Summer is coming – the period of open sandals and sandals. Alas, many have nails and skin affected by fungus, which does not look very beautiful. It is important to understand that this is not only an aesthetic, but primarily a medical problem.

In some cases, fungal skin lesions can be a harbinger of serious diseases, such as diabetes. Do not start the disease, because the treatment process takes on average a year or more. To quickly get rid of the harmful “neighbor”, take tests for fungus in CITILAB and start treatment now.

How can you get infected with skin and nail fungus?

More than 40 species of various parasitic fungi ( dermatophytes ) are known that can affect the skin and nails. The most common are representatives from the genera Trichophyton , Microsporum and Epidermophyton . For growth and reproduction, they use a special substrate – keratin, of which the top layer of the skin (epidermis), hair and nails are composed. Penetrating into the epidermis or into the nail plate, the fungus is fixed there, begins to grow and multiply.

You can get infected from a sick person, through objects (towels, wooden shelves in the bath, sauna, rugs, benches in public pools, manicure / pedicure tools) and through contact with the soil, if you like to walk barefoot in nature.

At-risk groups

The most common types of fungal diseases are mycosis of the skin of the feet and onychomycosis of the nail plates. From the moment of infection until the first clinical symptoms appear, it takes from several weeks to several months.

More often than others, men suffer from fungal diseases. Among women, those who constantly wear pointed shoes, especially those with high heels , are more likely to develop the disease . In this case, the toes are constantly flattened, which leads to friction, small wounds, abrasions, which are the entrance gate for infection.

You can “catch” the fungus in a regular beauty salon during the pedicure procedure, if the master used improperly processed instruments. To remove spores and fungal fragments from metal surfaces of nippers, scissors and tweezers, instruments must be sterilized in a dry heat cabinet. Not all salons have such equipment, therefore they are limited to “soaking” in a disinfectant solution and “drying” in ultraviolet boxes. Such processing does not fully protect against infection.

The frequent addition of a fungal infection can signal the development of diabetes. According to statistics, diabetics are three times more susceptible to mycosis. The fungus can also appear with allergic skin lesions (itching, inflammation, oozing ), combing insect bites; while taking antibacterial drugs, corticosteroid hormones, antidepressants.

Symptoms of mycosis of the feet

•                       Dry skin, cracks, peeling in the interdigital folds;
•                       Itching;
•                       Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin of the feet);
•                       Increase in lesions;
•                       In some cases, a staphylococcal infection joins the fungal infection, which is quite difficult to cure.

Symptoms of onychomycosis (nail fungus)

Among all nail diseases, onychomycosis is up to 40%. And the share of dermatophytes accounts for up to 90% of all fungal nail infections. The most common causative agents are fungi of the genus Trichophyton .

In this case, the appearance of a fungus may be preceded by injury to the nail or constant softening of the nail plate due to high humidity. This, for example, is possible when wearing the same pair of shoes / sneakers daily.

As the infection progresses, the color of the nail changes – part of the nail becomes yellow, grayish or whitish. Over time, the stain grows, and the nail itself thickens – subungual hyperkeratosis develops .

Diagnosis of fungal diseases

To diagnose mycoses and onychomycosis , CITILAB uses special tests for the detection of fungi. Biomaterial (fragments of hair, nail plates, skin particles) is analyzed under a microscope. If the infection has occurred and the filaments of the mycelium (the body of the fungus) are visible, the diagnosis is confirmed.

How to protect yourself from fungus

•                       After a bath or shower, wipe the skin of your feet dry, especially in the interdigital spaces;
•                       If you wear closed shoes, change socks / knee-highs daily;
•                       Change your shoes every two to three days, do not wear the same pair every day;
•                       Do not go barefoot in public places (swimming pool, steam room, sauna, fitness club);
•                       If someone in your family has a fungal disease, give them a separate set of towels and linens. Wash them separately at maximum temperature;
•                       If the skin of the feet or nails on one leg is affected by fungus, use two different sets of manicure / pedicure tools so as not to transfer the infection to healthy areas;
•                       If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control. “High sugar” reduces the rate of healing of skin wounds (“diabetic’s foot”), which facilitates the access of fungal infections.

Be healthy!