The skin between the toes is often prone to fungal infections. This problem is common among people who lead an active lifestyle and is quite severe and unpleasant. Considering the high relevance of foot mycoses, they should be given more attention.
Causes of itching and peeling in the interdigital folds
Toes itch and peel due to various pathological processes - allergic reactions, itching, eczema, but for many people, such symptoms are caused by a fungal infection. With mycosis of the feet, which is a separate nosology in dermatology, the epithelium is moistened and cracked. It is caused by pathogenic fungi that affect smooth skin and nail plates. Infection is caused by several pathogens:
- Trichophyton (T. rubrum, T. interdigitale, T. violaceum).
- Epidermophyton (E. floccosum).
- Mold fungi.
Mycosis is transmitted from one person to another in places with high humidity (bathroom, sauna, swimming pool, beach), infected shoes, rugs, benches, etc. is an infectious disease that passes throughepidermis, transferred with it.
Predisposing factors
A number of local and general factors contribute to skin lesions, increasing the likelihood of developing a fungal infection between the fingers. The first includes:
- Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis).
- Incorrectly chosen shoes (uncomfortable, made of synthetic materials).
- Anatomical features of the foot (straight legs, tight folds).
- The presence of abrasions and diaper rash.
- Injuries (mechanical, chemical).
The role of systemic disorders is explained by a decrease in the resistance of the skin barrier and a weakening of the immune defense. Neurotrophic, vascular and endocrine metabolic diseases (polyneuropathy, angiopathy, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, hypovitaminosis) have a negative effect. In addition, the role of meteorological conditions (high temperature and humidity) and virulence of the pathogen is noted.
Mycosis of the foot with skin lesions between the toes is caused by a fungus and develops against the background of local or systemic disorders.
What does mycosis look like?
Mycosis begins in the skin of the interdigital folds, but then spreads to other parts of the foot - sole, back and side surfaces. In clinical practice, there are several forms of fungal infection:
- Squamous.
- intertriginous.
- Dyshidrotic.
The squamous form begins with mild redness and mild peeling. They may be limited to certain areas or widespread. This form is often neglected by the patient himself and is therefore the most dangerous from an epidemiological point of view. At first, the fungus affects one leg, but later it can spread to the healthy side.
As it progresses, the squamous form can turn into a dyshidrotic form, characterized by an acute course with body allergies and the formation of blisters on the arch of the foot. Combined, they form multi-chamber blisters, which, after opening, leave eroded foci surrounded by a rim of eroded epidermis. Spreading to the lateral surfaces of the leg, the process is combined with the intertriginous form. As epithelization occurs, the areas dry up and become squamous again.
Foci of fungal infection are often accompanied by itching. It comes from interdigital folds in the most common form - intertriginous, which occurs independently or on a squamous background. Usually the process begins between IV and V (less often III and IV) toes. There are cracks surrounded by the edge of the worn epidermis. The fungus can spread to other folds, toes, and the back of the foot. Then there is weeping with painful erosions.
The disease is characterized by a long course with periodic exacerbations in the hot season. Bacterial flora penetrates more easily through the loosened stratum corneum of the epidermis, so the intertriginous form can be complicated by streptococcal infection with the development of erysipelas and thrombophlebitis.
Damage to the interdigital spaces often occurs together with other forms of mycosis of the foot, which indicates the unity of pathological processes.
Diagnostics
The disease has a very characteristic clinical picture, so the initial diagnosis is made based on the results of a medical examination. Microscopy and culture of scraps from the affected skin are used to identify the pathogen. The presence of a systemic pathology contributing to the development of mycosis is confirmed by additional methods - biochemical blood test (glucose, hormonal spectrum, immunogram), ultrasound examination of the lower extremities, etc.
How to treat a wound?
To effectively get rid of the fungus, you must first eliminate the conditions that create favorable conditions for its development. If you feel itching and pain in your leg, it is recommended to pay attention to the following recommendations:
- Wear comfortable, breathable shoes.
- Wear cotton socks.
- Dry your feet after showering and bathing.
- Use personal slippers in public places.
When treating mycosis of the foot, attention is paid to giving up bad habits, a healthy diet (reducing animal fats, sweets, including fresh vegetables, fruits, lactic acid products in the diet), hardening.
In addition to the general recommendations that have a therapeutic and preventive focus, traditional medicine actively uses the means of drug correction, without which it is impossible to treat mycosis. Therapy can be external or systemic.
Effective creams and ointments
It is necessary to fight the infection with special drugs that act against fungi in the toes. For the squamous form, the doctor prescribes various creams and ointments containing various antimycotics. If there are dense foci of hyperkeratosis on the heels, treatment begins with exfoliating procedures using salicylic, lactic acids, resorcinol and collodion. At night, a medicine intended for external use is placed under the bandage. It contains salicylic acid, which has anti-inflammatory, keratolytic and antiseptic properties, and in the morning you take a soap and soda bath, after which the horny masses will be removed better.
If your skin gets wet and cracked
External treatment of dyshidrotic form with weeping and cracks begins with lotions with boric acid and potassium permanganate. Interdigital spaces are treated with solutions of aniline dyes, a product for external use intended for the treatment of various skin diseases. The solution contains components that promote rapid healing of wounds, eliminate inflammatory manifestations and fight pathogenic microorganisms. After the acute inflammatory process is eliminated, antifungal ointments and pastes are applied to the affected areas. Drugs with antibacterial components are prescribed for secondary pyoderma.
In the case of mycotic lesions of the skin of the feet, external therapy with antifungal agents, antiseptics and antibiotics is of crucial importance.
Pills
If local agents are ineffective, it is necessary to switch to drugs for internal use. Prescribed antifungal drugs include an antifungal drug, an antifungal drug with a broad spectrum of action against fungi that cause skin, hair, and nail diseases, a drug for the treatment of fungal infections, and an antifungal drug. When the body is allergic, antihistamines (antihistamine drugs intended for the treatment of allergic reactions) and desensitizing agents (calcium gluconate, sodium thiosulfate, magnesium sulfate) are used. Streptococcal infections can be treated with antibiotics that do not have an activating effect on the microbial flora.
What can be done from folk medicine?
Some traditional medicine methods can be added to standard therapy. To treat foot fungus, baths using simple and affordable remedies are often used:
- Apple cider vinegar (1 cup per 3 liters of hot water) and soda (5 tablespoons).
- Potassium permanganate (1 g per 2 l).
- Decoction of calendula flowers (250 g for 2 l).
It is recommended to soak your feet in the prepared solution for 20 minutes. Additionally, you can apply a drop of tea tree essential oil to the skin between the toes and then wear cotton socks.
Fungus between the toes is a problem that bothers many people. In order to get rid of it as soon as possible, you should not look for possible solutions yourself, it is better to consult a doctor, undergo diagnostics and receive treatment with a guaranteed result.