Nowadays, dermatological diseases make up a significant proportion of the diseases that more and more people are confronted with on a daily basis.The rapid spread of diseases accompanied by disruption of the integrity of the skin and the functions of epithelial tissue is caused not only by the ever-increasing number of pathogenic pathogens in the external environment, but also by our way of life, daily routine and bad habits, which give the impetus to the development of various pathologies.
What is a mushroom and why does it occur?
Fungal skin diseases are second only to purulent lesions of the epidermis, which are called pyoderma.Fungal infections have specific pathogens - fungal microorganisms that determine the development of fungal lesions of the skin only in a pathogenic form or condition.
Since fungi are part of our environment and usually do not make their presence visible in any way, they are opportunistic microorganisms that take a pathological form due to a change in environmental conditions suitable for reproduction and when the human body's immune defenses are weakened.
Athlete's foot is characterized by two types of diseases: dermatomycosis, which directly affects the skin of the heel, toes, metatarsus or sole of the foot, and onychomycosis, which affects the nail folds, nail plates and the underlying epidermis.The causative agents of onychomycosis can increase the area of infection and spread to nearby skin tissue.
Athlete's foot can be transmitted directly, for example by walking barefoot on soil colonized by fungal microorganisms, through infected plants or through close contact with a person or animal suffering from mycosis.The indirect route of infection with mycotic diseases includes the development of a fungal infection through the use of personal hygiene items of a person sick with a fungus, through his clothing and bedding, as well as through the use of care items for the patient.
The different susceptibility of each person to pathogens of mycotic diseases is due to many factors that can influence the tendency to develop infectious diseases and the type of disease.
Children under 10-12 years are considered the most vulnerable age group.Most often, dermatologists diagnose infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungal microorganisms in children, since their outer skin is still quite thin, which makes it easier for fungi to feed on keratin, a specific skin protein that is part of the epithelial tissue.
In children, the immune defense mechanisms are still in the developmental stage and are not able to protect the body from the invasion of pathogenic microflora, just as the developed immune system protects it.Therefore, the child's body is constantly at risk of infection with various diseases and pathologies.
Athletes belong to the group of people where fungi often multiply constantly on the skin of their feet.Changing rooms and shower rooms, often used by athletes before and after training, are an ideal environment for the intensive activity of fungal microorganisms, since increased air temperature and increased moisture concentration are optimal conditions for the activation of the pathogenic form of the fungus.
For this reason, excessive sweating of the feet often precedes the development of a fungal infection of the skin of the feet, which may be due to the constant wearing of uncomfortable, tight shoes that do not allow air circulation.Constant sweating of the feet can be caused by the specific composition of the genetic material, and can also be one of the external symptoms of diseases or pathologies in the body.
Another trigger for the development of a fungal disease on the skin of the legs can be a change in the usual composition of the secretion of the sweat glands (water, uric acid, ammonia, amino acids and fatty acids) to a composition that is more toxic to our body and better suited to activating the fungus.Pathological changes in the composition of sweat have a particularly beneficial effect on the development of infectious diseases caused by fungi of the genus Candida or yeast-like fungi.
Disturbances in the normal functioning of the nervous and hormonal systems and the gastrointestinal tract are associated with a decrease in basic metabolism in the body, which negatively affects the activity of organs of other systems and the course of immune defense mechanisms.Since a weakened body cannot fully respond to the constant attacks of microbes and pathogenic microflora and prevent their penetration into the body, a person becomes more susceptible to the negative influence of environmental factors, making him more susceptible to infection with bacterial and fungal infections.
The specific parasitism of fungi on the skin of the legs and in the body is manifested by different symptoms depending on the stage of the disease.
A weak or eradicated form of a fungal infection is the earliest stage in the development of the disease and is characterized by rather weak characteristic signs.A person suffering from an eradicated form of a fungal disease often feels a burning sensation in the area of infection, small cracks appear on the surface of the skin, and the epidermis itself becomes morbidly dry.
Although the initial stage of infection is best treated, if the symptoms of infection with fungal microorganisms are ignored, the disease develops in more severe forms, and with negligent and irresponsible treatment, the disease recurs, since mycotic diseases are characterized by frequent relapses.
The squamous keratotic form of the fungal disease develops after a mild form of mycotic infection if the disease is not eliminated early.In the squamous cell carcinoma 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 metatarsus.
The intertriginous form of athlete's foot is classified by dermatologists as a severe stage of infection.In the intertriginous form of the disease, swelling occurs between the toes, which is accompanied by reddening of the superficial layers of skin.Edema is usually raw and prone to erosion.The infected skin area 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 leg skin is the most severe stage in the development of pathology.In the dyshidrotic form of the disease, the most aggressive treatment methods are used, including pulse therapy, in which loading doses of effective drugs are taken in a short period of time.It is characterized by the presence of blisters with fluid inside on the entire surface of the foot, which can burst and form deep erosions on the skin, which is accompanied by pain, severe itching and several inflammatory processes.
Treatment of fungal infections of the feet is carried out in three ways: external treatment, internal treatment and combination therapy.
External exposure to the source of infection with antifungal creams, ointments, gels, varnishes, powders, tonics and sprays is used in the first stages of the disease, when the parasitism of the fungus has not yet become more widespread.
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.They are used for fungal parasitism in the body that occurs at later stages of disease development.
The strongest effect is achieved by combination therapy, but in the initial stages of a fungal infection, external use is sufficient, as internal use of antifungal drugs can lead to additional complications and stress for the body.
The most effective drugs for eliminating mild forms of mycotic diseases are drugs based on terbinafine, which promotes the accumulation of squalene in the skin and destroys the mechanism of pathological action of fungal microorganisms.Terbinafine is a substance contained in various antifungal drugs and makes it possible to eliminate fungal diseases caused by various pathogens.
For systemic treatment, which the attending physician prescribes when local medications are ineffective, medications with active ingredients such as itraconazole and ketaconazole are used.This treatment lasts longer and is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 3 years old, people with liver disease and impaired kidney function.
To prevent the secondary development of the disease after treatment, you need to carefully monitor the disinfection of your hygiene items, personal items and clothing, since the fungus can leave mycelium and other waste products on the items of an infected person during the reproductive period.
A special spray is well suited for antifungal treatment of shoes.The antiseptic drug is designed to remove products of fungal cell proliferation from the personal belongings of a person suffering from mycosis.Rinse the inside of the shoes with a 0.1% solution and leave it on overnight.The spray also disinfects shoes well, is a hypoallergenic product that does not leave traces or odors and is suitable for shoes made of any material.
To effectively eliminate a fungal infection and prevent its occurrence, you must carefully follow all preventive measures and monitor your health.Any disease, even a fungal disease, is always easier to prevent than to cure.