According to statistics from the World Health Organization, a fifth of the world's population suffers from fungal infections.
In many industrialized countries this value is 25 percent.
In civilized countries with insurance medicine, treatment of an illness is increasingly viewed as mandatory: fungi are a social and partly urban disease.
Oddly enough, a fungal infection is dangerous even for people with a healthy lifestyle.
You can become infected with fungi in the gym, in the beauty salon, on the beach, in the swimming pool, in the sauna.The main causes of infection are violation of basic hygiene rules and a sharp decline in immunity.
- All diseases in this group are caused by pathogenic fungi.
- The fungus appears on the skin and toenails;Less commonly, the skin and nails on the fingers, the skin in the armpit and in the groin area are affected.
- Nails with onychomycosis begin to peel and crumble, change color.
- The affected area becomes painful and itching appears around it.
- For an infection, a sufficiently high temperature and humidity as well as contact of the foot skin with the fungus are required.
- The fungus can be inherited and its manifestations often become a family problem.
- Nail damage in children is rare;It occurs mainly in adults and the elderly, but even a single infection in childhood cannot be ignored and treated without medical attention.
- The development of the disease is promoted by age-related changes in the pH of nails and skin, chronic diseases: diabetes, obesity, circulatory disorders in the legs, gastrointestinal diseases, problems with the thyroid and adrenal glands.
The appearance of a fungus should be treated very carefully and one should try to cure it completely as soon as the first symptoms appear.
The further the disease develops, the more difficult it is to treat: calloused and hardened nails are extremely difficult to remove.
Advanced forms of fungus, including nail fungus, significantly reduce the body's overall resistance.
Toenail fungus is resilient;Complete removal from shoes requires at least 20 minutes (one percent formaldehyde solution).Disinfecting household items with chloramine takes about an hour.
In advanced forms, treatment is lengthy and requires patience and discipline.Complete healing cannot be said after the symptoms have disappeared, but only based on the test results and after a visit to the doctor.
Methods for treating nail fungus
If, at the first symptoms of fungus on feet and big toenails, you treat it with knowledge from television advertising, the likelihood of relapses, including nail infections, increases sharply.
Toenail fungus is treated by a dermatologist;You need to at least see him to get tested and get a diagnosis.The doctor must make a final decision about how and how to treat toenail fungus in your case, whether to use topical medications or whether it is a waste of time and money.
The main principle of serious treatment for already damaged nails is a combination of local, targeted drugs and tablets that are taken orally and affect the infection through the blood.
- Through multiple attempts at self-medication, fungal pathogens can mutate and become resistant to the medication.
- Antifungal medicines (both topical and in tablet form) are poisonous;Only a doctor can create the correct treatment regimen that is as gentle on the body as possible without overdosing.
- Only a doctor can take into account all contraindications.For example, a patient's liver and kidney failure can become much worse with self-treatment.
Advanced complex methods can cure nail fungus in 2-4 months.The general principle is that treatment should be carried out as quickly as possible with significant doses of medication.In this case, long breaks between courses are required.
Local treatment
Almost everyone begins local treatment of nail fungus at its first (acute) manifestations, but very few carry it out to completion.After diagnosis, local treatment should begin.
The use of exclusively topical drugs to treat toenail fungus is possible only in the early stages of the pathology.
Antifungal creams are applied twice daily.Before each use, the affected areas must be cleaned and removed.Varnishes mainly affect the nail plates.Once inside, their effectiveness is significantly reduced.
Before starting complex treatment, your doctor will most likely recommend purchasing a special kit for disinfecting the nail, removing affected areas or the entire nail and cleaning the cavity.The composition includes a spatula, antifungal adhesive plaster, ointment, alcohol or iodine solution.
In large cities, onychomycosis is successfully treated with laser therapy in well-equipped medical centers.With this method, the affected nail does not need to be removed.
Systemic treatment
The most effective method is to combine local, fungal-fighting active ingredients with tablets.It can ensure complete recovery.If hygiene is observed, there is a 100% chance that the fungus will no longer be a problem for the rest of your life.There are many medications for toenail fungus.
They all affect not only the fungus, but the entire body, disrupting the microflora, putting additional strain on the liver and kidneys and endangering the gastrointestinal tract.
The efforts of doctors today are aimed at minimizing damage to the body and giving it the opportunity to recover.
For this purpose, a treatment regimen called pulse therapy was developed.
Tablets are taken twice a day for a week in addition to topical agents.There is then a three-week break from taking the medication.During this period, you need to use all opportunities to heal and restore the body.Then a new weekly course and another break.The number of courses is at least three.
Approximately the same treatment regimen is used in combination therapy with tablets and cream (tablets are used intermittently, cream is used continuously).
What is the best treatment for nail fungus?
Antifungal therapy is characterized by the fact that the treatment is most effective when the patient is aware that a significant part is usually carried out themselves.
If he is ready to cure the fungus completely, he must plan this event, devote time and energy, and also be armed with the determination not to give up halfway.
The treatment takes a very long time.Taking toxic medications puts additional strain on the body.Your lifestyle at this time should be as healthy as possible.All additional risks (alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, stress) are excluded if possible.A healthy diet is a must.Hygiene should be a priority both during and after treatment.
If all the conditions are met, you can give up hope and stick to pulse therapy prescribed by your doctor, which guarantees complete recovery.
In preparation for the start of complex treatment, it makes sense to further improve the health of the body, as well as improve the condition of the nails and feet using traditional medicine.