Leg fungus or mycosis is reported to affect one in five people on our planet. This disease, although not fatal, has very unpleasant symptoms: severe itching, peeling of the skin between the fingers, redness and an unpleasant odor. flowing from the legs. It is important to start treatment in time to get rid of the disease in the early stages of development. If this is not done, the disease will enter a chronic stage and it will be very difficult for the honeycombs to eliminate the symptoms of the skin fungus.
Symptoms of the disease
The pathogens of mycosis can be:
- moldy fungi;
- dermatophytes;
- yeast.
Depending on the fungus that caused the disease, the symptoms of the disease differ:
- Moldy mold develops mainly in summer, in hot and humid weather, when the skin becomes thinner.
- The disease caused by yeasts spreads not only to the areas between the fingers but also to the nail plates.
- The disease caused by dermatophytes begins to manifest in the areas near the little finger or thumb and then spreads throughout the foot.
The symptoms of mycosis vary depending on the stage of the disease:
- In the early stages of the disease, not all patients suspect that they have a fungal infection. During this period, the disease manifests itself as small cracks, itching between the fingers, increased embezzlement and dryness in the affected areas.
- In the active phase, if left untreated, areas of redness form between the fingers, and exfoliation becomes more pronounced with the appearance of fluid-filled blisters. There is an inflammatory process, tissue edema and roughening of the epidermis.
- The advanced stage is characterized by the appearance of pus, inflammation, redness and swelling. The legs itch unbearably. The skin is covered with deep cracks and constantly moisturizes. Ulcers and wounds look like a continuous wound. The nails begin to peel off the bed.
Identifying mycosis at home is fairly straightforward. To do this, lower your feet in a solution of potassium permanganate for a few seconds. Potassium permanganate stains healthy skin pink, while the fungal areas between the toes remain the same color. This reaction is accompanied by structural changes in the skin.
Drug treatment
If you still have a small suspicion of a fungal infection, you should contact a dermatologist immediately. Only a trained professional will be able to distinguish mycosis from other similar dermatological diseases and prescribe a therapy that will be effective against a particular pathogen.
In the early stages of the disease, effective treatment can be done at home using special medications prescribed by your doctor. Most commonly, pharmaceuticals are used in the form of ointments and creams.
Before use, the legs should be steamed in a hot soda bath, diluted with 2 tablespoons in 1 liter of water. l. baking soda. Steamed legs should be wiped dry and rubbed thoroughly.
In the active and neglected phase, the use of external agents alone is not sufficient for a high standard of treatment of a fungal infection. In this case, administration of the drugs inside is also required. This should be done in strict compliance with the enclosed instructions.
If the disease is too advanced and the infectious process has affected not only the skin but also the internal organs, treatment will only be given in a hospital using strong medications.
Dioxotetrahydroxytetrahydronaphthalene ointment
It effectively copes with the disease caused by interdigital mycosis, onychomycosis, dermatophytosis. The main active ingredient in this ointment is oxolinic acid, which penetrates the skin and kills the cells of the disease pathogen.
The product is applied to the affected areas after bathing in baking soda with pre-steaming. Apply 2-3 times a day for 30 days. A single course of treatment is sufficient to eliminate the initial stage of infection. It is impossible to cure a neglected disease with this ointment.
Salicylic ointment
Salicylic acid acts as an active ingredient, allowing it to cope quickly with the pathogen of the disease. The ointment should be applied twice a day after pre-steaming the limbs.
The duration of the course depends on the stage of the disease and ranges from 3 weeks to one and a half months. The ointment can cope even with advanced mycosis, but it is a rather toxic drug. It should not be used to prevent fungal infections in children and pregnant women.
Pain, burning or itching may occur in this area immediately after application of the product. This is how his action manifests itself. The discomfort disappears after 20-30 minutes.
Sulfur ointment
This is another cheap but effective remedy for foot fungus. The active ingredient is sulfur, which is also effective against many diseases, including the interdigital fungus.
The duration of treatment with sulfur ointment depends on the stage of the disease and ranges from 4 weeks to several months. The tool should only be rubbed into the damaged areas twice a day. The drug has no toxic effects, so it can even be used to treat children and pregnant women.
Iodine rubbing
This drug has long been known as an excellent disinfectant. It can be used in the early stages of the disease to eliminate the infection.
In this case, the alcoholic solution is applied undiluted strictly to the localization areas of the lesion using a cotton swab. The procedure is performed twice a day until improvement occurs. For greater effectiveness, foot baths are recommended by dissolving a small amount of iodine in warm water.
Boric acid
This is another good disinfectant that can be used to fight infections. Before going to bed, they usually take a warm bath with boric acid. To do this, dissolve 2 tablespoons in 1 liter of hot water. l. powder and lower your feet there for 15 minutes. The legs are then carefully wiped off.
You can also sprinkle the affected areas with powdered boric acid and put on socks. Wash off product residue in the morning and then wipe your feet dry.
Boric acid should not be used to treat pregnant or breastfeeding women or children.
Glycerol
This medicine should be used with table vinegar. For treatment you will need:
- 20 ml glycerin;
- 20 ml of table vinegar.
Use:
- Combine the parts in a glass container.
- Stir thoroughly.
- Apply to a cotton ball.
- Apply to damaged skin between fingers.
- The procedure should be performed daily until the onset of improvement.
Hydrogen peroxide
One of the most popular methods to eliminate foot fungus. Most often, the procedures are performed in the form of baths. They are made in the evening, just before bedtime. For the bath, you need to combine 3% hydrogen peroxide with the same amount of water and drain it into the foot fluid. The duration of the procedure is 30 minutes. The legs should then be wiped thoroughly.
Hydrogen peroxide is suitable as an anti-mycosis drug in various stages of the disease. You can use such baths as a preventative measure.
Complex tools
If the disease has become active or neglected from the initial stage, ointments alone are not sufficient to achieve an effective result. In such circumstances, the physician will usually prescribe a complex treatment which involves the concomitant use of internal and external drugs with drugs of the same name in the form of ointments or creams.
The most effective drugs for the treatment of interdigital mycosis:
| Name | Description |
| Ketoconazole | It is available as tablets. It effectively eliminates foot fungus, interdigital mycosis and onychomycosis (nail fungus). A cream or shampoo suitable for external use may be used |
| Clotrimazole | The device effectively copes with most pathogens of mycosis. They are produced in different forms, which allows the disease to be eliminated at different stages, acting in a complex way |
| Terbinafine | One of the most effective drugs to eliminate the signs of the fungus. It is possible to completely cure the tablets after a 30-day course. You can also use a cream: this increases the effectiveness of the treatment. The drug eliminates various types of infectious agents |
Application of folk methods
Methods for treating fungal infections associated with alternative medicine are used in combination with drugs. As an independent therapy, alternative methods are effective only in the early stages of disease development, when the area of the affected areas of the skin is insignificant and the symptoms are not pronounced.
Different home remedies are used to treat mycosis between the toes.
Baths
Effective bath recipes:
| Name of spa | Recipe | Characteristics of use |
| Euphorbia |
|
Dip your feet in the bath and wait 40 minutes. Perform the procedures once every 3 days |
| Salt and soda | Stir in 1 liter of warm water with 1 tbsp. l. table salt or sea salt and the same amount of baking soda | Dip your feet in the solution and hold for 30 minutes. Perform procedures daily until symptoms disappear |
| Wormwood |
|
Keep your feet in the broth for 30 minutes. Perform procedures every other day |
| Celandinnal |
|
Immerse your feet in the infusion and hold for at least 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure every other day |
| Soda | Dissolve 2 tablespoons in 1 liter of warm water. l. baking soda |
|
| Acetic acid | Pour apple or wine vinegar into a wide bowl |
|
| Cafe |
|
|
Creams
Creams that effectively help cope with a fungal infection:
| Tools | Recipe | Characteristics of use |
| Onion juice | Squeeze juice from 1 onion after passing through a meat grinder |
|
| Potassium permanganate | Dissolve some crystals of potassium permanganate in warm water to make the solution pale pink. |
|
| Apple vinegar | Soak a 9% cotton swab in table vinegar |
|
| Borecet | Soak a cotton ball in wine vinegar |
|
| Vinegar tea |
|
Dampen a cotton ball and apply overnight to the affected area |
Ointments
Effective homemade ointments for interdigital mycosis:
| Name | Recipe | Characteristics of use |
| Garlic ointment |
|
|
| Onion ointment |
|
|
Birch tar
In the early stages of mycosis, the use of birch tar gives good results:
- It is good to steam your feet in hot water.
- Apply abundant birch tar to mycosis areas.
- Roll it up with a towel or other natural cloth.
- Leave on for 2 hours.
- Do not rinse for 2 days.
The procedure must be repeated five times. At the first signs of the disease, this method of treatment allows you to get rid of the infection without having to turn to medication.
Characteristics of treatment of children and pregnant women
Mycosis in the interdigital region of the legs can occur at any age, including children. This usually occurs after low immunity or foot microtraumas.
If there are any first signs of an interdigital fungus, consult a doctor immediately for an accurate diagnosis. Under no circumstances should you prescribe treatment alone.
If all medications can be used to treat adults in the absence of contraindications, without restrictions, non-toxic topical agents should be used to treat children. Systemic drugs are not used in childhood due to toxicity. Therefore, it is especially important not to start the disease and take timely action.
Most often, the fungal infection is treated with terbinafine in the form of a cream or ointment. In this case, the treatment will of course:
- 10 days of use of the ointment;
- 10 days leave.
The course should be repeated as many times as necessary to completely eliminate signs of damage.
In a more advanced stage of mycosis, experts recommend combining treatment with external antifungal agents using antibacterial drugs. Special handling procedures should be prescribed by a professional.
Pregnant women should also be treated with fungus between the fingers. During this period of a woman’s life, many medications intended for internal use are prohibited; these include strong antifungal agents. Clotrimazole or Naftifin ointments should be used as recommended by your doctor. They should be combined with treatment with folk remedies. The most preferred folk remedies are various baths.