Nail fungus cannot be confused with anything in its advanced stage, when it is almost impossible to cure it. But if you know the early symptoms of nail fungus, then it won't be too late to start fighting the infection and nail loss may be prevented. But in different cases, the fungus looks different, so first you need to understand a little about the nature and course of the disease.
General signs of the disease.
Regardless of the type of fungus, the variety, the course of the disease and even the stage, these symptoms will remain unchanged and will definitely indicate a developing or already ongoing onychomycosis.
- A change in the color of the nail plate is a key sign from which the disease begins to develop. Shades can range from whitish to black, but the most common color of a fungal nail is brownish yellow.
- An unpleasant odor always accompanies onychomycosis, although it may not be very noticeable in the initial stages. True, the feet will hardly be sniffed, and a specific odor will be noticeable already at the stage of development of the disease.
- Layering, crumbling, and peeling of the nail plate do not begin immediately, but it is these signs of nail fungus that cause most people to sound the alarm. If these symptoms are expressed moderately and appear locally, there is still a chance that the nail will return a healthy appearance.
- Painful sensations rarely appear at the initial stage and the stage of development, but as the disease progresses, discomfort and pain cannot be avoided: in any case, it will appear due to deformation, due to a destroyed nail plate , or due to the appearance of inflammation with pus.
- Burning and itching of the skin should also not be ignored. Also, at the initial stage, it is these symptoms that can help to recognize the disease, because in some cases it passes to the nail plate from the skin on the lateral or posterior ridges or cuticles.
By the way
Onychomycosis is much more common on the toenails, while the fungus reaches the hands much less frequently, more often after contact with the affected toenails.
Symptoms of foot fungus
It seems that you already know how to identify nail fungus, but this information is quite general, although it will help accurately diagnose onychomycosis. The fact is that there are more than 50 species of fungi that can cause it, and about 10 of the course of the disease, it is better to know in advance what awaits you in each of the possible scenarios.
More than 90% of all cases of onychomycosis infection of the legs are due to dermatomycetes, a little less than 10% to yeast-like fungi, and only a small proportion to mold fungi.
Different types of nail fungus provide different symptoms.
- With a normotrophic fungus, the nail plate itself is not deformed, and the most noticeable manifestation of the disease is a change in the color of the plate on the sides to yellowish-brown. At the same time, its thickness does not change, it does not crumble, and the natural shine does not disappear. If you do not take care of the treatment of the normotrophic fungus, it will affect a larger and larger area, the plaque will begin to peel off, and it can completely peel off.
- The hypertrophic fungus causes a thickening of the nail plate, which leads to the formation of claw-like growths. In the advanced stage, such a fungus causes discomfort and often pain when walking, and, of course, nail damage is accompanied by a change in color to grayish or yellow. Such nails lose their natural shine and begin to crumble and exfoliate.
- If you are faced with atrophic fungus, the risk of losing plaque without proper treatment is extremely high. Such a fungus gradually destroys the nail plate, loosening it and exfoliating, as a result of which its atrophy occurs. In the initial stages, it is difficult to distinguish an atrophic course, since it is accompanied only by a loss of brightness and a change in the color of the plaque to yellow, brown or gray.
Less typical are lateral-distal mold with blackening of the nail plate, pain, suppuration and atrophy of the nail plate in the advanced stage; a proximal fungus with white spots in the area of the growth zone and damage to the nail surface from the side of the cuticle, as well as a superficial white fungus, which manifests itself in the form of small white spots on the nail, growing gradually and occupying a larger and larger area.
By the way
The older the person, the more susceptible to fungal nail diseases. In addition, the appearance of the fungus can be influenced by climate, hygiene and gender.
Symptoms of a fungus on the hands
In the hands, the 3 main variants of the course of the disease do not differ from those found in the legs, only the distribution of the causes of appearance is somewhat different: about 30%-45% are due to dermatomycetes and yeasts . fungi, respectively, a little less than 15% are molds, and also a small number of infections are caused by other fungal organisms.
The main symptoms are also the same for plaques on the arms and legs, and the affected areas look similar. The only difficult point may be the question of how to recognize nail fungus in less frequent cases, such as infection with rubromycosis or trichophytons, but this is more a task for qualified doctors.
fungus progression
If at the initial stage the disease does not seem frightening and thoughts of serious treatment are rarely visited, being increasingly replaced by folk methods, then at an advanced stage it will not be possible to do without long-term medical treatment. And even you will not be able to guarantee that the nail will stay with you.
- It would be ideal to start treating the disease at an early stage, but it is almost impossible to determine it outside the laboratory - all symptoms have a barely noticeable manifestation. Although you can still see a couple of signs. If you notice something wrong on the skin, for example, cracks, blisters or burning may appear - this is a clear harbinger of nail onychomycosis. If you see that the color of the nail plate has begun to change along the edges or from one edge, this is also a cause for concern.
- Usually, the fungus becomes obvious at the stage of development, and in order to detect it as early as possible, you need to regularly carry out at least a simple pedicure and monitor the condition of the nails and skin of the feet. During this period, the nail surface does not look healthy, loses its shine, a significant change in color begins, and closer to the beginning of the advanced stage, the nail begins to deform, peel off and crumble.
- At an advanced stage, the nail will definitely actively collapse: it will delaminate, break, loosen up to the complete destruction of the nail surface, and even damage the nail bed. In order for the disease to reach its advanced form, it must be ignored for quite a long time, enduring itching, discomfort, an unpleasant appearance and an unpleasant smell, which people still do not usually do. Therefore, this stage is typical of the rapid development of the fungus in old age or in the presence of certain diseases.
It is important to remember that untreated nail fungus can turn into foot fungus, and this disease is even more unpleasant and difficult to treat.
It is not so difficult to determine the presence of a nail fungus at least at the stage of development, but it is better to trust qualified professionals to determine the cause and type of course. Do not neglect the help of doctors and contact them at the first suspicion of an illness.