Mycosis is an infectious skin disease caused by fungi. Treatment with an antifungal cream is usually used, which gives good results, but does not last long. The tips below will help prevent toenail fungus, which can recur even after treatment.
Who can get infected
Almost anyone can get athlete's foot. But it is more common in people who sweat more, or in those who wear tight shoes and socks, which also cause excessive sweating of the feet.
Mycosis can be transmitted from person to person. For example, this could happen in a public shower used by athletes or swimmers. Small flakes of skin infected with the fungus may fall off while you shower. Once a small spot of infection begins to develop, it usually spreads along the skin. Read about where else you can catch the fungus here.
What are the symptoms
Usually the skin between the little toes will be affected first. The first signs of fungus, when the infection has just formed on the skin, are insignificant. The onset will become noticeable when the rash starts to spread and the skin starts to itch and peel. Cracks and inflammation will appear on it. Large cracks in the skin between the toes can become larger and can be very painful. Tiny flakes of infected skin will peel off.
If interdigital mycosis is not treated, the rash will gradually spread along the entire leg. In some cases it extends to the sole. Often the infection causes scaling on the entire sole and sides of the foot. Sometimes mycosis causes large rashes with blisters all over the soles of the feet. In this case we are dealing with foot fungus.
How serious is this?
As a rule, no. Most people successfully treat itchy feet before an infection takes hold. Sometimes the infection spreads to the skin of other parts of the body. These are usually moist areas without air, such as the groin.
Typically, fungi, including toenail fungus, do not spread deeper, but only on the surface of the skin. However, other microbes (bacteria) can enter the cracks created by neglected or untreated mycosis. Sometimes this can cause more serious foot or leg infections.
It happens that the infection spreads to the nail - it can be cured. But in this case, to get rid of the fungus, you will need several weeks of taking antifungal tablets to clear the infection from the nails.Therefore, it is better to treat interdigital foot fungus on time, as soon as the first symptoms begin to appear.
Treatment of mycosis
Treatment of fungus between the toes usually involves the use of various antifungal creams and sprays. You can buy topical antifungals at your local pharmacy or get them with a prescription.
To treat fungus between the toes, it is necessary to apply an antifungal agent directly to the affected area, i. e. the skin of the feet. There are various medications that will help against yeast infections.
They are usually sold in the form of creams, but can also be in spray, liquid and powder form. These remedies are very good at clearing the skin of fungal infections. However, there is no evidence that one drug is better than another.Milder medicines should be used for children.Other options are undecenoic acid or tolnaftate, which are used only as directed by a doctor.
During treatment, it often happens that the inflammation disappears quite quickly, however, you may need therapy for 1-2 weeks after the rash disappears. This is necessary in order to completely eliminate the fungus on the skin - which will prevent recurrence.
- Preparations with the active ingredient clotrimazole: use 2-3 times a day for at least four weeks.
- Preparations with the active ingredient miconazole nitrate: apply twice a day and continue for 10 days after the skin returns to normal.
- Preparations with the active ingredient econazole nitrate: apply twice a day until the skin returns to normal.
- Medicines from the triazole group: apply twice a day for seven days. To cure toenail fungus, you need to continue using the medicine for a few more days if the symptoms are more severe. Not suitable for children.
- Preparations with the active ingredient terbinafine hydrochloride: apply once or twice a day for seven days. Not suitable for children.
- Preparations with undecenonic acid: apply twice a day and continue for a week after the skin returns to normal.
If you encounter this disease for the first time and do not know how to cure foot fungus and not make a mistake in choosing the medicine for treatment, consult a doctor.
For skin, especially inflamed, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream in combination with a mild steroid ointment. They are usually used for no longer than seven days. You may need to continue using only one antifungal cream for a while after this.
Anabolic steroids reduce inflammation and relieve itching and redness in a short period of time. However, the steroid does not completely eliminate the toe fungus and therefore the steroid cream alone should not be used for treatment.
Antifungal tablets for toenail fungus are sometimes prescribed to adults if the infection is severe and does not clear up with creams. Tablets are also necessary if the infection, apart from the legs, is located in several places on the skin.
However, this treatment for interdigital fungus is not suitable for everyone.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people with liver disease, are not always recommended to use antifungal tablets. Children are not usually prescribed antifungal drugs.
Although toenail fungus can spread from person to person, you don't have to stay away from work, school or sports if you have toenail fungus.However, in public places, such as swimming pools or saunas, try to keep your feet covered until the rash is gone.Also, try not to scratch the damaged skin as this can spread the infection to other areas.
The following tips can help prevent athlete's foot from recurring:
- It is necessary to wash your feet daily and after washing, dry the skin between the toes well. This is perhaps the most important point. Wear socks if your feet are not completely dry. The moist skin between your toes is an ideal place for fungus to grow.
- Do not share other people's towels in public changing rooms. Towels should be washed as often as possible.
- Change your socks daily. Fungi multiply in skin scales in unwashed socks. Cotton socks and leather shoes are in many ways better than nylon socks and shoes made of artificial materials that increase sweating.
- Try to change different shoes every 2-3 days, this will allow each pair to dry completely after wearing.
- Wear flip flops or sandals in public changing rooms and showers. This prevents your feet from coming into contact with the floor, which may contain flakes of other people's skin.
- When you're at home, walk barefoot as much as possible—no shoes or socks—to allow air to reach your feet. However, this may not be practical for some.
If your athlete's foot keeps coming back, you can prevent it from coming back by regularly using one of the antifungal sprays or creams as a preventative. As a preventive measure, you can use various preventive creams every day.