With a fungal infection of the nail plates, or onychomycosis, you should contact a dermatologist or mycologist. The first doctor specializes in any skin problems. In his competence are allergic, bacterial, viral and fungal lesions of the epidermis. A mycologist is a narrowly qualified specialist. He understands all types of fungi, treats mycotic lesions of any localization, conducts research work and collects statistical information.
When you need medical help
A person becomes infected with a fungus when its spores get on the skin or nail plates. You can "catch" pathogenic microorganisms in public places (sauna, swimming pool, beauty salon), from members of your own family, in a shoe store. Fungi are very fond of moist and warm environments. They are able to breed in shoes. Most often this happens if a person suffers from sweating feet, ignores this fact or neglects the rules of personal hygiene.
When in contact with fungi, a person does not always become infected. This is preceded by a decrease in immunity. Normally, the body successfully copes with the attack of billions of microbes daily. If the defenses are depleted, you can expect trouble.
Onychomycosis is a serious infectious disease. With it, a person is in contact with pathogenic fungi for a long time. Mycotoxins with toxic properties enter his body. It also negatively affects the immune system. Get rid of nail fungus as soon as possible. The longer a person coexists with an infection, the more difficult and longer it is to treat. Launched onychomycosis is difficult to cure, becomes chronic, recurs, requires lifelong use of prophylactic agents.
It is necessary to contact doctors when the first signs of mycosis of the nails occur, namely:
- if they are covered with small spots, dots, stripes, pale inclusions;
- if the color of the nail plate has changed - it has become yellow, brown, grayish or greenish;
- if the plate grows in, improper cutting of the nails creates an "entrance" gate for infection;
- if the nails exfoliate - a sign of the progress of onychomycosis;
- if a person suffers from ringworm - the fungus easily spreads to the nails from the skin;
- if among family members there are people with onychomycosis;
- if the nails have lost their luster, become dull, heterogeneous.
Direct reasons for visiting a doctor are itching, sweating, dry skin on the feet. Excessive sweating and unpleasant foot odor can speak of a developing fungus.
Who to go first
Having decided to see a doctor, you should first make an appointment with a dermatologist. There are skin specialists in all paid and free hospitals. You can freely get an appointment with a dermatologist in the skin care center at the place of residence.
The dermatologist will conduct a visual examination - identify signs of fungal development, examine the skin for other symptoms of mycotic lesions of the body. As a rule, the doctor prescribes tests (scraping from nails or skin) that confirm or refute a fungal disease.
If the specialist's suspicions are confirmed, additional tests may be prescribed - a general and biochemical study of blood, urine, and liver tests. Additional information is needed to identify the cause of the infection, to detect all possible comorbidities. Diseases of the blood and liver impose restrictions on the use of certain drugs.
A referral for a consultation with a mycologist is issued in advanced cases - if all the toenails are damaged by onychomycosis, the process of onycholysis (destruction of the plates) has begun, some nails are already missing, the patient has previously been unsuccessfully self-medicating. A narrow-profile specialist will prescribe additional tests to identify the type of pathogen. Specific drugs will be more effective for a particular type of fungus.
General principles for the elimination of onychomycosis
For the treatment of nail mycosis, specialists prescribe several medications at once. Among them:
- systemic antifungal agents;
- dosage forms acting locally;
- vitamin preparations;
- immunostimulants.
The doctor individually evaluates the lifestyle and hygiene culture of the patient. If necessary, he gives appropriate recommendations necessary to reduce the duration of therapy.
Medical treatment should be carried out very scrupulously. The patient must take the medicines orally on time, exactly adhere to the terms of treatment recommended by the doctor. Local remedies are used until the problem is completely eliminated. As a rule, the use is continued for 1-2 months after the symptoms of onychomycosis disappear. The following are prescribed as topical preparations:
- varnishes;
- gels;
- ointments;
- solutions.
As auxiliary methods, water-salt baths are recommended, the removal of plates with the help of special softening ointments, surgical assistance is occasionally required.
Immunostimulants and vitamins are selected in accordance with the results of biochemical analyzes. In some cases, nail fungus is the first sign of serious diseases of the internal organs or the hematopoietic system.
Do not throw away the doctor's phone number immediately after the first consultation. The success of onychomycosis therapy depends on the control of the healing process. Doctor's consultations and testing will be repeated several times during the therapeutic course (up to 1 year). They will have to be taken again immediately after the regrowth of the changed nail plate, a month after complete recovery. In order not to complicate the treatment process, the patient should refuse decorative varnish, nail extensions.