Almost every person knows firsthand how painful it is when the toenails or the fingers themselves hurt. The reasons can be very different: uncomfortable shoes, accidental injury or ingrown nail. Also quite often pain sensations  appear due to foot fungus (onychomycosis), usually in the most advanced stage.

The main problem in the treatment of nail fungus is to detect it in time. Someone relies on his keen eye, noticing all the changes in the nails, someone in a hurry to a dermatologist - to be tested. There are those who immediately occupy medical forums and websites, asking advice from experienced people and looking for signs of a fungal infection.

Many sources necessarily indicate pain of a different nature with a fungus on the legs, but not all clarify that these symptoms usually appear in the latter stages. That is, when the disease has completely captured the nail on the leg (and often not one), and gradually goes to the feet themselves.

At the initial stage of onychomycosis, pain is rarely felt. Most often, this is just a little discomfort, itching or burning under the nails, on the peri-nail roll or between the toes. Recognize the fungal infection of the feet on early stage  possible on the following grounds:

• nail sharply changes color, whitish spots or streaks appear on it;
• nail plate is deformed, bumps appear;
• a yellow speck appears on the nails (on the edge), which gradually grows;
• okolonogtevogo roller swells, red or flaky, itchy;
• the nail itself exfoliates or departs from nail bed;
• cracks or bubbles appear between the fingers.

Pain when running fungus

With neglected fungus  nails recognize the infection to the naked eye is not work. Marigolds on the legs completely lose their original appearance, become uneven, thick, crumble and exfoliate. Many people during this period complain of pain under the nails or in the fingers.

Pain during onychomycosis may occur for the following reasons.

1. Nail plates are thickened and deformed, because of this it is very difficult to pick up shoes.

In this case, even your favorite worn-out shoes or sneakers unmercifully put pressure on the mutilated plate. As a result, the nail aches and hurts both during walks and after removing shoes.

1. Infection seizes nerve endings.

With the spread of nail fungus  captures all new territories, including nerve cells. As a result, there are unpleasant feelings: or it's a dull painor strong, throbbing. Moreover, such discomfort is felt when walking and at rest.

1. The skin between your fingers cracks and inflames.

One of characteristic signs  foot fungus is sores and vesicles between the toes. They get wet, inflamed and hurt a lot. And since the area between the fingers sweats heavily and is poorly ventilated, such sores on the legs heal very slowly.

What if a toe hurts?

If your nail often aches or hurts your toe, you first need to establish the cause. First of all, check to see if one of the common causes is causing the pain. It may be tight shoes, injury (dropped something on the foot or jammed the door), ingrown nail.

If none of the above has happened to you, carefully examine the nails on each leg. If they became thicker, began to peel and change color, from under the nails appeared unpleasant smell, the reason is surely in the fungus. It’s not worth doing anything on your own: you need to urgently go to a dermatologist, get tested and start treatment on their results.

The following methods are used to treat fungal infections of the feet:

1. Local therapy. These are various creams, ointments and sprays designed to destroy the pathogen directly on and under the nails.
2. Preparations for oral use. These are pills that are used in the treatment of advanced onychomycosis along with local remedies.
3. Folk recipes. Used as part of a comprehensive antifungal therapy.

If onychomycosis on the leg is accompanied by severe pain, it usually means that the infection is neglected and you need to completely remove the nail. Previously, in this case, the doctors recommended surgical removal of toenails - the procedure is very difficult and painful.

Nail pain big fingers  feet - a very common complaint in humans. Ignoring this condition is not recommended, as well as self-medicating until the exact diagnosis is ascertained. What causes can cause painful sensationswhich specialist you need to contact?

The following causes of pain are distinguished: trauma and prolonged wearing of uncomfortable tight shoes, unsuccessful pedicure, a number of diseases (gout or arthritis), as well as onychocryptosis or ingrown nail. To grow a nail in the tissue can at any age. Recognizing oniocryptosis is possible by amplification. discomfort  when walking and bleeding from soft tissue. But one of the most common causes is a fungal infection of the nail plate - onychomycosis. In dermatology, the problem of this disease is very acute, since it is diagnosed in 10-20% of people.

The main function of nails is to protect nerve endings and fingers from various mechanical damage. But the plate itself also needs protection, especially from dermatophyte fungi. Thumbnails are considered the most vulnerable because of their impressive area compared to others. In onychomycosis, the fungus penetrates into the thickness of the plate, starting the process of tissue decomposition and the formation of a nutrient medium for pathogenic microorganisms.

Possible causes and forms of onychomycosis

The causative agents of this disease are dermatophytes and microspores. Internal reasons for the activation of pathogenic flora include:

• Reduced immunity due to inflammatory processes.
• The deterioration of the blood supply to the limbs with endocrine disorders or blood diseases.
• Damage to the nail plate: systematic injuries in sports, narrow shoes, which deform the foot and nails, damage to the integrity of the cuticle during a cosmetic procedure.
• Acceptance of potent drugs - corticosteroids, antibiotics and immunosuppressants.
• Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), for example, in diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Age-related changes in the lower extremities.

Infection most often occurs in public places - swimming pools, saunas or baths. Wet and warm environments are ideal conditions for the reproduction of fungal microorganisms.

The disease, depending on the location is divided into distal shape  (damage to the free edge of the nail), surface, lateral or lateral form, total and proximal, in which the base of the plate is affected.

Manifestation of onychomycosis

What are the first signs of an infection? What you need to pay attention to?

• The loss of transparency of the plate, characteristic of healthy nail. It is the color change that is the first alarm that should cause concern. The appearance of stains and furrows is also possible.
• Keratinization of the skin or the bed itself. At the same time, the nail itself does not change its thickness. Often there is a gap between the nail and the base.
• Thickening and destruction of the nail, these symptoms may appear at all stages of infection.

Treatment

The process of treating a fungus can take more than one month, so it must pass under the supervision of a specialist. after a visual examination, the patient will be sent to the following additional studies: a clinical analysis of blood and urine, blood biochemistry, an ultrasound examination of organs abdominal cavity. For women, it is recommended to make sure that there is no pregnancy, as drugs for the treatment of fungus can have a very negative effect on the fetus.

Treatment and selection medicines  is determined on an individual basis, taking into account such factors as the type of fungus, the scale of damage to the nail plate, the duration of infection and the general well-being of the person.

Antifungal varnishes

Special antifungal varnishes are one of the most convenient ways to treat onychomycosis. However, they can be used only if the area of ​​the lesion of the nail plate is not significant, and the disease itself was diagnosed for 8-12 months. In the case of hypertrophic changes in the nail (the most severe form of onychomycosis), the use of lacquers is impractical. Apply varnish several times a week for 4 or 6 months. The most effective are varnishes, which include the following active ingredients: ciclopirox (Ciclopirox) or amorolfine (Amorolfine). Before applying the medicinal varnish, the nail plate should be filed, then degreased and sanitized. Lacquer residues are removed with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol; this should be done before each new layer.

Medicines for oral administration

For the treatment of onychomycosis prescribe systemic antimycotics or antifungal drugs. Dermatologists prescribe these drugs only for deep mycosis, as they have a large number side effects. The regrowth of a new nail is possible no earlier than 2-4 months after the course of pills has been completed. When taking antimycotics, it is recommended to abstain from alcohol and adjust nutrition.

The most effective are the following drugs:

• Terbinafine, Lamisil or Termikon. The course of treatment should be from 80 to 120 days. This group  medicines can be prescribed to children over 2 years old.
• Ketoconazole, Fluconazole or Intraconazole - reserve drugs, the purpose of which is made in the absence of a result from taking other pills.

Cleaning

Cleaning the affected nail is to soften the plate with a special ointment or keratolytic plaster. After which it can be cut with a wet file. The composition of this healing ointment  about 40% of urea is included. After the removal of cornified skin, the bed should be disinfected with iodine or Nitrofungin antibacterial agent. This procedure is indicated for the hypertrophic form of onychomycosis. It is very important to carry out cleaning in medical gloves, this will avoid cross-infection of the nails of the hands. As a rule, dermatologists recommend combining external manipulations with taking antifungal drugs.

Operational method

Surgical intervention is the most radical and rare method of treatment. Its significant disadvantage is the long growth of a healthy nail and injury to the nail bed. It is impossible to completely exclude the recurrence of onychomycosis, despite the fact that therapeutic effect  comes fast enough. Since there is no reason to restore the plate, use a special glue Gevol. This allows you to significantly increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Prevention of appearance

Personal hygiene is one of the basic rules, the implementation of which will reduce the risk of onychomycosis. After washing your feet, it is important that you carefully dry the folds between your fingers with a towel. With excessive sweating  talc, cream or other means of absorption should be used. Wearing high-quality and comfortable shoes of the right size is necessary not only for personal comfort, but also to prevent fungal diseases.

When visiting places of large crowds of people, it is imperative that you have your own shoes. In the pools or baths it is not recommended to go barefoot, and while trying on shoes in stores, one should not forget about the need for capron socks. Do not forget about replacement shoes at work or school, especially if you have to spend more than one hour there.

It is always easier to prevent a disease than to treat it. But if a fungus infection has already occurred, it is recommended to immediately contact a dermatologist to prescribe therapy and prevent irreversible changes to the nail.