Onychomycosis
Onychomycosis is a fungal lesion of the nails on the hands or feet. The proportion of onychomycosis among other nail plate lesions is about 30%.
The cause of onychomycosis is a fungal infection. You can get infected with it in any place where there is a risk of contact with scales infected with a pathogenic fungus that fall off sick people. These are public baths, swimming pools, saunas, spa centers where proper prevention is not carried out, solariums, showers of gyms. The fungus from an infected person gets on the floor, benches, paths, carpets, etc. In a warm, humid microclimate, fungi successfully remain viable for a long time and even multiply. When in contact with a healthy person, the fungus gets on his skin and begins infection – in other words, it is very easy to get infected with onychomycosis, sometimes it is enough just to walk barefoot on the warm floor in the pool, on which a sick person had passed a few hours earlier.
In addition, onychomycosis can also be contracted from a member of your family or close circle – when using shared shoes, washcloths, towels, a shared bathroom or shower without appropriate antibacterial treatment. First, the fungus affects the sole of the feet or the interdigital folds, then it is transmitted to the nails. When combing the lesions of the fungus on the skin, infection of the nails of the hands occurs.
The following factors increase the risk of onychomycosis:
nail injuries (especially multiple injuries, such as ballerinas);
diabetes mellitus;
blood diseases;
disorders of blood supply to the extremities;
severe diseases of the endocrine system;
somatic diseases;
disorders of the immune system;
limb injuries;
after immunosuppressive therapy, taking antibacterial drugs or corticosteroids.
SYMPTOMS OF ONYCHOMYCOSIS
The symptoms of the disease vary depending on its type.
Normotrophic onychomycosis is manifested by a change in the color of the nail plate, the gloss of the nail and its normal thickness are preserved.
Hypertrophic onychomycosis causes not only a change in the color of the nail, but also a change in its shape – the nail plate is deformed, thickens, its shine is lost, the nail on the sides begins to partially collapse, with leg lesions, a sick person may experience pain while walking.
Onycholytic (atrophic) onychomycosis is characterized by a change in the color of the nail to gray-brown, thinning of the nail plate, rejection of the nail from the bed; the skin under the peeling nail is covered with a loose layer.
For diagnosis, it is necessary to examine a small area of the cut nail under a microscope and carry out sowing to identify the type of fungus pathogen.
TREATMENT OF ONYCHOMYCOSIS
The use of local antifungal agents – ointments, compresses – for the treatment of this disease is ineffective. Before treating the affected area with antifungal agents of local exposure, it is necessary to remove the infected nail or there is an area (cut down, cut off with wire cutters or soften with keratolytic patches and remove from the surface of the bed). A patch or compress with a keratolytic agent is applied to the nail, closed with a patch, wrapped with a bandage, and a day later the bandage is removed – the softened nail can be easily cleaned from the nail bed. Thus, it is necessary to completely remove the affected areas of the nails, carrying out procedures daily. After that, you can use antimycotics.
Antifungal agents are prescribed by a doctor, the type and dosage of the drug is determined by him based on the form and severity of the disease, the type of pathogen, the presence of allergies and concomitant diseases and other factors. In addition to local antifungal drugs, antifungal and immunostimulating medications are prescribed inside.
Treatment to complete recovery takes on average from 4-6 months (with nail lesions) to 8-12 months (with leg lesions).
