What is tinea pedis?

Regardless of the etiology, the disease has similar symptoms, mechanisms, and treatment strategies. Foot fungus is a common infectious disease. It is characterized by a high frequency of occurrence in the context of concomitant conditions and diseases, such as chronic inflammatory lesions, endocrine disorders, decreased immune system and other diseases. Generally, the disease is chronic in nature, worsening in the summer and diminishing (remitting) in the winter.

signs of fungal disease

• Color changes
• inflammation
• appearance of spots
• erosion
• deformation and thickening

Types of foot fungus

Depending on the type of fungus causing the disease, foot mycoses are divided into:Yeast-like mycoses: caused by fungi of the genus Candida.Mycoses: caused by fungi Scytalidium spp. , Onychocola canadensis, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Alternaria, Penicillium.Dermatomycosis: caused by dermatophytes of the genus Trichophyton and Epidermophyton. This species of fungus requires keratin to function, which is abundant in the cuticles of skin, nails, and hair. The major dermatomycoses that damage the nails include erythroerythrophytosis (the causative agent isTrichophyton rubrum) and athlete's foot (pathogen - Trichophyton interdigitale). Trichophyton rubrum accounts for approximately 80-90% of cases of athlete's foot.Mixed mycosis: caused by multiple fungi at the same time.Each type of fungal disease is described in detail below.

yeast-like fungal disease

Recently, foot mycoses caused by fungi of the genus Candida have become common. Presumably, this is due to the widespread use of various drugs whose effects are related to interactions with the immune system.

Dermatomycosis

Athlete's foot is a chronic disease that occurs on the skin of the arches and interdigital folds, often damaging the nail plate.

Mycosis

Mycosis is mostly common in countries where barefooting is a tradition (eastern, subtropical and tropical countries). This type of fungal disease can also occur in temperate climates, but usually occurs in people with immune deficiencies and people who have regular contact with soil and plants.

Forms of foot fungus

Fungal diseases come in several forms:

Squamous

It is characterized by peeling of the skin on the arch of the foot and may spread to the surface of the toes. Areas of skin thickening and flaking may also occur.

Intermittent

Similar to diaper rash between fingers. The inflammatory process is usually located between the third and fourth fingers. The cuticles soften, become loose and flake off. Cracks and white coating appear. Itching and burning sensations begin. There may be an increase in pyococcus (pustular infection) and yeast colonies, and the affected area will then be covered with purulent bloody scabs.

Sweating disorder

It is characterized by the appearance of bubbles filled with transparent liquid on the sides of the feet and the surfaces of the fingers in contact with them, and are covered with a thick cuticle. Sago grains (vesicles) can be single or merge into multi-chambered vesicles. When pyogenes are added, the contents of the vesicles become cloudy, and then they open, forming erosions and covered with purulent and hemorrhagic scabs. Some patients notice inflammation of their lymph nodes and worsening of their overall health.Mycosis fungoides (allergic rash) are observed in 2/3 of patients with intertriginous and dyshidrotic epidermophytosis.Of course, recognition of the clinical forms of epidermophytosis is conditional because they often occur in combination; one form can transform into another. It all depends on the patient's body response, physical activity and treatment.In addition, due to foot mycosis, the nails are often affected, mainly the first and fifth toes. Yellow spots or streaks appear on the nail plate, the surface becomes dull and uneven, and the cuticle begins to thicken under the nail, leading to the destruction of the nail plate.By watching corresponding videos on the Internet, you can find out that foot fungus can be caused by a variety of factors, and to choose a treatment strategy for this disease, it is necessary to identify the type of fungus and determine the cause of its appearance.

Causes of foot fungus

The main causes of foot fungus are:

• Excessive sweating or, conversely, more dry and flaky feet. These processes destroy the protective functions of skin cells.
• Anatomical features: narrowing between toes and deformation, flat feet.
• Problems with thermoregulation (maintaining a certain body temperature) and microcirculation (transporting biological fluids).
• Wounds, injuries that violate skin integrity. Through these injuries, infections often occur.
• There are diseases that reduce immunity or cause metabolic disorders (such as endocrine diseases, blood diseases, tumors, etc. ).
• Taking certain medications (antimicrobials, cytostatics, corticosteroids).

Frequently, fungal infections of the feet are combined with pustular rashes, so hypotheses are made about their relationship: dermatophytes penetrate deep into the subcutaneous tissue due to pyococcus and due to the formation of cracks, scratches and erosionsLong-term fungal disease increases susceptibility to infection.Often viral infections occur with foot fungus. For example, the causative agent of erythromycosis activates papillomaviruses and herpesviruses. This manifests itself as an increased concentration of virus on the surface of fungal-infected cells.The source of the spread of the disease is people suffering from fungal diseases: during the peeling process, skin flakes containing the pathogens of fungal infections are shed. These infected scales often appear on floors, swimming pools, bathroom fixtures, and pedicure equipment.An interesting fact is that mushrooms are very resistant and can be preserved in hot springs, chlorinated and ozonated water for 12-18 days. Water with high salt or hydrogen sulfide content is harmful to fungi.Therefore, we must remember that the general mechanisms that lead to the development of fungal infections of the feet are due to violations of the body's natural resistance, changes in immune and metabolic processes.

Diagnosis of foot fungus

Diagnosis of foot fungus includes:

• Assess the patient's chief complaints and presence of chronic conditions.
• Microscopic examination of affected skin and nail particles is performed.
• Culture seeding is the placement of pathogenic microorganisms in nutrient media for their propagation and subsequent accurate identification, as well as for the evaluation of the activity of antifungal drugs and the determination of the susceptibility of fungi to them.

In order to correctly choose a treatment, it is important to determine whether the changes in the skin of the feet are a fungal infection or a result of dyshidrotic eczema, keratosis, psoriasis and other skin diseases.Antifungals, Preparations, AntifungalsAntifungal agents: Classification and types of dosage forms. Use antifungals.

Foot Fungus Treatment

The treatment of foot fungus must be comprehensive, not only to inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms and eliminate symptoms, but also to eliminate the pathogens and eliminate the causes of their occurrence (enhancement of immunity, immediate treatment of small wounds on the feet, ETC. ). It is imperative to treat the concomitant diseases that cause fungal infections.Additionally, some people may have allergic reactions to certain mushrooms, such as mykids. In this case, antihistamine (anti-allergy) medication may be needed.To treat fungal diseases, topical preparations are usually used, that is, preparations that are applied directly to the affected area of the skin. Such products are produced in the form of ointments, creams, sprays, solutions and varnishes (for nails).Depending on the mechanism of action, antifungal agents can have a fungistatic effect, inhibiting the growth and reproduction of fungi, or they can have a fungicidal effect, promoting the death of fungi.Because foot mycoses are most often caused by mixed fungal flora, broad-spectrum preparations are most effective. These include drugs that have their own anti-inflammatory and antipruritic properties.

Use of Specialty Products in the Treatment of Foot Fungus

Modern antifungal drugs are very effective against pathogenic fungi of the genus Candida, dermatophytes (Trichophyton, Microsporum) and other skin infection pathogens, and gram-positive strains of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. They prevent the growth and reproduction of fungi (bacteriostatic effect), destroy fungi when used in therapeutic doses (fungicidal effect), and they have their own anti-inflammatory and antipruritic effects