Fungal diseases are a fairly common phenomenon. But not everyone understands exactly how to deal with such problems. People often buy remedies at the pharmacy that "the neighbors recommended" or try to cope with traditional medicine. Some people, using this approach to treatment, suffer from their problem for years.
But in order to effectively and quickly defeat the fungus, you need a specialist consultation and properly selected drug therapy. After carrying out the necessary tests, the specialist can prescribe a medicine that helps to overcome the hated problem. Often, the destruction of the fungus requires procedural local treatment, during which the affected tissue is cleaned and the source of the infection is neutralized. The most important thing to know is that independent treatment methods are not effective. Let's see exactly how to choose the right treatment.
This article is not an instruction for independent selection of the drug, it only allows you to better understand the basis on which the treating dermatologist makes decisions. Each situation is unique, and it is easy to ignore contraindications and important nuances of the course of the disease, which the doctor must notice and take into account when choosing antifungal therapy and the duration of treatment.
What is fungus or mycosis?
Mycosis, popularly known as fungus, is a group of highly contagious infectious diseases.
- Pathogen: different types of parasitic fungi (pathogenic and opportunistic).
- Affected area: skin, nails, hair, mucous membranes.
- Relapses: very likely.
Where you can catch it: Public places like baths, showers, gyms, swimming pools, beaches and more.
How the infection occurs: contact with the mucous membrane, microcracks on the skin.
The disease is highly contagious. It is almost impossible to fully recover from it alone. Mycoses are the most dangerous for people with reduced immunity when their general condition is worse than normal. The help of a doctor and the right choice of antifungal drugs can solve the problem.
It can be contracted from another person's cat or by contact with objects on which fungal infections have left spores. But not all types of fungal infections are pathogenic. There are also species that are usually constantly present in the body and in some cases are also useful (for example, Candida). But if the growth of the fungus has intensified, then a treatment may be necessary.
Causes of mycosis
A healthy person with good immunity usually does not suffer from pathogenic fungi. If everything is in order with the immune system, it will easily cope with such a load, and there will be no fungus.
Fall of immunity
If your immune system is weakened, your risk of disease increases. If you have recently been treated with antibiotics, your immunity is always lowered and you should be careful.
Immunocompromised patients, cancer patients and patients receiving cytostatic treatment are constantly at risk.
Insufficiently hygienic use of public spaces
- If you visit a swimming pool or public bath, you should always have a personal towel and slippers with you.
- The same should be done when visiting the gym.
- We recommend that you try on shoes in a store with socks only.
- It is necessary to ensure that the professionals of the salons do not forget to sterilize the instruments.
- You cannot use other people's toiletries.
- It is not recommended to wear tight shoes or synthetic underwear.
- If the skin is damaged, do not forget about antiseptics, since the infection occurs through the damaged areas.
Chronic diseases
They themselves can reduce immunity and negatively affect the body's resistance. Skin diseases are particularly prone to problems such as fungal diseases: cracks, calluses. In the case of certain diseases, the skin dries out and becomes fragile (in patients with diabetes, varicose veins). All dermatological diseases endanger humans.
Personal features
There may be personal characteristics that create the right conditions for fungal diseases. For example, hyperhidrosis, or sweating of the palms and soles. There are other individual characteristics that create a good environment for different types of pathogenic fungi.
Types of mushrooms
There is no classification that describes pathogenic fungi. Diseases are usually classified according to symptoms and extent of spread. Diseases such as nail fungus, skin fungus and athlete's foot are classified as superficial mycoses. The frequency of mycosis can vary:
- karatomycosis - when the microorganism is present only in the stratum corneum of the skin;
- dermatomycosis - if the fungal infection managed to penetrate the epidermis, hair follicles and dermis;
- candidiasis - damage to the mucous membrane.
There are also systemic mycoses, which are characterized by damage not only to the external skin, but also to internal organs.
Types of pathogens:
- Yeasts are usually part of the microflora.
- Molds are pathogens.
- Pathogens of Dodmiphorae.
In order to accurately determine the cause of the infection, and then to prescribe effective treatment based on special tools, a diagnosis must be made. If the integumentary tissue is involved, a smear or scraping should be taken. If the problem is with the internal organs, the type of pathogen can be determined by microscopic examination and blood sampling. Certain types of lesions resulting from infections have the same clinical symptoms, and the exact cause can only be determined by analysis.
How to identify fungal disease - symptoms
Despite the fact that each type of infection has its own characteristics, which are manifested in different stages of the disease, superficial mycoses also have common signs of the disease:
- change in skin color - redness or loss of color;
- the appearance of permanent peeling or weeping areas;
- itching;
- crust.
In case of damage to the scalp:
- the sign of the fungus is often dandruff;
- fragility and hair loss.
On the face:
- the appearance of damage in the fold of the upper eyelid.
On the leg:
- cracks;
- burning;
- bubbles;
- unpleasant odor is more common;
- skin roughness;
- thickening of the skin;
- ulcers (if there are also bacterial infectious diseases).
On the nails:
- small white dots on the plate;
- the affected nail has white streaks;
- color change to black, yellow, brown;
- structural change (becomes layered);
- nails become thicker or thinner;
- the nail plates move away from the bed;
- inflamed nail folds;
- changes in the shape or topography of the nail.
The infection develops unnoticed at first, and many people only notice nail fungus in the advanced stages of the disease, not when the condition of the skin and nails can be corrected relatively easily and quickly. If there are the first signs of abnormal changes, contact a specialist immediately.
Medicines to treat fungus
Medicines for the treatment of fungus are called antimycotics, from the words "anti" and mycosis, but more often they are simply called antifungals. Based on their effect, such drugs can be divided into two types:
- drugs for the treatment of fungi that destroy spores - fungicides;
- fungistatic are those that do not inhibit the development of a fungal infection and prevent its growth, but do not destroy it.
The type of treatment a doctor prescribes is influenced by many factors, including the characteristics of the patient's body.
The effectiveness of a particular drug varies depending on the following factors:
- administration of the active substance;
- the action spectrum of the active ingredient.
Most often, fungus is treated with topical medications, such as antifungal ointments. Oral medications (antifungal tablets) are used if the fungus cannot be cured externally, or if the disease is systemic and long-lasting. If the situation is very difficult, you can even cure the fungus with injections.
Release forms
Topical antifungal agents are produced in different forms:
- ointments;
- creams;
- sprays;
- solutions;
- antifungal varnish (for nail lesions).
If the lesion is only external, local therapy is sufficient. The characteristic of such drugs is that they have almost no side effects, unlike drugs intended for internal use. Complex therapy with the use of systemic antimycotics is prescribed for a more complex course of the disease, if the disease relapses. Then therapy courses are possible. It is not always possible to correctly determine treatment methods based on clinical manifestations, so tests are needed. Sometimes fungal diseases intensify the course of allergic diseases that the patient may suffer from. In this case, sorbents can be prescribed.
One of the most common substances in antifungal therapy is fluconazole. It is used for both external and internal changes. The substance is found in various medicines. Available in tablets, capsules, injections and other forms. To prevent fungi, antiseptic agents are used on the skin of the feet, palms and nails. Prevention also means taking vitamins on time to support the immune system.