Feet are a favorable place for the development of pathogenic bacteria, as they spend a lot of time in shoes and sweaty. Therefore, mycotic sores are a frequent companion of many people. Most often, the delicate skin near the little finger, on the sole, is affected. No less common is nail fungus. However, the most common variety is considered to be interdigital mycosis, which occurs in both adults and children. The disease is transmitted through the household. Ordinary saunas, baths, swimming pools, as well as personal hygiene items can become sources of pathogens. Therapy of pathology is quite long, but the initial stage of pathology is successfully treated at home with the use of medicines and folk remedies.
causes of ringworm
There are several factors that contribute to the development of an unpleasant pathology.
- Excessive sweating of the feet.
- Regular use of uncomfortable shoes in which the skin melts.
- Violation of hygiene requirements.
- Avitaminosis.
- Weakened immunity.
- Metabolic disease.
- Various dermatological and internal diseases (diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, etc. ).
Interdigital mycosis usually affects young children, as their skin is more delicate than that of an adult.
Important: wounds, ulcers, cuts and microcracks on the legs are a favorable environment for the development of a fungal infection.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a fungal infection:
- The initial stage is characterized by redness of the skin between the fingers, which indicates the onset of inflammation.
- Unbearable itching, peeling, unpleasant odor appear.
- Also, the nails are involved in the pathological process, they turn yellow, exfoliate.
- The patient feels a burning sensation.
- The epidermis between the fingers becomes wet and looks like a continuous wound that does not heal.
- The crying surface dries up, cracks form in this place.
If you do not start treatment at this stage, the disease goes into a neglected form, which can cause complications in the form of a bacterial infection.
Medical treatment
It is almost impossible to quickly get rid of a fungal disease. Treatment will take from 1 to 3 months, the time depends on the severity of the pathology. It is necessary to deal with the problem internally and externally.
Pharmaceutical preparations:
- Inside, systemic antimycotic drugs are usually prescribed. The funds are available in the form of pills and capsules. They are effective even in advanced stages of the disease. It is worth knowing that such drugs have a toxic effect on the liver, therefore they are contraindicated in young children, pregnant and lactating women, and are prescribed with caution to the elderly and patients with liver failure.
- External agents are available in the form of ointments, solutions, sprays, creams. Inexpensive but effective means - ointments with sulfur and zinc. Special attention is paid to ointments from the allylamine group, as they can be used in the treatment of children from 2 years old, pregnant women. The advantage of these drugs is the absence of toxic effects on liver cells. The duration of the therapeutic course is usually 10 days, after which a 10-day break is taken and therapy is resumed.
It is strictly forbidden to independently select drugs. If the disease affected all family members, then you need to contact a specialist who will prescribe a suitable drug for each.
alternative therapy
Most doctors approve of the use of folk recipes as part of complex therapy from fungus between the fingers:
- Fungal bacteria do not tolerate saline solutions, so daily baths with the addition of sea or table salt will help not only to cope with the disease, but also to soften the epidermis of the feet. Procedures must be carried out at night. For 3 liters of water, add 50-60 g of salt.
- A good result is to wipe the affected areas with wine vinegar. This should only be done with a cotton swab. Do not rub the product with your fingers.
- Iodine has excellent antiseptic properties. You can use it to lubricate the affected areas twice a day. To prepare therapeutic baths, a few drops of iodine are dissolved in a small amount of water, the feet are lowered for 15 minutes. The duration of treatment is 14 days. In patients prone to allergic manifestations, a reaction may occur, therefore, an individual sensitivity test must be carried out before the procedures.
- A manganese solution is used to treat areas affected by the fungus. The color of the resulting liquid should be pale pink. A cotton swab is moistened in it and the lesions are lubricated. The procedure is carried out daily before bedtime.
- Soda solution effectively fights fungal infection. It is used for daily foot washing instead of ordinary soap. A popular way is to use therapeutic soda baths. For 2 liters of water, 2 tablespoons of soda are taken. Feet are dipped in a warm solution and held for 10-15 minutes. The minimum duration of treatment is 2 weeks.
- Onion juice has long been considered the best remedy in the fight against fungus. To use it, you need to squeeze the juice of a large onion, moisten a cotton swab and apply it to the affected area for a few minutes. To avoid irritation, the composition must be washed off the skin after a certain time for therapeutic effect.
- The combination of tea and vinegar perfectly copes with the disease. To prepare the solution, you need to brew a tablespoon of black tea in a glass of boiling water, cool, strain and add 10 ml of 9% vinegar. The tool is recommended to lubricate diseased areas of the epidermis daily before bedtime.
- The antiseptic properties of boric acid are successfully used in the fight against fungal diseases. The powdered product can be used as a powder at night, and the solution can be added to baths. For 2 liters of water you will need 20 ml of solution. Keep your feet in the water for a maximum of 15 minutes. Such a remedy has its own contraindications and is not used to treat children, pregnant women, patients with kidney failure.
- Glycerin in combination with vinegar has a good therapeutic effect. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions in a glass container. Apply a cotton swab dipped in the solution daily to the affected areas.
- Based on vinegar and glycerin, you can prepare a homemade ointment. To do this, you need to take a tablespoon of olive oil, dimethyl phthalate, vinegar and glycerin. All components must be mixed well and rubbed into the affected areas of the epidermis overnight. Wash in the morning with soap.
- The ointment recipe based on pork fat is popular. To obtain it, you need to mix 50 g of fat, 15 g of birch tar, 10 g of sulfur powder, melt the mixture in a water bath and rub it daily into the foci of inflammation.
- The healing properties of propolis will help to get rid of the problem forever. The recipe consists of 100 ml of medical alcohol combined with 50 g of propolis. The composition is carefully changed and applied to the affected areas in a thick layer. For the best result, you need to wrap your feet with a film and put on socks made of natural fabric. At the beginning of therapy, a deterioration in the condition of the skin occurs, but after completing the full course, the therapeutic effect will be noticeable. The tool should not be used by those who suffer from allergies to bee products.
- Honey-based healing ointment. To prepare it, you need to take 30 g of honey, 10 g of apple cider vinegar, 20 ml of eucalyptus essential oil. Mix the ingredients well and leave to infuse for 3 days. Use the ointment to treat the affected epidermis daily for 2 weeks.
- Sea salt compresses and crushed mint leaves in a 1: 2 ratio are good for the disease. The compress is applied at night.
- One of the simple recipes involves daily rubbing the feet with garlic juice until complete recovery.
- The gruel of fresh burdock leaves should be applied to sore spots at night, fixed with a bandage or put on stockings.
- Applications of celandine and meadowsweet infusion in a 2: 1 ratio are effective. The duration of treatment with this remedy is 14 days. The recipe should be used with caution, as celandine is a poisonous plant and can provoke allergic reactions.
- Traditional healers recommend fighting the fungus using potato baths. To do this, the skin of the vegetable is boiled in a large amount of water, the raw material is removed, and the resulting broth is used to steam the legs. The duration of the procedure is at least 30 minutes. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the pathology and is usually 2 weeks.
Many popular recipes allow everyone to choose the right one for themselves. The use of home remedies is allowed only after consulting with your doctor. It is imperative to carry out an individual sensitivity test to the chosen folk remedy.