Foot skin diseases are a very common pathology. Pathogenic bacteria cause disease and are transmitted from person to person. Often the sick person does not know whether the skin fungus on the legs is how to treat it and whether it can be eliminated at home with folk remedies. There are many ways to get rid of the signs of mycosis with the help of special drugs and old recipes.
What is a skin fungus on the legs
An infectious disease that affects the skin is called a fungus. The most common type is foot fungus. Fungal spores are able to live for a long time in ordinary shoes and adapt to any living conditions. The most common infections are platinum in the nails of the legs and feet. Skin lesions do not pose a threat to life, but contribute to the development of cosmetic defects. If the foot mycosis is not treated at the initial stage, later other microbes in the form of mold bacteria or Candida fungi join it.
Disease symptoms
Treatment of skin fungus on the legs should begin immediately after the first symptoms appear, otherwise the disease will last for a long time. Mycosis is characterized by peeling of the skin. This is due to the fact that the microbe penetrates deep into the layers of the skin, destroying them. Spots form on the nails (onychomycosis), small bubbles appear between the toes (intertriginous form), which fill with liquid and burst, the sole is invaded by calluses (hyperkeratotic appearance). Reproduction of fungi in all layers of the epidermis is accompanied by an unpleasant odor and the following symptoms:
- burning, itching, accompanied by dry skin;
- mealy exfoliation;
- nails darken, thicken, exfoliate;
- erosive processes develop in areas of redness.
Treatment of foot fungus
![fungus on the skin of the feet](/images/articles/697/fungus%20on%20the%20skin%20of%20the%20feet.jpg)
Before using an antifungal agent, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since the pathology must be treated, depending on the type of pathogen and the duration of the course of the disease. In advanced forms, foot fungus is difficult to treat. How to get rid of foot fungus:
- localization of the disease by local therapy at an early stage: ointments, creams, solutions, compresses, baths, disinfection of shoes;
- systemic therapy at a later stage: the use of drugs.
Systemic drugs are used in several ways:
- Classic. Tablets are taken throughout the course every day.
- Short. You can stop taking medication before a healthy nail grows back.
- intermittent. Therapy, which is carried out in several courses at intervals equal in duration to the course.
- Pulse therapy. Taking pills is associated with breaks that exceed the duration of the course.
At the advanced stage of the disease, the use of antifungal drugs is necessary. Systemic antimycotics are selected on an individual basis, since these drugs have contraindications. When the first unpleasant symptoms appear, it is necessary to scrape the nail plate for onychomycosis and consult a dermatologist to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe medication for external and / or internal effects on the body. The most effective include:
Antifungal ointments
Many people have a question: skin fungus on the legs - what can be treated if the infection has manifested itself only in the upper layers of the skin. In pharmacies today it is easy to find various antifungal ointments that differ in their mode of action and composition. The following local preparations quickly treat foot flexion at an early stage:
- Zinc ointment. It has a good absorbent and astringent effect. It tolerates skin irritations and fungal infections well. It is applied 1-2 times / day to the site of the lesion and the area around it. The duration of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
- Sulfuric ointment. An excellent remedy for treating fungal infections of the foot. In a week of daily use, you can get rid of the disease. Sulfuric ointment has one drawback - it smells bad. When buying, this fact should be taken into account.
Treatment of fungus on the legs at home can also be carried out with antifungal creams, which differ from ointments only in the substances that make up their composition.
![fungus treatment with antifungal varnish](/images/articles/697/fungus%20treatment%20with%20antifungal%20varnish.jpg)
To speed up the healing process, in addition to the main therapy, it is necessary to treat the fungus with the help of special antifungal varnishes. They differ from drugs of similar action by a special texture. Antifungal varnishes are liquid, and are applied directly to the nail plate. The agent easily penetrates into microcracks, maximally affecting the fungus. This is convenient, because ointments and creams have a thick consistency, so they come off easily with the slightest impact.
After applying the drug, the pathogens of mycosis die after 8 hours. You can use the remedy under decorative varnishes 1-2 times a week - this does not reduce their effectiveness. The duration of treatment is until the complete disappearance of onychomycosis. List of the most popular antifungal varnishes:
With mycosis of the legs, baths with baking soda should be done daily, preferably at bedtime. The procedure should take at least 15 minutes. Baking soda is a substance that negatively affects the vital activity of a fungal infection, so it is one of many remedies that help with athlete's foot. To treat the fungus, you need warm water at a comfortable temperature of 40 ° C - 45 ° C. Soda is diluted in the proportion of 2 tablespoons. spoons for 2 liters of water.
Before the procedure, you need to wash your feet thoroughly with laundry soap and remove the keratinized layer with pumice or sandpaper. You also need to process the nail plates, cutting off the free edge of the nail and removing as much of the white plate underneath as possible with a nail file. After the procedure, the legs should be carefully wiped with a towel, without rinsing, and then treated with an antifungal agent prescribed by a dermatologist.
Folk remedies
Vinegar is the most effective folk remedy for foot fungus. It creates an acidic environment which prevents the spread of yeast bacteria. As a result of exposure to vinegar in the home, the pathogen quickly loses access to food sources and dies. It is best to apply applications immediately after baths. To do this, a cotton ball is moistened in a 9% acetic solution and applied to the area affected by the fungus for 15 minutes.
Another effective folk remedy for Candida fungus is the external use of hydrogen peroxide. First, it is recommended to take a bath with soda solution, then dip a piece of cotton in a 3% peroxide solution and apply it to the affected area of the skin, putting on socksclean on top. It is necessary to maintain the application for up to 60 minutes twice a day until complete recovery.
Prevention
To recognize the problem in time, you need to know what the fungus looks like. For this, it is better to ask this question beforehand by looking at photos on the Internet. Then you need to take into account the advice of dermatologists, what you need to do in order not to get infected with foot fungus:
- after visiting the beach, swimming pool and other public places, you should wash your feet thoroughly;
- with sweating of the feet, a risk of getting mold develops, so you need to stop wearing socks and closed shoes for a long time;
- in order not to become infected with pathogenic microflora, it is not necessary to give others personal hygiene items, clothes or shoes;
- you need to regularly take care of your toes: get a pedicure, trim oversized nails.
How to treat skin fungus on the legs
Find out how to treat skin fungus on the legs, as it is a contagious disease that can affect the nails. The fungus not only looks ugly, but also harms health. This condition cannot be started, it is urgent to take treatment measures.
What is recommended to treat skin fungus on the legs
For the treatment of trichophytosis fungus, it is necessary to wipe the skin with iodine. With severe inflammation, it is advisable to make lotions.
In addition to all this, it is desirable to use vitamins, especially ascorbic acid.
It is better to choose vitamins for the treatment period, because the body needs support.
If the skin is affected by Candida fungus, corticosteroid creams, hydrocortisone will be needed.
Symptoms of this pathology
Most often, the fungus on the skin appears in older people, after 50 years. But we must not forget that the disease is contagious, so the younger generation can also get this disease if they do not follow certain rules.
Some signs of skin fungus include:
With a lesion, the first signs are visible in the area between the fingers. It is from here that the fungus grows all the way down the leg. Often it also covers the nails. Usually, foot fungus affects both feet. If the form is acute, bubbles appear, which then become infected, sores appear.
Redness is observed on the skin, it becomes very dense. In addition, there is an unpleasant smell from the feet, not only after wearing shoes. Legs seem to start burning and as you walk the pain increases. The skin may be flaky, there is a strong dryness.
The fungus spreads in the following way. Redness appears on a small area of the skin. Over time, it begins to peel off and the affected area spreads.
At the initial stage, a person practically does not worry about anything, only appearance. Then there are already painful sensations. The fungus spreads fairly quickly.
Complex treatment of the disease
Treatment of skin fungus on the legs should be carried out not only by applying funds directly to the affected areas, but also by taking drugs inside.
To choose a drug, first of all you need to consult a doctor. When treatment begins, it is desirable to exclude other drugs. During the treatment period, the doctor should check the patient's condition and perform skin scrapings regularly to determine the progress of the treatment.
Full treatment lasts at least three months. First, the first stage of treatment, lasting for a week. After that, a break is made for two weeks, after which the treatment is resumed.
This is necessary to avoid relapses. They often occur, especially if the immune system is not strengthened. When it weakens, the first signs of fungus immediately appear on the skin.
It is necessary to combine treatment. In the morning it is advisable to use the ointment, and in the evening take the medicine inside. You can use the creams and solutions several times a day.
Apply the product with rubbing movements. If after two weeks there is no noticeable improvement, stronger drugs are prescribed. Any movement should be careful, because it is very easy to damage such skin.
Proven Pills for Fungus
For all types of fungus, a strong drug is prescribed. Take the tablet only once after meals. It quickly penetrates the body and immediately begins the fight against infection.
The main thing when taking pills is not to increase the amount on your own. This will help avoid overdose and side effects. Tablets are best combined with ointments or gels. A pill rarely achieves the desired effect.
Drops and solutions
Drops are very effective in the fight against fungus. First, they destroy infected cells, after which they protect unaffected ones. In addition to eliminating the cause of the infection, the drops eliminate inflammation and itching.
Drops are best used as an additional element of treatment. Fungus is a serious disease that cannot be cured with a single remedy. Drops will work best at the initial stage, when the development of the fungus is not too extensive.
Choosing the best folk remedy
Sometimes drugs cannot improve the condition.
In such cases, you can resort to proven folk methods:
- Coffee. This drink is useful not only for internal use, but also as a tincture for baths. Strong insoluble coffee should be poured with hot water, and the feet should be immersed in this remedy. Coffee will relieve pain and inflammation, remove overgrown layers of skin. It will also perfectly help after recovery to restore the condition of the epidermis.
- Wine vinegar. This tool is an excellent antiseptic and a tool against bacteria. At night, you can use the following method. Clean woolen socks should be held for half an hour in vinegar, squeezed well, then put on your feet and covered with a blanket. Doing this procedure at night, in the morning you can notice a visible effect.
- Juice. Skin affected by the fungus can be wiped with gauze soaked in lemon or onion juice. These remedies may cause a burning sensation at first, but after a few minutes it will pass. Due to this, the number of bacteria is reduced, the fungus will not progress. You can try another treatment with ready-made tomato juice. You need to choose only juice without salt, so that it does not pinch the skin.
- Herbal decoction. Boil the calendula, verbena and oak bark in water. In this decoction you can keep your feet or use it as lotions. Components are easy to find in a pharmacy, the effectiveness of such a collection will be on par with expensive drugs. It can be used every day, both in the morning and in the evening.
- Rye flour. After foot baths, it will be useful to rub rye flour on the affected areas. It is able to absorb all bacteria and rid the skin of disease. The main thing is to rub a small amount.
- Antiseptics. A mixture of baking soda and laundry soap will become a household antiseptic. All this must be dissolved in warm water. Pour the resulting mixture into a basin and leave the legs there to clean for half an hour.
Alternative methods of treatment are useful because they have no side effects and all ingredients are natural ingredients.
What to do if the nail has come off
Problems with a nail with a fungus indicate a neglected state of the disease. The nail darkens, begins to exfoliate, thins, and then pulls away from the skin.
This state is divided into several types:
Onychoshisis can be identified by the fact that the nail exfoliates across, kaylonchinia - the nail exfoliates in the middle.
Onychomodesis occurs when the nail only peels off at the base. This is the most difficult case, because then inflammation occurs.
It is important to make sure that the nail does not become infected, because then it can be completely lost. When a person's fingernail comes off, they don't notice it at first. Only with an infection does pain and inflammation appear.
The following symptoms will indicate that the nail exfoliation is from the fungus:
- a void forms under the nail;
- the nail acquires a yellow tint;
- severe itching appears, but you should not tear the fragile nail;
- the manifestation of pain occurs only in advanced cases of the disease.
When such a problem occurs, it is important to constantly treat the affected nail with an antiseptic, since it is open to different microbes.
You need to follow the following scheme. When peeling off the tip with sterile scissors, cut the edge. The cut site is treated with an antiseptic. After that, prepare a bath with sea salt and hold your feet for ten minutes. Lubricate the cut site with a healing agent.
You should stop painting your nails and masking the problem, it will only make the situation worse. It is also very important not to wear tight shoes. You need to make sure that the nails are not too long because the shoes will compress them and possibly break them.
On the feet, the spread of the fungus is quite fast, so it will move from nail to nail in a few days.
Prevention of the onset of the disease
Avoiding the problem of infection with a fungus is not difficult. You need to follow certain rules, then health will be in order.
The first rule to remember is that you can't wear someone else's shoes. After all, someone can be infected with a fungus. He tends to stay in shoes.
You can even try on shoes in the store only with socks. Every day you should wash your feet with soap and water, especially in the evening, after wearing shoes for a long time. You should always choose shoes according to the weather.
It is impossible to wear warm shoes in too hot weather, since the foot begins to sweat, and in a humid environment the development of the fungus develops significantly. It is important to choose socks only from natural materials, do not wear them more than once, because after wearing them they are filled with bacteria.
In any pharmacy you can find foot disinfectant sprays that you should use if you have to wear shoes all day. When visiting the pool, it is best to change your shoes and not walk barefoot on the tiles. This advice is also followed in the sauna.
As soon as the first symptoms of the fungus appear, treatment should be instituted. This disease does not go away on its own. Not a secondary action should be an increase in the immune system.
The skin on your feet needs to be cared for. When corns appear, get rid of them immediately. If your feet suffer from excessive sweating, you should use special foot deodorants. All open cracks and wounds on the legs should be treated immediately and constantly disinfected.
When performing a pedicure, it's important to make sure all tools are sanitized, especially if you're doing it in the salon. If someone in the family has a fungus, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the floors and the shower. All you have to do is put on slippers and dry yourself off with an individual towel.
The fungus of the skin of the feet is a disease that is better not to face. It differs in that it requires a long time for treatment, as well as a long recovery after it.
A person who falls ill with a fungus, after an illness, has a huge risk of becoming infected with it again. To protect yourself from it, you must not only be treated correctly, but also take preventive measures afterwards.