According to dermatologists, mycoses, including fungi between the toes, develop against the background of weakened immunity. The skin of the feet, and especially between the toes, is susceptible to the negative influence of footwear and lack of personal hygiene. These factors make you vulnerable to fungal infection. Cracks, microabrasions, abrasions, calluses, etc. predispose to the development of toe fungus. Sweaty feet play an important role in the occurrence of this unpleasant disease, which is important for young people. In older people, fungus develops between the toes for reasons related to diseases of the extremities, metabolic disorders, etc. Overweight people are especially susceptible to mycoses on the legs.
Symptoms of fungus between the toes.
Mycoses of the lower extremities begin with an interdigital fungus, which then spreads to other areas. Symptoms of toe fungus vary. The number of signs of the disease depends on its stage. In the first stage there are few signs. They manifest as redness between the fingers and itching. Then, if the infection is not stopped, the symptoms develop further. Bubbles appear, burst and form cracks. They can get wet and cause pain. When bacterial flora accumulates at the site of cracks, weeping ulcers appear. Fungus between the toes is characterized by intense itching. When the blisters are scratched, the infection spreads further. This is what nail fungus between the toes looks like.
Interdigital fungus on the toes is almost always combined with onychomycosis, a fungus of the nail plates. The fungus slowly but steadily progresses to healthy areas of the skin on the foot. The acute form without adequate and timely treatment becomes chronic. The surface of the foot and the spaces between the toes become rough and acquire a dirty yellowish color.
Diagnosis of interdigital fungus.
Before determining how to treat toenail fungus, it is necessary to diagnose it. Identifying mycosis of the legs is not difficult for a specialist. It is enough to examine the skin between the fingers and see the characteristic signs of this disease. To find out how to treat fungus between the toes and what type of fungal flora lives on the patient's skin, a scraping is taken from the affected areas and sent to the laboratory. Inoculation of fungal spores allows you to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease, and then select the most effective methods and means for future treatment.
Treatment
The treatment of fungus between the fingers, as well as in other areas, must be carried out in a complex way. Includes the following types of treatment:
- local;
- anti-inflammatory;
- antibacterial;
- systemic.
Local therapy
Local therapy is effective in the initial stages of the disease. First, the doctor selects antifungal medications. They are effective when the infection has not yet spread beyond the interdigital space. Today, the market for these drugs is quite large, allowing for effective treatment of fungus between the toes. But self-medicating a disease, even in its initial phase, is risky, due to the incorrect choice of remedy, which may not solve the problem, but may aggravate it. Only a dermatologist can select and prescribe local antifungals. Well-proven dosage forms are ointments and creams. They should be applied in a thin layer in the interdigital space, covering cracks and ulcers. It is mandatory to treat the areas not affected by the fungus to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Which dosage form is better: ointment or cream? It is preferable to use the ointment on dry and flaky areas. It is convenient to use it under a bandage for better penetration into the underlying layers of the dermis. The use of the cream is recommended in the stage of most pronounced symptoms of the disease. It is used for suppurating and erosive ulcers between the fingers. As a rule, both ointments and creams are prescribed. The ointment is applied to the affected areas at night. It is better to use the cream during the day.
Before using ointments and creams, your feet should be prepared: wash them well with antibacterial soap and dry them.
Anti-inflammatory therapy
Inflammatory phenomena in the affected areas can be treated with foot baths. Baths with a slightly pink manganese solution give a good effect. These baths dry the weeping ulcers and relieve the inflammation around them. After bathing, glucocorticosteroid ointments are applied to the legs.
Treatment for bacterial infection.
An unpleasant foot odor indicates a layer of bacterial and fungal infection between the toes. Treatment of a complicated form of foot fungus involves the prescription of medications combined with antibiotics.
Systemic fungal treatment with tablets.
In patients with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the blood vessels of the legs and in those who have taken antibiotics for a long time, treatment with topical medications may be ineffective. In such cases, systemic therapy is used. In most cases these are drugs from the triazole group.
These medications are strictly prescribed by a specialist doctor for serious indications. They have limitations, since their use is associated with side effects in the form of dysbiosis, dyspeptic disorders, impaired functioning of the kidneys and liver, etc. The course of systemic therapy prescribed by the doctor cannot be interrupted without sufficient reasons. Discontinuation of treatment can cause resistance to several drugs, mainly antibiotics.
Home remedies
Traditional medicine is also used to treat foot fungus. They can give a good effect in the initial stage of the disease, relieve symptoms such as itching and redness.
One of the proven remedies is kombucha.
Kombucha treatment
Its effectiveness is explained by the great composition of the substances it contains and the vinegar. Grind a small piece of old kombucha, rinse it well with water, and rub it into the interdigital space. You can use kombucha for a month. Repeat treatment as prophylaxis after two weeks.
propolis tincture
Another popular remedy in folk medicine is propolis tincture. It has powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal effects. A cotton swab or bandage moistened with propolis tincture is wrung out and placed between the fingers. You should put cotton socks on top and leave them on all night. The course of treatment is 15 to 20 days. Since the tincture is alcohol-based, you should lubricate your feet with a nourishing cream after removing the lotion.
celandine juice
A powerful remedy for the initial stage of fungus between the toes is the juice of flowering celandine. To obtain it, simply crush the green parts of the plant and squeeze the juice. It is used as a stand-alone remedy that can be used simply to lubricate areas of the skin damaged by fungus. With daily use of celandine juice, uninfected fungi disappear within 2 weeks.
foot baths
Apple cider vinegar baths have a good healing effect. Add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to 2 liters of warm water. And keep your feet in the bath for 25-30 minutes. After bathing, remove dead skin between your fingers and apply a medicated ointment.
Baths with vinegar can be alternated with baths with celandine.
Prevention of foot fungus between the toes.
Although fungal infections are common, they can be avoided. Following simple recommendations will help prevent fungal infection:
- observe the rules of personal hygiene. Washing your feet daily with antibacterial soap will help prevent excessive sweating. To avoid burning your feet, you should not wear tight, uncomfortable shoes. From time to time it is necessary to disinfect shoes;
- When visiting saunas, baths and public swimming pools, it is necessary to wear special footwear;
- keep the bathroom clean by disinfecting it periodically with cleaning products and hot water;
- Personal hygiene items (cloths and sponges) should be periodically treated with disinfectant solutions. Never use someone else's cloths and sponges;
- monitor the condition of your feet. For care, use special creams containing components that prevent the development of fungal infections.
And of course, we must not forget to strengthen the immune system. After all, fungal infections, including toe fungus between the toes, occur in those people whose immunity cannot cope with the fungus, the spores of which are constantly around us. And only people with weakened immune systems develop fungal diseases.