Treatment of fungal diseases

Dermatologists and mycologists try not to use formal approaches in the treatment of fungi, which consist of a standard recipe of ointments and tablets and lead to the development of chronic fungal infections and serious complications that reduce the quality of life:

1. Fungal eczema.
2. Persistent hair loss.
3. Destruction of nail plates and scratching of the nail bed.
4. Chronic inflammation of the penis and vagina, which constantly bothers men and women and makes sex impossible.

How to completely get rid of a fungal disease that helps to achieve the following goals:

1. Destruction of pathogenic fungi in the center of skin lesions.
2. Protect healthy skin (nails, mucous membranes) from the spread of mycosis.
3. Prevention of relapse.
4. Restoration of the normal structure of the skin, hair and mucous membranes while maintaining their elasticity and beauty.
5. Removal of waste products of fungi that cause chronic intoxication and allergies.
6. Restoration of sensitivity of the skin and mucous membranes of the genitals to normalize sexual life.

It seems that all this is logical, and it should be so. However, in practice, very rarely, dermatologists follow all the rules for the treatment of fungal diseases, often limiting themselves to external therapy. Yes, and many patients want to "lubricate something" instead of undergoing full treatment.

What diseases are treated in the clinic:

• Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nails of the hands and feet.
• Fungal lesions of the skin of the feet and hands.
• Smooth skin fungus.
• Fungal diseases of the inguinal, axillary, subclavian folds, intergluteal folds.
• Pityriasis versicolor.
• Scalp fungus, dandruff.
• Fungus that causes seborrheic dermatitis.
• Candidiasis, blackening of the genitals and vagina.
• Fungal prostatitis.
• Candidiasis of the oral mucosa and tongue.
• Fungal diseases of the outer ear.

The treatment of the fungus, of course, depends on its type and the localization of the process. Let's separate the general stages of therapy:

• Mandatory analysis of crumbs for a fungus, if possible, by determining the type, sensitivity to drugs, quantity.
• Blood tests, biochemical and immune status.
• Laser, apparatus or surgical removal of the affected area of the nail plate, hair.
• Drug treatment: Antifungal drug in intravenous or tablet form. Lasts from 10 days to 4 months (with onychomycosis). Injection of antifungals has proven to be the best and allows to reduce the duration of treatment of fungal diseases and reduce the impact on the liver. External treatment with antifungal ointments, creams and solutions in a certain sequence. Drugs that improve the growth of nail plates, hair, restore the integumentary epithelium of the skin and mucous membranes. Local treatment in the form of baths in the penis and vagina, the restoration of the normal microflora of the genitals with fungal diseases of the genitals. Immunotherapy and removal of fungal toxins and allergens.
• Physiotherapy: medical quartz ultraviolet radiation, infrared or ultrasonic laser treatment of the affected areas.
• And finally - control tests for fungi.

Treatment of fungal diseases can be time consuming and complicated. That's right, but only for the doctor! Treatment regimens are designed so that the patient does not feel too anxious during therapy, and everything goes very easily for him.

Treatment of skin fungus usually does not take time and lasts about 10-20 days. Hair and nail treatments take longer and last several months.

However, this does not even go beyond the duration of therapy. Treatment of fungal diseases should be carried out by a professional dermatovenerologist, mycologist who is familiar with all the methods listed above and actively applies them in practice. Specialists in this field are admitted to clinics on a daily basis.

Treatment of foot fungus

Treatment of athlete's foot has been carried out for more than 13 years, along with the treatment of other fungal diseases.

The method of treatment of foot fungus, developed and used in the clinic, has long proved its effectiveness, despite the known difficulties in the treatment of fungal diseases.

What do patients who complete a full course with a diagnosis of foot mycosis get:

• Complete destruction of pathogenic fungus on the sole of the foot, in the interdigital spaces, on the back of the foot, in the thickness of the nail plates.
• Eliminate itching and unpleasant odor from the feet.
• Healing of cracks and inflammatory changes in the skin of the foot.
• Restoration of skin elasticity, elimination of hyperkeratosis - thickening of the skin under the feet, especially the heel area.
• Eliminate excessive sweating - hyperhidrosis of the legs.
• Growth of healthy nails.

That is, at the initial reception, the dermatovenerologist, mycologist and the patient himself see a thickened, cracked, epithelial layer between the toes, clogged redness of the skin of the foot, constantly wet shoes and socks and twisted picture. , darkened nails, then after a full course of fungal treatment on the feet there is a pleasant feeling of comfort in this part of the body, the skin is smoothed, the odor disappears, the nails are gradually restored.

Stages of treatment for athlete's foot

1. The diagnostic phase involves the study of scraps from the skin and nail plates for a pathogenic fungus by identifying the pathogen group that is important for the selection of antifungal drugs. To complete the picture, the patient needs information about changes in metabolism, which may be the main cause of excessive sweating of the skin of the feet and a decrease in local resistance to fungal infections. Blood tests help us here.
2. Treatment of mycosis of the feet itself is carried out in several stages, depending on the initial clinical picture and the type of fungus. Removal of keratinized thick layers of skin and affected areas of nail plates. This is achieved with the help of special ointments, procedures or laser removal of devices and pathological areas. The duration of the stage is from 1 to 7 days. When the skin is cleansed, it is possible to use external antifungal therapy that delivers the drug directly to the skin of the foot.
3. Systemic antifungals, ie antifungal drugs administered by injection or tablets. Of course, intravenous drips of such drugs have proven to be more effective. In addition, it has been shown to be safer for the liver and 7-14 days for skin lesions, reducing the duration of treatment to 4 months with nail lesions.
4. Physiotherapy treatment of athlete's foot includes exposure to medical ultraviolet radiation, which has a detrimental effect on athlete's foot, and infrared laser therapy, which further improves the blood supply to the affected areas, accelerates skin regeneration and nail growth. The duration of the procedure is from 3 to 10 minutes.
5. If the diagnosis reveals problems with internal organs, delivery of antifungal drugs to the skin, skin regeneration, lack of trace elements and other substances necessary to activate the fight against pathogenic fungi, then additional auxiliary drugs are prescribed to correct these changes: immunomodulators, ozone therapy, vitamins, hepatoprotectors, vitamin complexes with iron, calcium and trace elements.
6. Excessive sweating and odor often disappear with this foot fungus treatment. However, sometimes it is necessary to prescribe drugs that block the sweat glands of the skin of the foot, laser therapy and cryomassage sessions with liquid nitrogen.
7. After treatment, it is necessary to check whether the fungus on the feet is destroyed. Re-analysis of crumbs is carried out for fungi. But usually the result is close to 100%.

A very important step in the treatment of athlete's foot is the subsequent prevention of relapses, including skin care products and treatment of shoes where fungal spores can remain.

The treatment of athlete's foot is very different. It is not possible to describe all therapy options in one article. After the examination and the results of laboratory diagnostics, the clinic's dermatovenerologists will be able to determine the most appropriate technique for your fungal skin on the feet and provide full-fledged treatment.

Treatment of nail fungus

Treatment of nail fungus is one of the main areas of clinical work in specialized centers, for its development specialists approach each stage of onychomycosis therapy in detail.

It has long been known that the treatment of fungal diseases is a serious problem, even more serious than the treatment of bacterial infections. Uncontrolled use of various antifungal ointments, tablets, solutions, varnishes has led to the growth of many drug-resistant fungi. And the number of these drugs, unlike antibiotics, is very limited. Therefore, in order to achieve the maximum effect of treatment of patients, we should use a scientific and practical approach to the treatment of toenail and hand nail fungus and not be limited to the official prescription of external therapy for onychomycosis.

What results will you see after the full course:

• Restoration of the color and structure of the nail plate.
• Normalization of nail growth and its shape.
• Absence of laboratory-confirmed nail fungus.
• Unpleasant odor and excessive sweating of the feet will disappear.
• Periungual ridges, interdigital spaces, and the inflammatory process of the skin of the soles of the feet or palms of the hands will go away. That is, redness, itching, peeling, crying caused by fungal diseases will disappear.

Treatment of nail fungus on the hands lasts 2-3 months, and on the feet - up to 3-4 months. But everything, of course, depends on the type of individual and pathogenic fungus, the rate of nail growth in a particular person, the presence of accompanying pathology of internal organs and blood vessels. For example, in diseases of the veins or arteries of the lower extremities, when the delivery of drugs and nutrients to the nail is disrupted, the duration of treatment is significantly extended and the result is very difficult to achieve.

Treatment is carried out after 6 months with fungus on the nails of the hands, and after 1 year with mycosis of the toenails.

The clinic is staffed by dermatovenerologists who are trained in all methods of nail removal and professionally select the optimal course of therapy for each individual patient diagnosed with nail fungus on the hands and feet.

How to treat nail fungus in the clinic

Mycosis of the nails is a chronic disease, so the treatment consists of several stages, and before that there is always a detailed diagnosis, which reveals the type of fungus and the possibility of complex treatment, which, unfortunately, can not be determined for everyone.

Treatment of nail fungus:

1. Reception of a mycologist.
2. Diagnostics.
3. Direct treatment.

At the initial appointment, the doctor will assess the damage to the nail plates and the surrounding skin, if it is involved in a frequent pathological process. He will examine other areas of the skin, mucous membranes, hair, because there are cases when the patient refers to a suspected fungus, and in the end the diagnosis sounds like onychodystrophy, ie the symptoms are similar to the disease, but without. infectious agent. It is associated with metabolic disorders, hormonal levels, chronic skin diseases, and damage to the nail matrix and bed.

A plan of diagnostic measures is then drawn up, and particles of nail plates and blood are taken for examination.

Diagnosis of onychomycosis of the fingers and toes

No.	Analysis	Target	Period of performance
a.	Scratching from nail plates and nail bed for fungi	Determining the type of fungus to select the most effective drug	1-3 days
2.	Sow seeds for mushrooms	Determination of the type of fungus and its sensitivity to antifungal drugs	7-10 days
3.	PCR diagnostics for Candida	Identification of mycosis caused by fungi such as yeast	1-2 days
4.	Blood chemistry	Determination of liver and kidney function during the planning of systemic antifungal therapy. It is also possible to detect metabolic disorders that cause changes in the nails.	1 day
5.	Hospital complex (syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, coagulogram)	If you plan to remove nail plates or the affected part of the nails	1 day

Here is a complete list of basic diagnostic measures, but not all of these tests are prescribed to a person by a mycologist. In superficial forms, for example, there is no need to perform blood tests unless it is necessary to remove the plaques and prescribe antifungal medications orally or by drip.

Plants are also very rarely carried out due to low sensitivity.

Therefore, those who treat toenail or fingernail fungus should always consult a dermatologist or mycologist first, and then start testing, rubbing ointments and taking pills, and vice versa.

Proper selection of material from the affected areas is also important to identify fungi. Its detection in a particular patient depends 90% on it. For the study, not only the hard parts of the nail plate, but also the loose mass is taken from the nail bed, which contains the maximum amount of pathogen.

However, even with this approach, the laboratory does not always immediately detect the presence of a mycotic infection.

With obvious signs of onychomycosis, the analysis is repeated three times with negative results.

Thus, the diagnosis was made, the fungus was found, the type was determined, the condition of the internal organs was investigated, and treatment was started.

Treatment of nail fungus by a mycologist

Everything here depends on the clinical situation. Surface forms of mycosis can be treated using external agents such as varnishes, solutions containing drugs harmful to fungi, and laser treatment of tiles. Common lesions of the nails require removal of the affected areas and oral or intravenous administration of the drug.

We will look at the stages of treatment of an advanced form of toenail fungus, as this is the most difficult stage for drug treatment of onychomycosis.

Removal of a part of the nail or nail plate affected by the fungus.

As a result, we will immediately rid the body of a large accumulation of fungus and make it accessible for drugs to penetrate the nail bed to destroy the microbes that remain inside. It also reduces the absorption of fungal waste into the blood, reducing its allergic and toxic effects on humans.

There are several ways to remove plaques affected by mycosis. The choice depends on the clinical situation and which doctor treats nail fungus in this patient, which technique is the most professional:

No.	Methodology	How it is done	Advantages	Price
a.	Removal of nails	Most often used. The affected part of the nail plate is cut with a special cutter into the nail bed and posterior periungual ridge.	Security Minimal inconvenience The patient does not lose his ability to work	1000-1500 rubles
2.	Surgical removal	After conductive anesthesia of the finger, if necessary, the nail plate is completely or partially removed. Antibacterial dressing is applied.	The most "clean" removal of the affected nail is when the fungus is removed, including under the nail ridges, the nail bed is cleaned of mycotic layers. It is possible to perform plastic surgery on a curved nail bed.	From 2500 rubles.
3.	Laser nail removal	Anesthesia is also performed on the treated finger. The laser beam burns the nail area affected by the fungus by capturing the nail bed.	Maximum removal of fungal masses, but without penetrating under the back roll	From 3000 rubles.

The hardware technique is used more often because it gives a minimal number of complications, does not damage the growth zone and the nail bed, is convenient, but requires more frequent cleaning of the nail beds, as it does not ensure complete sanitation of the nails. finger from the fungus.

After surgical or laser removal, of course, the amount of fungus remaining is minimal, but the length of the recovery period, possible disability, and dressings limit the use of these methods in some patients.

Extermination of fungi by external means.

In a nail bed that has been cleaned as a result of the removal of the nail plate, antifungal solutions are applied daily for several months until a normal nail growth and a negative test for fungi. It is also possible to add antifungal varnishes to the growing edge of the nail plate.

Oral and intravenous use of systemic antifungal drugs. This is the main stage of treatment after nail removal.

It is necessary to ensure that the drugs are delivered to the nail matrix, from where a new nail grows, and to the nail bed with blood flow.

Based on the tests, the doctor will choose the appropriate drug for this patient, as well as the method of its application.

The type of fungus, the condition of the liver and kidneys, the comfort of the patient are taken into account.

For the liver, intravenous administration of drugs that enter the blood and nails through the intestines and liver, respectively, is the safest.

Treatment is carried out with lesions on the legs for up to 3-4 months, and up to 2-3 months if the fungus is on the hands.

There are several treatment regimens for nail fungus, including both daily medications and intermittent course work.

Blood tests are performed at least once a month for liver and kidney parameters. If it deviates from the norm, treatment is stopped.

1. Physiotherapy in the treatment of nail fungus - helps to eliminate the infection, as well as improve the delivery of drugs, accelerates the growth of nail plate. UV radiation of the nail bed has a detrimental effect on fungi. 10-15 sessions in 3-5 minutes. Infrared laser - improves blood flow in the growth zone and nail bed area, accelerates the delivery of drugs to the affected area and the growth of new plaque impregnated with antifungals. Electrophoresis of antifungal drugs is the creation of the maximum possible concentration of drugs directly at the center of the pathological process.
2. Regular cleaning of the nail bed from hyperkeratotic layers and fungal debris. For patients with fungal nail disease, it is important to imagine the whole treatment process and understand that it is a fairly long-term event, the success of which depends not only on which doctor treats nail fungus, but also on themselves. It is important to take medication regularly and apply antifungal solutions, treat shoes regularly, follow a schedule of physiotherapy procedures, and clean the nail bed.

Which doctor treats nail fungus?

Nail fungus is a serious problem. Everyone who has experienced nail plate defeat with mycosis knows this. It is treated for a long time, does not always have a good effect, and in almost 95% of cases the use of various ointments, creams, solutions does not work.

But in fact, if you know which specialist to contact for nail fungus, everything is not so sad. And then when it comes to onychomycosis, such success is guaranteed.

The doctor who treats nail fungus is a mycologist or dermatologist who has experience in managing such patients.

Why experience is important, not theoretical knowledge. The fact is that the treatment of a fungal infection affecting the nail plates lasts more than a month. The result is not immediate, it can be very difficult to assess effectiveness. It is also not easy to choose all the procedures and medications for a particular patient, which differs from each clinical situation.

There is a lot of information on the Internet about antifungal drugs, various lasers, physiotherapy methods, nail removal. Self-medicating patients begin to take medication one after another, and without success, they become frustrated and stop all attempts to get rid of the fungus. The same thing happens when treatment is prescribed by a doctor who has no experience in monitoring such patients.

The clinic receives a doctor who treats fungus on the legs and arms every day, and there is a fully equipped mycology room where all the stages of diagnosis and treatment of onychomycosis are carried out.

Which doctor effectively treats nail fungus

1. This is definitely a dermatologist or mycologist.
2. He has experience in the examination and treatment of nail mycoses.
3. Knows how to remove affected nail plates, clean the nail bed.
4. Knows the stages of systemic treatment of onychomycosis, introduction to the course of physiotherapy.
5. You can change the tactics of treatment in a timely manner or add a procedure, medication, with the weak effect of previously prescribed therapy.
6. Has the ability to use all modern methods and necessary equipment in the clinic for the treatment of nail fungus.

Treatment of such mycoses is not an emergency procedure, it is planned. Therefore, after the examination, the doctor treating the nail fungus explains to the patient all the possible options of therapy, but the choice always depends on the person.

The course is very long, regardless of the choice of technique, and each patient must first understand the effectiveness of each method:

External treatment of nail fungus (solutions, varnishes, ointments) - the effectiveness is less than 10%, ie it helps only with the initial, superficial forms.

The use of an integrated approach, but without removing the affected areas of the nails, is up to 60% effective.

Removal of the affected part of the nail plate and complex treatment with physiotherapy - efficiency up to 90-95%.

Usually, the doctor who treats nail fungus at the initial admission tells the patient: If patients are ready to undergo a 3-4-month course of complex therapy for onychomycosis, then success is possible. If not, then it is better not to start. Money, time will be wasted and the result will be questionable. It is a disease that requires a long and pedantic approach to treatment from both the doctor and the patient, where even the smallest details are important.