times more common in people with diabetes. Excess glucose in the blood creates favorable conditions for the fungus to function. If blood sugar is not controlled and kept within a normal range, blood vessels can be affected. The longer the disease lasts, the more severe the damage to the blood supply to the legs becomes (diabetic foot syndrome). Wounds heal less well and are more susceptible to infection;
• Poor blood circulation in the lower limbs caused by varicose veins, atherosclerosis (narrowing of the lumen, blockage of the arteries), and thrombophlebitis (the formation of thrombus in the venous lumen);
• Decreased immunity, immunodeficiency (HIV), compromised immune system. Reduces the body’s resistance to any infection;
• psoriasis. 90% of people with psoriasis experience changes in their nail plates. Grooves form on it, cloudiness appears, dents appear, and the deck peels off. These factors increase the chance of fungal infection by 1. 5-2 times;
• Hyperhidrosis, or excessive foot sweating, often causes onychomycosis in men.
• There are foci of fungal infection in other parts of the body.

Risk groups include the elderly.The causes of onychomycosis are often related to occupational characteristics and improper foot care:

• Inadequate care of feet and nails, lack of daily hygiene routines due to neglect of personal hygiene rules or difficulties in their implementation (bedridden patients or patients with reduced mobility);
• When working in humid and humid places (greenhouses, greenhouses, vegetable shops), always wear rubber gloves or rubber shoes;
• professional sports;
• Wearing uncomfortable, tight, narrow shoes or shoes made of artificial materials (leatherette), which can create a "greenhouse effect" and interfere with normal air exchange.

Predisposing factors for the occurrence of onychomycosis include trauma to the nails or surrounding tissues, and taking antibacterial or hormonal drugs.A common cause of fungus in women is prolonged use of gel polish. It creates a closed space between the nail plate and the coating, in which fungal infections successfully develop. It is not recommended to apply gel polish to your toenails; it is best to use a regular decorative polish. In addition, for women, onychomycosis can occur after an unsuccessful manicure or pedicure in a beauty salon because the salon does not perform high-quality disinfection of the equipment and maintain sterility.

Symptoms of onychomycosis

Most commonly, the fungus infects the big toe.The following changes in the nail plate indicate fungal infection:

• Dullness, yellowing, loss of smoothness and luster;
• The surrounding skin is itchy, red, and peeling;
• delamination, brittleness, fragility;
• foul smell;
• Structural damage and thickening;

If you find yourself experiencing at least one of the symptoms listed, you need to consult a doctor who treats onychomycosis immediately. This might be a podiatrist, dermatologist or mycologist.After an injury to the nail or the skin surrounding it, a mandatory examination by a podiatrist is required to check for onychomycosis. If there are predisposing factors (varicose veins, diabetes, atherosclerosis, reduced immunity, excessive sweating of the feet, etc. ), it is recommended to have a medical pedicure once a month, during which the doctor will carefully examine the nails and skin. feet and identify changes in the early stages.

Is onychomycosis dangerous?

Onychomycosis is a disease that can cause more psychological discomfort than physical illness. To know what we're talking about, just look at pictures of onychomycosis on the internet. It is characterized by a slow course that does not cause pain, fever, or other symptoms that require emergency medical care. People are not in a hurry to treat onychomycosis. After all, when the affected area is small, you can apply varnish, wear socks or closed shoes in the presence of strangers. The problem of psychological discomfort has also been temporarily solved. But unfortunately, everything is not that simple. If the fungal infection is not eliminated, it will not go anywhere but will continue to affect the nails. And onychomycosis is contagious. Infected people pose a risk to their families and others.

How to prevent infection?

The best way to treat onychomycosis is prevention.To protect yourself from infection, you must:

• Use medical disinfectants labeled GOST (kills onychomycosis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV);
• Monitor the condition of your feet and nails, the main rule is that your feet are clean and dry;
• Take good care of your shoes, disinfect and dry them regularly; use a hair dryer for convenience;
• If your feet sweat a lot, treat your feet with a desiccant or antiperspirant;
• In swimming pools, saunas, and gym locker rooms, do not walk barefoot and wear closed-toe rubber flip-flops;
• Wear comfortable shoes made of natural, breathable materials;
• Do not use other people’s towels, shoes or manicure accessories.

These tips will help you prevent onychomycosis and keep your nails healthy and neat. They are effective in preventing not only fungus, but also other problems: calluses, corns.

Treatment characteristics of onychomycosis

Television commercials promise quick and easy cures for nail fungus using antifungal creams, solutions and varnishes. We promise that "drugs such as Lamesil, Exaderil, Mikazan, Mecoderil, etc. penetrate deeply into the nail structure and effectively destroy the fungus. After 2-3 uses, the nails can return to their original appearance. " But why is this method of self-treatment of toenail fungus only available at best? What about good results in 10% of cases? Because these treatments themselves are only effective in the early stages of the fungus, when symptoms are not yet apparent and nearly invisible.Manufacturers often lie and say that these drugs are produced in Europe and contain good active ingredients. In fact, the most effective drugs for treating onychomycosis (onychomycosis) are those containing the substance clotrimazole. Most medications are well advertised and expensive but do not contain the required substance. You cannot buy a specialized drug in a regular pharmacy, even if the desired name is written on it; the chemical composition will not contain it, since production is very expensive.This medication is used in podiatry centers and on properly prepared nails. We are not authorized to write down the names of medicines, but you can ask us any questions here.Antifungal drugs are the mainstay of treatment for onychomycosis. Without them, we cannot defeat the infection no matter how much we want to. But they must be used correctly and thoughtfully. Medications to treat onychomycosis should be applied to pre-treated and prepared nails to achieve the desired treatment effect.If you suspect onychomycosis, the first thing you should do is consult a doctor to confirm or refute the diagnosis. If necessary, he will perform additional tests and treatments. Choosing an onychomycosis treatment based on reviews on the Internet, recommendations from friends, or commercials on television can lead to wasting time and money on unnecessary medications. The same results are obtained when trying to treat onychomycosis using traditional methods. Vinegar, garlic, onions, and herbs will not destroy pathogens. An important aspect of treating onychomycosis is to disinfect shoes and clothing that have come into contact with the infected area. If you don't do this, you could become infected again from your belongings. Clothes must be washed and ironed at high temperatures (above 60°C), and shoes must be treated with special disinfectants.

What drugs and methods are effective?

In its initial stages, onychomycosis is easier and faster to treat than advanced cases. How to Treat Onychomycosis?To fight pathogens, use:

• Hardware medical pedicure. Allows you to clean the nail area affected by onychomycosis without bleeding and pain, preparing it for the use of antifungal medications;
• Keratolytic agent. These are topical medications for nail fungus that are applied to the affected nail to remove it painlessly. They loosen, soften and dissolve the nail plate, which can then be easily removed with a pedicure tool. Keratolytic agents help treat onychomycosis, removing infected areas and stimulating the growth of new, healthy nail plates;
• Fungicides. These drugs work to destroy the fungus. For onychomycosis, they are used topically in the form of varnishes, solutions, ointments, creams and internally in the form of tablets. When taken internally, the active ingredients in anti-nail fungus tablets can accumulate in the skin and nail plate. They inhibit the activity of fungal enzymes, disrupt cell membrane permeability, and lead to pathogen death. The most effective drugs contain the substance clotrimazole.

Treatment for onychomycosis is chosen based on the severity of symptoms and the size of the affected area. In the early stages of the disease, hardware treatment and topical antiseptics are sufficient. In severe infections, when the entire nail is infected with fungus, you will need to take medication and remove the nail plate. Treatment for advanced onychomycosis can take anywhere from 3 months to 1 year, depending on the rate of nail growth.Topical antiseptic preparations are safe for health, but are not always effective. These pills can have a negative impact on the liver, so laboratory monitoring of the liver's condition is necessary while taking the drug.Onychomycosis can be cured, that’s the main thing!The sooner you see a doctor, the sooner it can be dealt with.Don't be afraid or embarrassed. This problem is very common, affecting millions of people around the world.When you treat onychomycosis at our podiatry center, you will receive:

• Joint observations by podiatrists and mycologists (doctors who treat fungal diseases);
• 100% sterile during all procedures;
• Possibility of collecting material (scrapings of skin and nail plates) to identify fungal type;
• Fast results (average 3 – 4 surgeries required);
• Foot and shoe care tips to help prevent reinfection.

What is important to us is that the problem does not reoccur and that your nails are healthy and beautiful!