Which doctor treats toenail fungus?

Have your nails changed color, lost their shine, become brittle and flaky, or even fallen off the nail bed?It is probably onychomycosis or fungus, an insidious disease that is very difficult to treat and often recurs, especially if you postpone the visit to the doctor.Which doctor treats toenail fungus and what does proper onychomycosis treatment look like?

Types of nail fungus and symptoms

Fungal infections account for up to 15-40% of all nail diseases.Most often, the causative agents are trichophytons - parasitic fungi and a little less often - candida - yeast fungi.The risk factors are:

• male gender;
• increased sweating of the feet;
• nail injuries;
• visiting public baths and pools;

• immunosuppression due to diabetes mellitus and HIV infection, long-term use of corticosteroids;
• wearing synthetic socks and shoes made of unnatural materials.

The clinical manifestations of nail fungus are diverse.Taking this into account, modern medicine identifies six main forms:

1. White superficial - at first the surface layers of the nail plate are affected, and then the degenerative process spreads deep into the tissues.Most often, this variety appears as white, scaly lesions;less often there may be white lines.
2. Normotrophic - the thickness and shine of the nail remain the same, the plate only changes color and white and yellow spots and stripes appear.
3. Hypertrophic - the nail is constantly thickened and deformed due to the active division of skin cells located under the nail plate.
4. Atrophic - the nail becomes gray-brown, while its thickness constantly decreases, as a result of which the nail bed can be completely exposed.
5. Proximal - quite rare.The lesion affects the nail fold, while the end sections of the nail remain intact for a long time, that is, undamaged.
6. Total - the entire nail plate is involved in the pathological process and often develops against the background of reduced immunity.

Second medical opinion

Experts from leading Russian and foreign medical institutions will give their opinions on the results of tests and research, comment on the previously established diagnosis and prescribed treatment.

"In onychomycosis, the nail plate often loses its connection to the underlying dermis, so it can easily be removed accidentally or intentionally. Doctors call this condition onycholysis."

Which specialist should I contact?

Which doctor treats nail fungus?In most cases, a dermatologist will help solve this problem.The doctor will conduct an objective examination and laboratory tests to determine the cause of the patient's dystrophic nail lesion.Only then is appropriate drug therapy selected.

In complex clinical cases, the help of a more specialized specialist - a mycologist - is needed.This is a dermatologist who deals exclusively with fungal diseases of the skin, hair and nails.

"If you don't know which doctor treats nail fungus, then make an appointment with a dermatologist. This is usually enough to make a diagnosis and start timely therapy."

Diagnostic methods

If there are suspicious signs, such as changes in the shape and thickness of the nail, suspicious spots and stripes, disintegration, the doctor must perform laboratory diagnostics before prescribing treatment.For this purpose, the modified nail plate is removed - a part of it is carefully cut off with special tweezers.The resulting biomaterial is subjected to:

• microscopic examination - the results are obtained almost immediately, since the spores and mycelium of the mushrooms are clearly visible under a microscope;
• cultural study - the results are evaluated only after 0.5-1.5 months, during which time the mushrooms grow, forming colonies.This method allows you to identify the type of pathogen, as well as assess its sensitivity to antifungal drugs.

"Polymerase chain reaction - the creation of multiple copies of a single piece of DNA - is used only in difficult diagnostic cases when culture cannot determine the species of the causative fungus."

Therapy

It is important to know which doctor to consult for nail fungus, as delayed treatment is not only a cosmetic problem, but also a medical one.Onychomycosis has been shown to increase the risk of the following conditions:

• pain and discomfort in the legs;
• difficulty walking and wearing shoes;
• disharmony in the professional and personal spheres of life;
• generalization of fungal infection on the skin of the legs and hands, groin;
• infection of other family members;
• increased sensitivity of the body to fungal antigens with the development of bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis;
• bacterial skin infections - fungi disrupt the integrity of the dermis, and pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic bacteria easily enter the resulting microcracks.

Therefore, treatment is necessary in all cases of diagnosed nail fungus.Therapy is divided into two types:

1. Local antifungal - the drug is applied directly to the nail plate.
2. Systemic antifungal - the drug is taken orally and reaches the "problem" site through the bloodstream.

Currently, combined treatment is used for onychomycosis, when the local application of the drug (medicated nail polish or cream) is combined with drugs.Local monotherapy is less effective, because keratin and tightly adhering epithelial scales prevent the drug from penetrating the nail plate.Thus, the concentration of the active component can decrease a thousand times.Therefore, local therapy is possible only in the initial stage of superficial nail damage and in the presence of contraindications for systemic antifungal agents.

"If one family member is diagnosed with nail fungus, the whole family is treated at the same time, as onychomycosis is a particularly contagious disease."

After a course of treatment, the doctor should prescribe control tests - microscopy of the nail plate.If there are no fungi in the biomaterial, then the person is considered fully recovered.In the future, it is important to adhere to the rules of prevention to avoid re-infection:

• use protective shoes when visiting hotels, gyms, public baths and swimming pools;
• application of the foot with antifungal powders and adsorbents - according to indications;
• wear socks made of natural fabrics;
• trim nails regularly using individual pedicure accessories;
• replace old shoes with new ones, as they may contain a large number of dangerous fungi.

One simple rule: the sooner the treatment starts, the more effective it is - in the case of onychomycosis, it works more than ever.Therefore, do not delay your visit to the doctor if you notice that the appearance of your nail has changed.

Which doctor should I see for toenail fungus?

If you suspect onychomycosis, you should seek help, for example, from a general practitioner.The doctor will prescribe tests, then make a diagnosis and give a referral to a specialist.