General symptoms of leg fungus: medical classification, treatment, prevention

The prevalence of mushroom-like diseases makes them easy to identify and treat in the early stages of the disease. But foot fungus itself is a sign that an infection has begun, which not everyone is familiar with. After all, there are about fifty species of fungi alone. But there is also a large group of skin diseases - epidermal mycoses. Therefore, in order to prevent the disease from developing into a state that endangers physical health, it is necessary to study its characteristics.

general sign

Fungal skin infections rank first among diseases affecting the epidermis. Its logo is very easy to recognize. The main difficulty in the diagnostic process is determining the exact type of fungal infection. This is necessary because each of them is resistant to a specific group of antifungal drugs. Therefore, for treatment, it is mandatory to visit a doctor. Without special biological studies, it is impossible to accurately identify mushroom-shaped bacteria.The following signs may be reasons to contact a specialist:

• Cracks appear in the skin between the toes. This area is considered to be at greatest risk for fungal infections. Other evidence of infection may include excessive dryness of the skin, flaking and pain on the feet.
• The skin layer is noticeably thickened and roughened. Similar symptoms are also observed when corns or dry callus form. But in some cases, the cause of this change is fungus.
• Destroys the skin and causes blisters. This type of injury is usually diagnosed first on one leg and later on the other leg.
• Redness, itching, or burning of the skin. This set of symptoms is considered one of the main signs confirming a fungal infection. The difficulty in diagnosing this case is that each type of mycosis fungoides causes such a set of symptoms.
• A change in the color of the nail plate.
• An unpleasant odor develops in the infected area.

It is important to detect the first signs of fungus promptly because the disease is difficult to treat and it is easy to become infected.

Fungal infections can easily penetrate the body and infect internal organs and systems. This explains the frequent recurrence of the disease in the complete absence of external stimuli.

Medical classification

Mycosis fungoides is divided into four main forms based on its characteristics.For each form of foot fungus, symptoms vary depending on the specific situation:

1. Squamous.
2. Sweating disorders.
3. rub against each other.
4. "Classic" onychomycosis.

The scaly or scaly form of fungal infection is considered one of the initial stages of infection. In this case, skin lesions are first observed on one foot. Over time, a second infection can occur. The main symptom of the squamous form is redness of the skin, which subsequently develops into keratinization of areas of inflamed tissue. If left untreated, the squamous form can progress to the dyshidrotic form.Mycosis fungoides in the form of dyshidrosis has a distinctive feature - the appearance of small bubbles in the affected area. When the blisters open, they become inflamed, forming a stable focus of erosion in the upper layers of the skin. Patients usually experience severe itching; in quite severe cases, this can turn into pain. The skin begins to peel off and erosions form periodically. This form of the disease can progress to the first squamous form without any system. Therefore, some experts believe that the mentioned mycosis fungoides are two forms of the same type of infection.The intertriginous form of contagious fungal infection is the most common. Symptoms of the disease include visible cracks in the skin of the feet and areas of white peeling skin forming on the edges of the feet. In the interdigital area, the interdigital form is characterized by the formation of leaky spots and epidermal erosion. Patients often experience itching at the infected site. Treatment of this form of infection is complex and lengthy because the disease usually takes a chronic form.Onychomycosis is a contagious infection whose symptoms require special attention. Depending on the characteristics of the pathology, the type of nail damage and the type of disease will vary. There are three main types of onychomycosis:

1. Hypertrophy - the nail plate gradually collapses, changes color to yellowish, and characteristic spots appear. After the nail is deformed, pain may occur in the affected area.
2. Normal nutrition - the shape of the nail plate is not damaged or changed, yellowish white spots or lines appear on it.
3. Atrophy is the most dangerous form of the nail plate, where it is severely damaged, deformed, and often peels away from the nail bed.

Each form of onychomycosis has its own general treatment options. But in order to completely eliminate the infection without affecting the body and to rule out recurrence, it is recommended to carry out treatment under the advice and supervision of a doctor.

treatment method

In most cases, diseases detected in time can be completely eliminated in up to a month. This is a very important point in treatment, as symptoms such as itching and tissue damage disappear, patients sometimes stop treatment, thinking the disease has been defeated. But remnants of the infection can easily trigger a recurrence.The treatment procedure should be discontinued only with the permission of the doctor and after passing the necessary tests. This is especially true for late forms of the disease. The fungus becomes so firmly "fixed" in the body that it sometimes takes at least six months to get rid of it. However, the external manifestations of various damages caused by foot fungus to the skin or nails disappear very early, creating the illusion of health. In this case, if treatment is stopped, the patient is almost certain to suffer a relapse.Comprehensive treatment for fungal foot infections. To eliminate the disease, local antifungal drugs and tablets can be used to eliminate the infectious agents that have penetrated the body. Certain medications may be prescribed to eliminate itching, pain, brittle nails, and speed tissue regeneration. It is not recommended to be used alone in combination with the main treatment group to avoid allergic reactions or body poisoning caused by simultaneous use of incompatible drugs.

Treating foot fungus early on is easy. Usually, two weeks of treatment is enough to clear up the symptoms of a fungal infection.

treatment duration

Combined skin and nail plate infections require one to three months of recovery. From a medical perspective, these terms are considered the criteria for the most effective medicines.Pregnancy requires a mandatory visit to the doctor to choose a method to eliminate the fungal infection. Strong medications and therapies that require the use of similar medications should only be prescribed in strict dosages and under the supervision of a physician. Many antibacterial pills that effectively kill fungi can cause significant harm to the fetus. Therefore, whenever possible, during pregnancy, patients are recommended to be treated with traditional medicinal recipes. Many of them allow you to cope with the disease, but only if the disease has not yet reached a complex stage. Only classical medicine can help with advanced forms.

As long as signs of infection are caught promptly, modern medications can restore full health to your legs within two weeks.

Precaution

It is always easier and safer to prevent disease than to treat it, even with the mildest methods. When it comes to fungal infections, prevention is one of the mandatory rules of life because it is so easy to get infected. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of contracting the disease, it is recommended to follow some simple rules:

• Try to eat right and eat healthy foods whenever possible;
• Not using other people’s belongings and personal hygiene products;
• Use basic protective equipment in public places, such as replacement footwear and hygienic antimicrobials;
• Wash feet and change socks regularly;
• maintain a healthy lifestyle;
• Bath regularly to improve foot health;
• Disinfect shoes regularly.

Preventing fungal infections is important not only for prevention, but also for the disease to actually occur. In this case, following hygiene standards can help speed healing and prevent others from contracting the fungus.