According to statistics, foot skin fungus or fungal disease affects one-fifth of the inhabitants of the earth. Although the disease is not fatal, it is accompanied by very unpleasant symptoms: severe itching, peeling of the skin between the fingers, redness and an unpleasant smell. Emitted from the legs. It is important to start treatment in time to get rid of the disease in the early stages of development. If you don't do this, the disease will enter a chronic stage, and then it is difficult to eliminate the symptoms of skin fungus.
Symptoms of the disease
The pathogens of fungal diseases can be:
- Moldy fungus
- Dermatophytes;
- Yeast.
Depending on the type of fungus that causes the disease, the symptoms of the disease will vary:
- Mold mainly occurs in hot and humid summers when the skin becomes thinner.
- A disease caused by yeast, it not only spreads to the area between the fingers, but also to the nail plate.
- This disease caused by dermatophytes begins to appear in the area next to the little finger or thumb, and then spreads to the entire foot.
The symptoms of fungal disease vary according to the stage of the disease:
- In the early stages of the development of the disease, not every patient suspects that he is infected with the fungus. During this period, the disease manifests as small cracks, an itching sensation between the fingers, and increased scaling and dryness of the affected area.
- During the active period, if there is no treatment, red areas will form between the fingers, and as the fluid-filled blisters appear, peeling becomes more obvious. There is an inflammatory process, tissue edema and thickening of the epidermis.
- The late stage is characterized by pus, inflammation, redness and swelling. The leg is itchy unbearable. The skin was covered by deep cracks and kept getting wet. Ulcers and sores look like a continuous wound. The nails began to peel off the bed.
Recognizing fungal diseases at home is very simple. To do this, you need to put your feet in a potassium permanganate solution for a few seconds. Potassium permanganate will paint healthy skin pink, while the fungus area between the toes will remain the same color. This reaction is related to the structural changes of the skin.
medical treatement
If you suspect a fungal infection, you should contact a dermatologist immediately. Only qualified experts can distinguish fungal diseases from other similar skin diseases and prescribe effective treatments for specific pathogens.
In the early stage of the disease, special drugs prescribed by the attending physician can be used for effective treatment at home. In most cases, medicinal products are used in the form of ointments and creams.
Before using them, the legs must be steamed in a hot soda bath, diluting 2 tablespoons with 1 liter of water. Lake baking soda. Steamed feet should be wiped dry, then rub thoroughly and apply the product.
In the active and neglected stage, it is not enough to use external agents to treat fungal infections with high quality. In this case, the management of internal medicines is additionally stipulated. This must be done strictly in accordance with the accompanying instructions.
If the disease is too serious and the infection process affects not only the skin but also the internal organs, it can only be treated with powerful drugs in the hospital.
Dioxin Ointment
Effectively deal with interdigital fungal disease, onychomycosis, a disease caused by dermatophytosis. The main active ingredient of this ointment is oxazole acid, which can penetrate the skin and destroy the cells of disease pathogens.
After initial steaming in a soda bath, apply the medicine to the affected area. Apply 2-3 times a day for 30 days. One course of treatment is sufficient to eliminate the initial stage of infection. It is impossible to cure a neglected disease with this ointment.
Salicylic acid ointment
As an active ingredient, salicylic acid allows you to quickly respond to disease pathogens. The ointment should be applied twice a day after the limbs are initially steamed.
The duration of treatment depends on the stage of the disease, ranging from 3 weeks to one and a half months. The ointment can even deal with advanced mycoses, but it is a very toxic drug. It cannot be used to eliminate fungal infections in children and pregnant women.
After using the product, the area may experience pain, burning or itching immediately. This is how its actions manifest. After 20-30 minutes, the unpleasant feeling will disappear.
Sulfur ointment
This is another cheap but effective treatment for athlete's foot. The active ingredient is sulfur, which is effective against many diseases, including interdigital fungi.
The duration of treatment with sulphuric acid ointment depends on the stage of the disease and ranges from 4 weeks to several months. The tool only needs to wipe the damaged area twice a day. The drug is non-toxic, so it can even be used to treat children and pregnant women.
Iodine massage
This drug has long been considered an excellent preservative. In the early stage of the disease, it can be used to eliminate infection.
In this case, use a cotton swab to strictly apply the undiluted alcohol solution to the location of the lesion. This procedure is performed twice a day until improvement occurs. In order to improve efficiency, it is recommended to dissolve a small amount of iodine in warm water for a foot bath.
Boric acid
This is another good antiseptic that can be used to fight infections. Usually they take a hot bath with boric acid before going to bed. To do this, dissolve 2 tablespoons in 1 liter of hot water. Lake powder, then lower your feet for 15 minutes. Then carefully wipe off the feet.
In addition, you can sprinkle boric acid powder on the affected area and put on socks. In the morning, rinse off the remaining product and then dry your feet.
Boric acid should not be used to treat pregnant or breastfeeding women or children.
glycerin
This medicinal preparation must be used in combination with vinegar. For treatment, you will need:
- 20 ml glycerin;
- 20 ml of vinegar.
use:
- Combine components in a glass container.
- Stir thoroughly.
- Apply on a cotton swab.
- Apply it to the damaged area of the skin between your fingers.
- This procedure should be carried out every day until it starts to get better.
hydrogen peroxide
One of the most popular ways to eliminate athlete's foot. In most cases, the procedure is carried out in the form of a bath. They are made shortly before going to bed at night. When taking a bath, you need to mix 3% hydrogen peroxide with the same amount of water and put it in the foot fluid. The duration of this process is 30 minutes. After that, the feet must be wiped thoroughly.
Hydrogen peroxide is suitable for fighting fungal diseases at different stages of the disease. You can use this type of bathing as a preventive measure.
Complex means
If the disease progresses from the initial stage to active or neglected, the use of ointments alone is not enough to achieve effective results. In these cases, doctors usually prescribe complex treatment plans, which means using both internal and external medications and the same name in the form of ointments or creams.
The most effective drugs for treating interdigital mycosis:
| name | description |
| Ketoconazole | The drug is available in tablet form. Effectively eliminate foot fungus, interdigital fungus and onychomycosis (nail fungus). For external use, apply appropriate cream or shampoo |
| Clotrimazole | This tool can effectively deal with most types of fungal pathogens. It is produced in different forms, allowing you to eliminate diseases at different stages and function in complex ways |
| Terbinafine | One of the most effective drugs to eliminate the signs of fungus. It can be cured completely after taking the pills for 30 days. In addition, you can apply cream: this will increase the therapeutic effect. The drug eliminates various types of infection sources |
The use of folk methods
The method of treating fungal infections associated with alternative medicine is used in combination with drugs. As an independent treatment, the alternative method is only effective in the initial stage of disease development, when the affected area of the skin is insignificant and the symptoms are not obvious.
Various homemade therapies are usually used to treat fungal diseases between the toes.
Bath
Effective bathing recipes:
| Bath name | recipe | Use characteristics |
| Euphorbia |
|
Dip your feet in the bathtub and wait for 40 minutes. Do the procedure every 3 days |
| Salt and soda | Add 1 tablespoon of warm water. Lake salt or sea salt and the same amount of baking soda | Dip your feet in the solution and keep them for 30 minutes. Operate every day until the symptoms disappear |
| Artemisia |
|
Put your feet in the broth for 30 minutes. Do the procedure every other day |
| Celandine |
|
Immerse the foot in the infusion and keep it for at least 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure every other day |
| soda | Dissolve 2 tablespoons in 1 warm water. Lake Baking Soda |
|
| acetic acid | Pour apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar into a large container |
|
| coffee shop |
|
|
Lotion
Emulsion that effectively helps cope with fungal infections:
| method | recipe | Use characteristics |
| Onion juice | Pass 1 onion through a meat grinder and squeeze the juice |
|
| potassium permanganate | Dissolve a small amount of potassium permanganate crystals in warm water to make the solution pale pink |
|
| Apple cider vinegar | Soak 9% cotton swabs in vinegar |
|
| Wine vinegar | Soak the cotton swab in wine vinegar |
|
| Vinegar tea |
|
Moisten a cotton swab and apply it to the affected area overnight |
ointment
Effective self-made ointment for the treatment of interdigital mycosis:
| name | recipe | Use characteristics |
| Garlic ointment |
|
|
| Onion ointment |
|
|
Birch tar
The use of birch tar provides good results in the initial stages of fungal disease development:
- Steaming feet with hot water is good.
- Apply a thick layer of birch tar to the area with fungal disease.
- Roll it up with a towel or other natural cloth.
- Keep it for 2 hours.
- Do not rinse within 2 days.
This process must be repeated 5 times. At the first signs of illness, this treatment can get you out of the infection without the need for medication.
Treatment characteristics of children and pregnant women
Mycosis in the interdigital area of the legs can appear at any age, including children. This is usually due to weakened immunity or after minor trauma to the skin of the foot.
At the first signs of interdigital fungus, you should immediately consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Under no circumstances can you prescribe treatment yourself.
If for the treatment of adults, all drugs can be used without restriction without contraindications, then for the treatment of children, non-toxic topical drugs must be used. Due to toxicity, systemic drugs are not used in childhood. Therefore, it is especially important not to start the disease and to act in time.
In most cases, fungal infections are treated with terbinafine cream or ointment. In this case, treatment should be:
- Use ointment for 10 days;
- Rest for 10 days.
You need to repeat the process as many times as necessary for the signs of damage to disappear completely.
In the more advanced stages of mycosis, experts recommend combining topical antifungal drugs with the use of antibacterial drugs. The specific treatment plan must be prescribed by a specialist.
Care should also be taken when treating fungus between the fingers of pregnant women. During this period of a woman’s life, many oral medications are banned; these include strong antifungal agents. On the advice of your doctor, you need to use clotrimazole or Naftifin ointment. It is necessary to combine them with folk remedies. The most popular folk remedies are various baths.