Causes and secrets of effective treatment of fingernail fungus

Few people know about this, but a fungal infection can also affect fingernails. And from an aesthetic point of view, this problem is even more serious than foot fungus. Hands are visible to everyone, so the presence of pathology brings not only physical discomfort, but also moral discomfort. In addition, the disease is considered contagious, so treatment is carried out by dermatologists and infectious disease specialists.

Onychomycosis is the most common dermatological problem among women and men. And the older a person is, the likelihood of getting sick increases four times.

Why is onychomycosis dangerous?

When the nail plates are affected by pathogenic fungi, this poses a serious danger to the body. This is not a cold that can be cured quickly and with the help of available drugs.

During their development, fungi synthesize toxins. Accordingly, they provoke the development of dangerous somatic processes, such as:

1. Inflammation and soreness of the dermis.
2. The presence of blisters and toxicodermic skin lesions.
3. Generalized necrosis.
4. Spread of the fungus through the bloodstream to other organs and systems of the body.
5. Complete destruction of the nail plate in the absence of proper treatment.
6. Toxins can trigger the development of cancer.

How else can you treat fungus on your hands?

Laser treatment

You can also treat fungus on your hands using a laser. This method of getting rid of onychomycosis belongs to physiotherapeutic methods and is proven to be highly effective. During the procedure, the diseased nail is exposed to irradiation with controlled intensity.

The laser is able to penetrate deep into the nail and locally destroy mycotic organisms. It is possible to prescribe laser therapy as an independent method of treatment if it is impossible to use local and systemic antimycotics. In all other cases, a combination of laser therapy with conservative treatment methods is desirable. In addition, when irradiated with a laser, the delivery of the drug into the nail improves. The duration of the procedure does not exceed 25 minutes; to achieve maximum effect, up to 4 irradiations will be required. However, most patients note a visible effect after the first physiotherapy session.

There are no side effects from the procedure; it is completely painless for the patient. The only drawback of this therapy is the likelihood of relapse of the disease when used as an independent therapeutic method.

Hardware cleaning

Another method - hardware cleaning of the nail makes it possible to get rid of its top layer, which is most affected by mycotic damage. This procedure is necessary for use in cases where the fungus has destroyed the nail to a large extent. The procedure is painless and helps speed up the recovery time by half. After all, exposing the nail bed will allow the atimikot to be directly delivered into it.

Author of the article:

Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich |
Doctor of Medical Sciences therapist Education: Moscow Medical Institute named after. I. M. Sechenov, specialty - “General Medicine” in 1991, in 1993 “Occupational diseases”, in 1996 “Therapy”. Our authors

Signs and symptoms of disease of the nail plate and the skin around it

The initial stages of nail fungus do not always begin to appear directly on the nail plate. Often the pathology manifests itself:

• excessive dryness of the skin of the hands;
• itching;
• presence of cracks;
• redness or inflammation.

Signs of fungal infection may also

• bubble formations between the fingers;
• discomfort and burning sensation in the nail plate area;
• redness of the nail fold;
• the presence of pus in the wounds between the fingers.

Important . The first symptoms are often mistaken for allergic reactions. Meanwhile, the infection spreads further and quickly affects the nails.

The nail plate changes color and turns from pink to cloudy and dull. Yellow or white spots appear along the edges or at the base, which quickly spread over the surface of the nail.

All symptoms of fungus depend on the specific type of pathogen, so before starting treatment, you need to know the form of mycosis.

Signs of mycosis on the nails appear:

• the appearance of spots, grooves and stripes on the nails;
• sharp thickening of the structure;
• color change;
• unnatural convexity or retraction of the nail plate into the bed;
• partial or complete detachment of the nail plate;
• brittleness and looseness of nails.

Normotrophic type

Types of Nail Fungus

If the disease follows the normotrophic type, the nails have little external change for a long time. Usually only the edges of the nail thicken and slightly change their appearance, and the patient, especially if he uses decorative varnish, does not notice these changes. However, despite the ease of this type of disease, it has its hidden disadvantages. First of all, this is lost time. The patient delays treatment, hoping that such minor changes will go away on their own, but this leads to the fact that the fungus actually spreads quite strongly, penetrates under the nail, and causes inflammation. As a result, in order to cope with this fungus, you have to undergo long-term and not always harmless treatment for the entire body as a whole.

Sources and provocateurs of infection

It would seem that all people know how important it is to adhere to the rules of hygiene and safety in public places. But until now, swimming pools and saunas are considered the most important source of fungus. Fungus on the feet can cause disease on the hands. Having a disease in your loved ones can cause problems for you too.

Important . The fungus is transmitted through towels, bed linen and indoor shoes.

Also, all the patient’s personal belongings can become a source of fungi:

• shoes;
• manicure accessories and combs;
• blankets and pillows;
• cloth.

Provokes the development of mycosis:

• humid and warm environment;
• blows and bruises;
• vascular pathologies;
• constant stress and emotional tension;
• violation of hygiene rules;
• diabetes;
• long-term use of oral contraceptives or antibiotics;
• the presence of artificial coating on the nails;
• poor nutrition;
• large amounts of sugar in the diet;
• old age.

What the disease looks like: stages and types of fungal nail diseases on the fingers with photos

Primary infection with fingernail fungus occurs almost asymptomatically . It is impossible to understand that spores have got under the nail without visible changes. And with a serious infection, symptoms appear that immediately become noticeable.

Shine

A healthy nail plate normally shines even in the absence of varnish. During polishing, the shine increases even more and is not lost upon contact with water or detergents. Lack of shine is the first sign of the presence of fungus. The surface becomes cloudy and matte.

Form

A healthy nail grows evenly, and the free edge moves down slightly.

In the presence of a fungal infection, the growth of the plates is disrupted. The nail looks crooked because one edge grows faster than the other.

Sometimes the free edge may rise up.

Surface

Healthy nails have an even and smooth surface . When furrows, depressions or bumps appear, you should think about the presence of onychomycosis.

Color

The soft pink and clear color of the nail bed quickly begins to change when athlete's foot is present. The plate becomes yellow over its entire surface. Sometimes streaks, white spots and spots may appear.

Important . The color of the spots can be green, black or brown. This indicates the presence of mold microorganisms.

The initial stage of the fungus is considered to be the moment when color changes have affected no more than 1/3 of the surface of the nail.

How the disease develops

The disease most often begins unexpectedly, with a change in the color of the nail plate. Over time, the fungus can completely destroy the nail plate and spread not only to the hands themselves, but also to other healthy areas of the body. The reason for the rapid development of the disease is the high survivability of microorganisms - they are able to withstand extremely low temperatures, but die when the temperature rises to 60 degrees. Nails and skin are an excellent environment for the development of mycoses, as they need warmth and moisture. A disinfectant solution, cream, ointment or paste that is applied externally can cope with fungi. Tablets and capsules have also worked well.

The disease develops most often when two factors take place:

1. Visiting public places where, in fact, the infection occurred. This could be a sauna, bathhouse, swimming pool, water park, beach, bus, and so on.
2. Neglect of temperature control, excessive sweating, general disregard for hygiene rules.

Nail destruction due to mycosis

Infection can occur by different strains, of which there are several hundred species. However, the main cause of the disease is either yeast or mold. The former cause a change in the structure of the nail, its deformation, the appearance of bumps, dents, grooves, growths, and the latter cause a change in the color of the nail plate from white to blue. Depending on the root cause and route of infection, nail mycosis develops along one of 3 types of paths.

When identifying a fungus, you should pay attention to the uneven color change. In the center of the nail the color is usually darker - from dirty yellow to black, and on the sides - white, ashy, light gray.

This is interesting: fungal infections sometimes occur due to shoes. Entire colonies of parasitic fungi often settle on the surface of leather shoes, which can be seen through a microscope. If the circumstances are unfortunate, spores can get on your hands and nails, causing real mycosis.

What to do at the first signs?

If a person suspects the presence of a fungus, the first thing to do is consult a dermatologist. Diagnostic measures will play a decisive role in therapy. The doctor must determine not only the fact of infection itself, but also determine the type of pathogen. Only on the basis of these data it is necessary to select medications so that they produce a positive effect and suppress the vital activity of specific types of fungi.

The diagnostic examination consists of two stages:

1. initial visual inspection;
2. taking a microscopic examination and inoculating fungi into cultures.

It is the second method that makes it possible to accurately determine the type of pathogen.

How to treat an advanced condition?

If the patient ignored the initial stages of the disease and also did not follow the rules, then the disease becomes advanced. The nails become thick, lumpy and gray-yellow in color. Caring for them becomes impossible.

Important . If the matrix is ​​damaged, the nail peels off from the skin and falls off.

The infection also spreads to the hands. Excessive dryness, peeling and cracks occur. The activity of the sweat glands increases and the patient’s hands constantly hurt and smell bad. In case of a complicated clinical picture, it makes sense to use local, folk and medicinal treatment with tablets.

Previously, in such cases, surgical methods were used to remove the nail plate affected by the fungus. But this method is painful and healing of damaged areas takes a very long time. In such cases, an excellent solution is the avulsion method. It involves the chemical “dissolution” of diseased nails with the help of special medications.

The best external remedies - ointments and varnishes

Most often, doctors prescribe the following drugs to treat mycosis:

• Lamisil ointment has a wide spectrum of action. The duration of treatment is 3 weeks.
• "Exoderil" in the form of a cream is effective in the treatment of mold and yeast fungi, as well as dermatophytes.
• "Mikonorm" in the form of a cream is a very effective remedy that promotes rapid recovery.
• "Fundosil" is a cream based on zinc and salicylic acid. Suitable for treating all types and forms of fungus.
• Nizoral must be applied several times a day. This is one of the few drugs that has no side effects.

Sometimes, in the fight against the disease, special medicinal varnishes are used, which are used in parallel with ointments and creams.

• "Batrafen" is a varnish based on ciclopirox. Treats 57 types of fungus.
• "Loceril" is an antifungal varnish against many types of fungus.
• "Fukortsin" is an antiseptic and disinfectant solution of bright pink color. Effective against all types of fungus. It is necessary to apply the drug twice a day for two weeks.
• “Demikten” is a varnish based on formic acid. You need to apply it daily until a healthy nail grows out.

All drugs with a local spectrum of action must be used according to the same scheme:

1. Wash and clean the surface of the nail plate.
2. Trim and file the free edge as far as possible.
3. Disinfect tools after treating each nail.
4. The prescribed product must be used regularly and in full accordance with the instructions or doctor's prescriptions.

Pills and medicines

Oral medications do not treat fungus alone. Therefore, their use is advisable only in combination with local remedies. The most common and effective are:

• "Ketoconazole" - the drug inhibits the development of fungi, but causes side effects: nausea, weakness.
• "Futsis" is used at any time of the day. The dosage is prescribed by the doctor and changes it throughout the course of treatment.
• Fluconazole can only be used as prescribed by a doctor. The course of treatment lasts until the healthy nail grows completely, and the dosage is prescribed by the doctor.
• Terbinafine is prescribed only to adults and children over 12 years of age.

Important . If after treatment there is no result, then it is necessary to re-take tests and undergo an examination.

Effective folk recipes

Home remedies will not work without the use of medications, but they will provide relief if necessary.

1. Hydrogen peroxide is an excellent antiseptic, but the drug does not kill fungus. Good for disinfection only. Peroxide lotions should be done in addition to the main treatment.
2. Propolis is suitable for preparing baths. Add 1 teaspoon of propolis tincture to warm water and hold your hand and fingers in the container for 10 minutes. Then apply propolis to your nails and put on gloves on top. The compress is left overnight.
3. Tar soap gives good results in the treatment of mycosis. The affected areas must be soaped, sprinkled with salt and secured with a sterile bandage.
4. the garlic in half and apply a clove to each nail. To improve treatment results, it makes sense to take garlic tincture daily before meals.
5. Tea tree oil has antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial effects. It should be applied to the nails twice a day and rubbed in a little.
6. Vinegar is mixed with glycerin in equal proportions. The solution must be lubricated on the nail plates several times a day for a month.
7. A 5% iodine solution works well against fungus, as it has antiseptic properties. Infected areas should be treated twice daily. During treatment, a burning sensation will occur - this is the effect of the drug. After seven days, complete regeneration of the nail plate will begin.

Each of the folk remedies helps to alleviate the condition, remove discomfort and speed up recovery.

The video presents several folk recipes for treating fungus on the hands:

Hardware treatment methods

A medical manicure using a device is carried out only if the fungus has not managed to penetrate deeply into the nail plate. The specialist removes the top layer of the affected parts of the nails with a milling cutter along with mycosis.

Should I take pills?

Fungus tablets are the most effective way to treat all types of mycosis .
However, treatment must be comprehensive and according to a specific system prescribed by the doctor. Before starting treatment, the doctor must check the condition of the patient’s kidneys and liver using tests and ultrasound diagnostics. In the initial stages of the fungus, you should not take such serious medications.

Treatment

At an early stage of the disease, local therapy is usually prescribed, which consists of the use of creams and ointments with an antifungal effect.

Antiseptic solutions are also used as external remedies for nail fungus. In addition to effective remedies for nail onychomycosis, antihistamines and desensitizing drugs are prescribed that relieve swelling, inflammation and sensitivity.

If the nail is completely affected by the fungus and drug treatment does not produce positive results, then the plate is subjected to surgical removal. Also, in the total form of onychomycosis, antimycotic drugs are prescribed orally in the form of tablets, which have a systemic effect on the body.

Prevention

To minimize the risk of contracting mycosis, you must follow some rules:

1. Practice good hygiene and wash your hands frequently.
2. Use your own towel and manicure accessories.
3. Strengthen immunity.
4. Do not use false nails or apply acrylic nails.
5. Treat your nails with iodine or hydrogen peroxide.
6. Dry skin thoroughly.

Compliance with all doctor’s instructions and regular use of medications will allow you to completely cure fingernail fungus within 6–12 months. Pathology is treated faster on the hands, since they are open and do not have such a humid and warm environment as the feet.

List of drugs

When choosing drugs for fungus, it is necessary to focus on effectiveness, the presence of side effects, symptoms and course of the disease. It is important to take into account individual intolerance to the components.

Antifungal antibiotics

If the fungal infection is systemic in nature, an integrated approach is required. Deep tissue damage, separation of the nail plates and severe itching of the skin against the background of deteriorating general health suggest the use of not only local remedies, but also tablets.

Among external remedies, it is worth highlighting medications that contain naftifine. This component has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. When taken regularly and in combination with other therapeutic agents, recovery occurs quickly.

Preparations with naftifine:

External preparations for dermatomycosis and keratomycosis

Yeast, mold and dimorphic fungi can be cured with Terbinafine-based products. Popular drugs with this active ingredient:

Medicines containing ketoconazole effectively fight fungal infections of the head and groin area. List of drugs:

Products based on miconazole, a synthetic substance with an antifungal effect, are effective against dermatomycetes and yeast, as well as the causative agent of lichen versicolor. Preparations containing miconazole:

Antifungal agents for systemic candidiasis

The Candida fungus spreads inside the body: on the respiratory system, in the digestive system, on the genitals. Sometimes it infects the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Often, with systemic candidiasis, the fungus also affects external tissues - nail plates, skin on the legs and arms. To get rid of the disease, it is important to start therapy in a timely manner. To treat candidiasis, drugs containing clotrimazole are used.

Popular remedies for the treatment of mycotic diseases caused by the Candida fungus: