Dermatological diseases today represent a significant percentage of the diseases that a growing number of people face every day.The rapid spread of diseases associated with disruption of the integrity of the skin and functions of epithelial tissue is caused not only by the ever-increasing number of pathogens in the external environment, but also by our lifestyle, daily routine and bad habits, which are the cause of the development of various pathologies.
What is a mushroom and why does it appear?
Fungal skin diseases occupy second place in frequency of occurrence after purulent lesions of the epidermis, called pyoderma.Fungal infections have specific pathogens - fungal microorganisms, which determine the development of fungal skin lesions only in a pathogenic form or state.
Since fungi are part of our environment and usually do not manifest any presence, they are opportunistic microorganisms that acquire a pathological form due to a change in environmental conditions suitable for reproduction and in the event of a weakening of the human body's immune defenses.
Foot fungus is characterized by two types of disease: dermatomycosis, which directly affects the skin of the heel, toes, metatarsal or soles, and onychomycosis, which affects the nail folds, nail plates and the epidermis below.The causative agents of onychomycosis are able to increase the area of infection and spread to neighboring integumentary tissues.
Foot fungus can be transmitted directly, for example by walking barefoot on soil populated with fungal microorganisms, by infected plants or during close contact with a person or animal suffering from mycosis.The indirect route of infection with mycotic diseases includes the development of fungal infection due to the use of personal hygiene items belonging to a person suffering from a fungus, through his clothing and bedding, as well as when using patient care items.
The different degrees of susceptibility to pathogens of mycotic diseases in each person are due to many factors that can affect the tendency to develop infectious diseases and the nature of the disease.
Children under 10 to 12 years old are considered the most vulnerable age group.Most often, dermatologists diagnose infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungal microorganisms in children, because their outer skin is still quite thin, which makes it easier for fungi to feed on keratin, a specific skin protein that is a component of epithelial tissue.
In children, immune defense mechanisms are still at the stage of development and are not able to protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic microflora, just as the developed immune system protects it.The child's body is therefore constantly exposed to the risk of infection by various diseases and pathologies.
Athletes belong to a group of people who often find themselves in conditions of constant growth of fungus on the skin of the feet.Locker rooms and showers, often used by athletes before and after training, provide an ideal environment for the intensive activity of fungal microorganisms, since increased air temperature and increased humidity concentration are optimal conditions for the activation of the pathogenic form of the fungus.
This is why excessive foot sweating often precedes the development of a fungal infection on the skin of the feet, which may be due to constantly wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes that do not allow air circulation.Constant sweating of the feet can be determined by the specific composition of genetic material and can also be one of the external symptoms of diseases or pathologies present in the body.
Another impetus for the development of a fungal disease on the skin of the legs may be a change in the usual composition of the secretion of the sweat glands (water, uric acid, ammonia, amino acids and fatty acids) to a composition that is more toxic for our body and more suitable for the activation of the fungus.Pathological changes in the composition of sweat have a particularly favorable effect on the development of infectious diseases caused by fungi of the genus Candida or yeast-like fungi.
Disturbances in the normal functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems, as well as the gastrointestinal tract, lead to a decrease in the body's basal metabolism, which negatively affects the activity of organs of other systems and the development of immune defense mechanisms.Since a weakened body cannot fully respond to the constant attacks of microbes and pathogenic microflora, preventing their penetration into the body, a person becomes more susceptible to the negative influence of environmental factors, which makes him susceptible to infection with bacterial and fungal infections.
Specific fungal parasitism on the skin of the legs and in the body is manifested by various symptoms depending on the stage of the disease.
A weak or erased form of a fungal infection constitutes the earliest stage of the development of the disease and is distinguished by rather weakly expressed characteristic signs.A person suffering from an erased form of a fungal disease often feels a burning sensation in the area of infection, small cracks appear on the surface of the skin, and the epidermis itself becomes pathologically dry.
Although the initial stage of infection is best treated, if the symptoms of infection with fungal microorganisms are ignored, the disease will develop into more serious forms, and with careless and irresponsible treatment, the disease will reappear, since mycotic diseases are characterized by frequent relapses.
The squamous-keratotic form of the fungal disease develops after a mild form of mycotic infection, if the disease was not eliminated at an early stage.In the squamous-keratotic stage of the disease, fungal microorganisms form a white layer and a hard crust on the surface of the skin;the area of infection gradually increases and can reach significant sizes, for example, interdigital folds at the metatarsal.
The intertriginous form of fungal foot disease is classified by dermatologists as a serious stage of infection.In the intertriginous form of the disease, swelling occurs in the folds between the toes, accompanied by redness of the superficial layers of the skin.The edema is most often gross and subject to erosion.The infected area of the skin is characterized by significant peeling of the epidermis and the appearance of deep cracks, which facilitate the penetration of fungal cells into the body.The limits of parasitism are expanding and the fungus spreads through the bloodstream to other organs and systems.
The dyshidrotic form of fungal infection of the skin of the legs is the most serious stage in the development of pathology.For the dyshidrotic form of the disease, the most aggressive methods of treatment are used, including pulse therapy, which involves taking loading doses of potent drugs over a short period of time.It is characterized by the presence of blisters containing fluid inside over the entire surface of the foot, which can burst and form deep erosions on the skin, which are accompanied by pain, severe itching and multiple inflammatory processes.
Treatment of fungal infections of the feet is carried out in three ways: by external treatment, internal treatment and combined therapy.
External impact on the source of infection with antimycotic creams, ointments, gels, varnishes, powders, tonics and sprays is used in the early stages of the disease, when parasitism of the fungus has not spread.
The internal effect on pathogenic fungal microorganisms is carried out using fungicidal drugs, which can negatively affect the activity of other organs and systems of the body, therefore these drugs often have many contraindications.They are used in cases of fungal parasitism inside the body, which occurs at later stages of the development of the disease.
Combined therapy gives the most visible effect, but in the early stages of a fungal infection, external use will be sufficient, since the use of antimycotics internally can create additional complications and stress on the body.
The most effective drugs for getting rid of mild forms of mycotic diseases are drugs based on terbinafine, which promote the accumulation of squalene in the skin, thereby destroying the mechanism of pathological effects of fungal microorganisms.Terbinafine is a substance included in various antifungal drugs, which allows it to eliminate fungal diseases caused by various pathogens.
For systemic treatment, which the attending physician prescribes in case of ineffectiveness of local drugs, drugs containing active ingredients such as itraconazole and ketaconazole are used.This treatment is longer and is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 3 years old, people suffering from liver disease and kidney failure.
In order to avoid secondary development of the disease after treatment, you should carefully disinfect your hygiene items, personal belongings and clothing, since the fungus during the reproduction period is capable of leaving mycelium and other waste on the objects of an infected person.
A special spray is well suited for antifungal treatment of shoes.The antiseptic drug is intended to remove the products of the proliferation of fungal cells from the personal belongings of a person suffering from mycosis.With a 0.1% solution, rinse the inside of the shoes and leave overnight.The spray also disinfects shoes well, is a hypoallergenic product that leaves no traces or odors and is suitable for shoes of any material.
To effectively get rid of a fungal infection and prevent its occurrence, you must carefully follow all preventive measures and monitor your health.Any disease, including fungal diseases, is always easier to prevent than to cure.