Today, dermatological diseases make up a significant percentage of diseases that more and more people face every day.The rapid spread of diseases involving the disruption of the integrity of the skin and the functions of the epithelial tissue is not only caused by the constantly increasing number of pathogens in the external environment, but also by our lifestyle, daily routine and bad habits, which encourage the development of various pathologies.
What is fungus and why does it occur?
Fungal skin diseases are the second most common type of skin disease after purulent changes in the epidermis called pyoderma.Fungal infections have specific pathogens - fungal microorganisms that 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 show their presence in any way, they are opportunistic microorganisms that take on a pathological form when the environmental conditions suitable for reproduction change and the human body's immune defenses weaken.
Athlete's foot is characterized by two types of disease - dermatomycosis, which directly affects the skin of the heel, toes, metatarsal or sole, and onychomycosis, which affects the nail folds, nail plates and the underlying epithelium.The causative agents of onychomycosis are able to increase the area of infection, spreading to nearby tissues.
Athlete's foot can be spread directly, for example by walking barefoot on soil populated by fungal microorganisms, through infected plants, or through close contact with a person or animal suffering from mycosis.The indirect way of infection with fungal diseases includes the development of a fungal infection from the use of personal hygiene equipment belonging to a fungal person, through his clothing and bedding, as well as during the use of patient care equipment.
Different degrees of susceptibility to the pathogens of fungal diseases in each person are due to a number of factors that can influence the tendency to develop infectious diseases and the nature of the disease.
Children under the age of 10-12 are the age group most at risk.Dermatologists most often diagnose infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungal microorganisms in children, because their outer skin is still quite thin, which allows the fungi to more easily feed on keratin, a specific skin protein that is a component of the epidermis.
In children, the immune defense mechanisms are still in the development stage and are not able to protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic microflora, and the developed immune system protects it, therefore the children's body is constantly threatened by the danger of infection from various diseases and pathologies.
Athletes belong to the group of people who are often in conditions of constant growth of fungi on the skin of the feet.The changing rooms and showers, which are often used by athletes before and after training, are an ideal environment for the intensive activity of fungal microorganisms, since the increased air temperature and moisture concentration are conditions for the activation of the pathogenic form of the fungus.
That is why excessive sweating of the feet often prevents the development of a fungal infection of the foot skin, which can be caused by the constant wearing of uncomfortable tight shoes that do not allow air flow.The constant sweating of the feet can be determined by the specific composition of the genetic material, and it can also be one of the external symptoms of diseases or pathologies present in the body.
Another incentive for the development of a fungal disease on the skin of the feet may be that the usual composition of sweat gland secretions (water, uric acid, ammonia, amino acids and fatty acids) is changed to something more toxic to 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 belonging to the genus Candida or yeast-like fungi.
Disturbances in the normal functioning of the nervous system and the endocrine system, as well as the gastrointestinal tract, are associated with a decrease in basal metabolism in the body, which negatively affects the activity of the organs of other systems and the course of immune defense mechanisms.Since the weakened body cannot fully respond to the constant attacks of microbes and pathogenic microflora, preventing their penetration into the body, a person becomes more sensitive to the negative effects of environmental factors, as a result of which he is susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections.
The specific parasitism of fungi on the skin of the legs and the body manifests itself in different symptoms depending on the stage of the disease.
A weak or deleted form of fungal infection is the earliest stage of the development of the disease and can be distinguished by rather poorly expressed characteristic signs.A person with a deleted form of the fungal disease often feels a burning sensation in the area of infection, there are small cracks on the surface of the skin, and the epidermis itself is abnormally dry.
Although the initial stage of the infection is best treated if the symptoms of the infection caused by fungal microorganisms are ignored, the disease develops in a more serious form, and with careless and irresponsible treatment, the disease returns again, as fungal diseases are characterized by frequent relapses.
The squamous-keratotic form of fungal disease develops after a mild form of fungal infection, if the disease was not removed at an early stage.In the squamous-keratotic stage of the disease, fungal microorganisms form a white coating and a hard crust on the surface of the skin;the area of infection gradually increases and can reach significant sizes, for example, from the interdigital folds to the middle of the foot.
Dermatologists classify the intertriginal form of athlete's foot as a severe stage of the infection.In the intertriginal form of the disease, swelling occurs in the folds between the toes, accompanied by redness of the surface layers of the skin.Edema is most often raw and prone to erosion.The infected area of the skin is characterized by significant detachment of the epidermis and the appearance of deep cracks, which facilitate the penetration of fungal cells into the body.The boundaries of parasitism expand and the fungus spreads through the bloodstream to other organs and systems.
The dyshidrotic form of fungal infection of the skin of the feet is the most serious stage of the development of the pathology.To treat the dyshidrotic form of the disease, the most aggressive treatment methods are used, including pulse therapy, which involves taking a saturating dose of effective drugs within a short period of time.It is characterized by the appearance of fluid-filled blisters on the entire surface of the leg, which can burst and form deep erosions on the skin, accompanied by pain, severe itching and multiple inflammatory processes.
Fungal infections of the feet are treated in three ways: external treatment, internal treatment and combined treatment.
The external effect on the source of the infection with antimycotic creams, ointments, gels, varnishes, powders, tonics and sprays is used in the first stage of the disease, when the fungal parasite has not yet 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 such drugs often have many contraindications.It is used in the case of a fungal parasite inside the body, which appears in the later stages of the development of the disease.
Combined therapy gives the most noticeable effect, but in the initial stages of a fungal infection, external use is sufficient, since the internal use of antimycotics can cause additional complications and stress in the body.
The most effective drugs for getting rid of mild forms of fungal diseases are drugs based on terbinafine, which promote the accumulation of squalene in the skin, which destroys the mechanism of the pathological effects of fungal microorganisms.Terbinafine is a substance that can be found in various antifungal drugs and allows the elimination of fungal diseases caused by various pathogens.
For systemic treatment, which is prescribed by the attending physician in case of ineffectiveness of local drugs, drugs containing active ingredients such as itraconazole and ketaconazole are used.This course is longer and is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, children under 3 years old, liver patients and patients with impaired kidney function.
After treatment, in order to prevent the secondary development of the disease, careful attention must be paid to the disinfection of hygiene articles, personal items, and wardrobe items, since during the reproductive period the fungus can leave mycelium and other waste products on the belongings of the infected person.
A special spray is excellent for the antifungal treatment of shoes.The purpose of the antiseptic drug is to remove the products of the reproduction of fungal cells from the personal belongings of a person suffering from mycosis.Rinse the inside of the shoe with a 0.1% solution and leave it overnight.The spray also disinfects shoes well, it is a hypoallergenic product that does not leave marks or odors, it is suitable for shoes made of any material.
In order 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.