How to cure leg fungus, its symptoms and signs

Cutaneous fungus is the most common dermatological disease. But defeat in the legs is considered the most common. Leg mycoses and onychomycoses are often found in those who visit public places, namely hospitals, saunas, baths, swimming pools and gyms.

Each type of fungus has its own characteristics, signs, and treatment methods that you need to know about for anyone at risk of getting a fungal infection.

What is mycosis of the feet?

Ringworm, or ringworm, is a skin disease caused by a fungal pathogen. Leg skin fungus is the most common type of this disease, as it is on the legs that the skin is most sensitive, which, in addition, is constantly exposed to the external environment affected by fungi.

Risk factors

Athlete's foot is common in men who prefer fully closed shoes. The feet start to sweat and a breeding environment develops. Therefore, most men who have served in the army know firsthand what a skin fungus is. In children, fungal infections occur due to non-compliance with hygiene rules, walking barefoot on contaminated soil and non-compliance with sanitary regulations in kindergartens.

Often, fungal infections of the feet are also found in women with hormonal disorders or decreased immunity during pregnancy. Infection can also occur during a pedicure using non-sterile instruments or towels.

There are common factors that provoke the development of the disease:

1. Wearing very tight shoes made of synthetic materials.
2. Infrequent foot washing, use of dirty socks.
3. Wearing someone else's shoes, using someone else's towels and other hygiene items.
4. Diseases that interrupt blood circulation in the lower extremities.
5. Immune system disorders.
6. Failure to comply with hygiene rules in public places.
7. The presence of calluses, sores and cracks on the feet.
8. Long-term treatment with antibiotics or corticosteroids.

psychosomatics

The causes of the fungus can also be in a person's emotional state. The medical direction that studies the psychological state of a person and its influence on the development of bodily diseases - psychosomatic - explains fungal infections by the suppression of negative emotions held inside.

Constant feelings of resentment, anger, feelings of betrayal or frustration can trigger the fungus or prevent a person from fully recovering.

As a result of these conditions, human immunity is reduced, pathogens present in the body are activated. People with a chronic fungal infection that doesn't go away with drug treatment need to reconsider their internal state or see a psychologist.

According to many scientists who have studied the psychosomatic causes of the fungus, if you don't work your character and get rid of negative emotions, the disease will return again and again.

pathogens

There are a large number of pathogenic microorganisms that can cause lesions on human skin, but the following types of fungi are most often located on the legs:

1. Trichophyton rubrum or Tripchophyton purpureum- cause rubromycosis, a disease that most often affects the skin of the feet and nails, but can also spread to other parts of the body.

2. Trichophyton interdigitale, or Trichophyton mentagrophytes (Trichophytons)- cause epidermophytosis, which develops between the toes, but can also affect the entire area of the foot.
3. Candida- Candida rarely occurs on the feet, but it can also affect the interdigital space, nails and sole of the foot. It develops predominantly in females.

Ringworm is an infection, and infection can occur in two ways: directly - directly from an infected person to a person, and indirectly - through the floor, shoes, clothes and other household items that the infected person has come into contact with. It is very easy to get infected with a fungus of the lower extremities - just a second contact with any surface or object touched by a person with a fungal infection.

The mechanism of development of fungal diseases starts from the moment the spores enter the human skin. If conditions are favorable, development, growth and reproduction begin.

The microorganisms begin to secrete enzymes that destroy the keratin proteins and, consequently, the stratum corneum of the skin. Thus, itching and discomfort arise in humans. The infection spreads very quickly, the fungi penetrate the deeper layers of the skin and infect the surrounding tissues.

If you don't start treatment, large areas of skin will be affected very quickly.

But not always the infection develops immediately after infection, sometimes the fungus remains on the skin or shoes for a long period of time. But as soon as the body's defenses decrease, or a favorable warm and humid environment develops, fungi begin to develop rapidly.

general symptoms

Ringworm of the lower extremities is a very common infection that requires prompt treatment. But not everyone immediately turns to a specialist for help, as they do not pay attention to the primary symptoms or believe that they are signs of other skin diseases.

Common signs of skin infection are:

1. Redness and peeling of individual areas.
2. The appearance of blisters or cracks.
3. Itching and burning sensation.
4. Dryness and roughness of the skin.

But, depending on the location and the pathogen, the disease proceeds with various clinical manifestations. Fungus on the heels starts with redness of the skin and a burning sensation. Over time, blisters appear which, when they burst, form very painful sores.

Then cracks and growths with a peeling shape. With a long course of the disease, an unpleasant odor begins to emanate from the affected area and the infection spreads to other areas of the feet and nails.

Knee fungus is rare, but if cracks appear on your knee or under your knee that don't go away for a long time, you need to see a doctor. Usually, the fungus in this area begins imperceptibly - it starts with redness, then the peeling of the skin intensifies, very rarely blisters form on the surface of the place, which eventually become covered with crusts.

Nail damage - onychomycosis - starts with infection of the skin of the feet. In this case, itching and cracking may appear on the skin, but sometimes the fungi do not touch the skin, affecting only the nail plate.

Stages:

1. normotrophic- at this stage, only the color of the nail begins to change - it becomes yellow, sometimes with a brown tint.
2. hypertrophic- the healthy shine of the nail fades, becomes uneven, thickens and starts to partially crumble. A person may experience pain when wearing tight shoes.
3. onycholytic- the diseased nail is a plaque with crumbling layers, it becomes thinner, takes on a brown color. At this stage, the detachment of the nail bed begins.

Manifestations of different types of pathology

Candidiasis of the legs affects only soft areas of the skin and nails, without affecting the feet, it can be of two types:

1. vesicular-pustular- in the first stage, redness of the skin with pronounced edema appears. In the future, the affected area is covered with blisters filled with liquid or purulent mass, in the process they burst, forming erosion. Gradually, the inflammatory process subsides and desquamation increases in the foci.
2. hyperkeratotic- it is rare, characterized by a thickening of the stratum corneum with the formation of scaly burgundy grooves.

In most cases, the fungus between the toes is epidermotrophy. The skin changes in this pathology may havethe following ways:

1. scaly- between the third and fourth toes, the skin begins to redden and sometimes itch. This phase is often overlooked.
2. intertriginous- develops from the first stage. Edema develops, cracks form, and the lesion spreads to surrounding areas. Growths form around the diseased area, making it difficult to wear shoes.
3. Acute- large accumulations of fluid-filled bubbles form. Wounds and cracks begin to hurt, the general state of health worsens, the temperature may rise.

When the condition is neglected, interdigital pathology covers the nails and the entire area of the sole of the foot, that is, epidermotrophy of the feet develops. The external symptoms are similar to weeping eczema, which complicates the diagnosis.

Rubromycosis of the feet is a simultaneous lesion of the interdigital creases. The skin becomes drier, reddened, severe peeling begins. If the treatment is not started in a timely manner, the process passes to the sole, the lateral area of the feet and the surface of the toes.

Rubromycosis can also affect other areas of the legs: shins, thighs, buttocks, as well as any part of the body and head. Lesions are pink patches covered with scaly skin, blisters, or crusts. They quickly grow in size, merging with each other. Smooth skin rubromycosis usually occurs acutely and is accompanied by severe itching.

"I got a cracked foot, but I didn't pay attention. The fungus was discovered during a medical examination at work. The doctor immediately prescribed ointment and pills, she also scolded that she didn't apply it right away. "

The specifics of traditional treatment

Leg fungus therapy is based on the application of external antifungal agents to the lesions. There are many medicines in the form of ointments, creams, sprays, solutions. Its action aims to suppress the vital activity and reproduction of fungi, in addition to delaying the propagation process.

Recently, various fungus sprays have appeared, which are very convenient for external use in treating skin and nail fungus.

During therapy, you can process shoes and clothing to prevent reinfection. Disinfectant sprays are suitable for this. Treatment can also be performed with antiseptics.

You can use antifungal agents in the form of solutions.

Before applying ointments, you can use a common alcohol salicylic solution. It actively acts on fungi, simultaneously relieves inflammation and dries out the weeping areas of the skin.

In case of nail damage, it is recommended to use special antifungal varnishes.

There are many different external remedies and they can all be bought at the pharmacy without a prescription. But for the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to know how to correctly use external agents:

1. Follow the instructions for the frequency of drug application.
2. Hard areas should be vaporized before applying the external agent.
3. With large dry growths, you can take a bath with soda.
4. Treat only the affected areas, without affecting healthy skin.
5. After treatment, wash your hands well, without touching other parts of the body, so as not to spread the infection.

In advanced cases, you need to take fungus pills at the same time as using external agents.You cannot take pills without a doctor's recommendation - only a specialist can prescribe medication, based on the type of pathogen and the severity of the course of the disease.

Treating a fungal lesion on the legs at an early stage will not take much time as long as the medications are used correctly and the instructions are followed. In severe cases, long-term treatment, up to 3-6 months, may be necessary. If prescription drugs do not give the desired effect, you will need to contact a specialist and obtain further recommendations.

"The fungus on the lower extremities was treated with different ointments for my husband, I tried 8 different pieces, but only pills from the triazole derivative group helped. Well, externally he continued to spread allylamine cream.

Folk methods of treatment

Often, unconventional methods are used to treat nail and leg fungus.But patients should remember that these remedies are effective at the initial stage of the fungus, and in severe cases they cannot always help, but, on the contrary, worsen the course of the disease.

Before getting rid of foot fungus with folk remedies, you need to visit a doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis, as the symptoms can indicate various dermatological diseases.

Fungus herbs are used to prepare baths, rubs and lotions:

1. Pour a handful of marigold flowers with 50 ml of alcohol and 100 ml of water and leave for a day in a dark place. Use to rub twice a day. Best for nail infections and skin thrush.
2. Mix dried mint leaves and fine salt in equal proportions. Apply to affected areas for a day, securing with a bandage. After the time, remove the bandage, wash your feet, dry and repeat. Use only on nails and keratinized skin.
3. Five tablespoons of dry celandine pour 100 ml of vodka, leave for two weeks. Use to cleanse, trying to avoid contact with healthy skin.
4. Prepare two tablespoons of thyme in a cup of boiling water, leave for an hour and use for lotions.

You can use fungus tar soap:

1. Grate a bar of soap, add a little water and melt it in a water bath, add a spoon of tar and 2 spoons of any oil. Mix well and pour into molds to make a healing soap. Use it to wash your feet.
2. Mix a tablespoon of crushed soap with 2 teaspoons of soda and add some water to make a thick mixture. Apply to clean feet at night and apply a bandage on top.
3. In the initial course of the disease, it is enough to apply soap suds from soap powder to the affected areas of the skin and leave it for 15-30 minutes.

Effective garlic for fungi:

1. Apply crushed garlic to the steamed areas and secure with a bandage. Keep it all night.
2. Within 3 days, insist on a mixture of garlic juice, water and vodka, taken in equal proportions. Rub 1-2 times a day on the affected areas.
3. Pour 2 minced garlic cloves into a glass of vinegar. Infuse in a dark place for 2 weeks in a container with a closed lid. Use for scrubs and lotions.

Vinegar can be used for scrubbing or bathing. To prepare a bath, you need to take 100 ml of 9% table vinegar or apple cider vinegar to 1 liter of water. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, after which you need to remove the softened skin and put on clean socks.

"At work, I walk around in shoes for days, my feet are constantly sweating and a fungus often appears on the foot, I immediately start taking vinegar baths and process all my shoes with it. It goes by really fast. "

Consequences and predictions

Many believe that the fungus is not harmful, except for aesthetic discomfort. But fungal infections also bring other threats. Firstly, there is a danger of the fungus spreading to other areas of the skin.

From the feet, the infection passes to the skin of the hands, face, trunk, scalp. This happens if you don't wash your hands after touching the affected areas of skin or if the patient's immunity is greatly reduced. From an infected person, infection of family members occurs if sanitation rules are not followed.

With deep injuries, it becomes impossible to wear regular shoes, there is severe pain when walking, and when the nails are damaged, the nail bed rises. There is a risk of inflammation of the nerve endings.

Skin lesions, if left untreated, cause the addition of viral and bacterial infections. The following complications often occur:

1. warts.
2. Phlegmon.
3. Pyoderma.
4. Erysipelas.
5. Malignant mycoses fungoides.

A leg skin fungus with a long course worsens the functioning of the immune system, patients are more susceptible to allergic manifestations, hives, bronchial asthma, conjunctivitis and rhinitis. Mycoses are often accompanied by atopic dermatitis and eczema. The general condition worsens, weakness occurs, body temperature may rise periodically.

Running fungal infections can cause damage to Organs internal organs.

In addition to physical complications, fungal infections lead to instability of the psycho-emotional state. Infected people become irritable, moody, and often attack others. Nervous system instability slows recovery, so patients may need psychological support.

Toe fungus is very easy to cure if you start therapy at the first manifestations of the disease. With the daily use of therapeutic agents, the fungus can be eliminated in 10-14 days. But with an advanced infection, the treatment will be longer and more difficult and will not dispense with the use of systemic drugs. Therefore, doctors recommend not delaying the visit to the clinic.