Fungal infection of the nails is called onychomycosis, which affects 20% of the entire population of our planet.
Infection of the nail fungus occurs, as a rule, in public places:
- bathhouses;
- saunas;
- swimming pools;
- parks, etc.
Where there are scales of skin affected by the fungus, infection will occur with greater probability. Pathogens survive at high humidity, warm and cold temperatures. Particular danger in this is unpainted wooden surfaces in which the fungus can live long enough.
Also fungus can be transmitted through household items within the same family.
People with impaired immunity, diabetes, poor blood circulation, HIV-infected and immunodeficient conditions are more likely to get infected.
Types of fungal diseases of nails
The causative agents of infection of nails can be the following fungi:
- Dermatophytes are the most frequent pathogens.
- Trichophytosis.
- Microspores.
- Epidermophtia.
Symptoms
Today it is known that the defeat of the nail plate by the fungus is secondary, while the primary infection occurs on the interdigital patches and soles (if it is a case of the nail injury of the toes).
In case of damage, the nail plate changes color, white or yellow spots appear, then it begins to separate, gets loose structure and collapses. Before the stage of destruction is preceded by a long period of fungal development, so it must be treated immediately after detection.
Treatment of fungal diseases of nails
Fungal diseases of the nails of the hands are treated as well as fungal diseases of the nails of the feet: the use of local treatment is ineffective, since it is necessary that the ointment penetrate deep into the nail. For this purpose, the surface layer needs to be removed, to which not every patient agrees. For this reason, local treatment is used when the disease has already destroyed the nail plate.
In other cases, drugs are used for systematic use:
- Ketoconazole. Effective in 50% of cases and taken a long time - from 9 months to a year.
- Griseofulvin. An old drug is quite old - it was first used as an antifungal agent and has a 40% efficiency. It is this percentage of people who are cured, taking it daily for a long time.
- Terbinafine - the most effective drug to date, giving 90% chance of curing the nail fungus. It takes about 3 months daily, but the result is manifested 50 weeks after the end of the course of treatment.