The first signs of a fungal nail infection

Today, getting a yeast infection is almost as easy as catching a cold.The slightest stress, weakened immunity - and now an insidious parasite is preparing to attack your feet.And you can encounter fungi anywhere: at your favorite pool, at a party, even in your own home.The success of treatment directly depends on how quickly you recognize the infection and start treatment, so it is very important to know the first signs of nail fungus.

Where can the fungus wait?

Many people think that fungal infection is the number of people who are sick and do not follow the rules of hygiene, so they do not pay attention to small changes in the feet and heels.

The nail hurts - you need to change your shoes to looser ones, your heels are peeling - apply a thicker cream, spots appeared on your nails - buy vitamins and choose a brighter varnish.

But modern research assures that the opposite is true - followers of a healthy lifestyle and athletes often become victims of the fungus.In order for the fungus not only to get on your feet, but to begin to actively multiply, many conditions are needed.But if you belong to the "fungus" risk group, it's important to regularly examine your feet and nails so you don't miss the first symptoms.

Your chances of getting a yeast infection increase if you:

• wear tight and uncomfortable shoes, especially those made of synthetic materials.
• wear other people's slippers when visiting and at home.
• try on shoes without shoes in stores.
• walk in the pool and gym with bare feet on the floor, no flip flops.
• you suffer from excessive sweating of your feet;
• do they have diabetes?
• suffer from varicose veins and other circulatory disorders.

First signs

Recognizing the first signs of fungal infection can be difficult.Today, many doctors are talking about the increase in the so-called deleted form of mycosis.In this case, obvious signs of infection do not appear for a long time, and people realize it only when the fungus reaches an advanced stage.

Doctors do not hide: many skin diseases begin in the same way as fungi (psoriasis, lichen, allergic dermatitis).But it is better to play it safe and see a doctor as early as possible so as not to miss the disease.The following symptoms should alert you:

• dry skin and cracks on the heels and under the toes.
• constant itching on the feet and between the toes.
• thickening of the ridges of the skin along the edges of the nail plate.
• the appearance of white spots and stripes on the nails.
• deformation of the nail plate (bumps appear on the nail, it becomes thicker than usual).

Main symptoms

As the fungus invades more areas of your body, your symptoms will worsen.The itching becomes unbearable, the skin constantly peels, despite the best foot scrubs and expensive nourishing cream.And your nails change their appearance so much that you have to hide them in closed shoes even in the heat of summer.

Typical signs of fungal nail disease are:

• thickening and keratinization of the skin (especially on the heels and toes).
• painful blisters between the toes.
• the legs dry and crack, the cracks are deep, sometimes bloody.
• weeping sores appear (usually between the fingers, where the skin is less ventilated).
• an unpleasant odor appears from the decaying tissues under the nails.
• the nail plate peels off, becomes brittle and fragile.
• nails change color to white, yellow, black or green.
• a whitened or blackened nail is removed from the nail plate.
• the structure of the nails changes.they become fuzzy and loose.
• the nail plate thickens so much that it does not accept pedicure tools.
• the perilingual fold becomes very inflamed.
• deformed nails cause severe pain when walking.

Types of fungi

If you get infected with a fungus, it is not at all necessary to expect all these symptoms.For some, the main manifestation of infection is a discolored nail.for others, the nail plates simply thicken without causing any discomfort.And someone suffers so much pain and itching that they simply cannot walk normally.

There are 3 types of fungal nail infections, each with its own characteristics.

1. Normotrophic.In this case, only the color of the nail changes.In the first stage, white longitudinal stripes or spots appear, then the nail plate suddenly changes color to yellow or black-green.Plate thickness and structure are usually preserved.
2. Hypertrophic.Here the nail is completely affected by fungal infection.The color of the plate changes, the nails are deformed, become thick, loose and lumpy.Often the nail plate peels off and crumbles, usually in parts.
3. Atrophic.In this case, the fungus does everything to not only deform your nails, but also destroy them.The nail plate changes color, becomes thinner and gradually tears away from the bed.

The signs of a yeast infection depend largely on the type of fungus you have.Experts identify 3 main groups of parasites that are dangerous for our nails.These are dermatophytes, yeasts and molds.

Yeast infection is quite rare and only occurs in 4-5% of all cases.Molds attack even less often - in about 1% of cases.They usually attack people with serious chronic diseases.Our main enemies are dermatophytes.There are several types of parasites in this group, the infection with which has similar symptoms described above.

Fungus or not?

Even if all the signs of a fungal infection are present, we want to believe that it is not a fungus, but simply uncomfortable shoes or the hot summer sun mercilessly drying out our feet.

Suspicious symptoms may not be fungal if:

• you recently suffered a foot injury (crushed your toe under a door, walked for a long time in narrow shoes with an uncomfortable last)
• you have symptoms of psoriasis or other skin disease.
• when the changes affected all fingernails and toenails at the same time.

If you are unsure of your diagnosis, you can do a short test at home.Dilute some potassium permanganate in a bowl of warm water and soak your feet in it for a while.Healthy nails will take on a brownish hue.If no changes are visible, this is a clear signal of a fungal infection.

Fungal nail infections always occur individually, so each person always has their own symptoms, unlike the fungus of a colleague, neighbor or relative.You should not self-diagnose or self-medicate: at the slightest suspicion, you should go to a dermatologist and do all the tests.This will allow you to confirm the diagnosis and, if necessary, start treatment as soon as possible.