Diagnostics

One speaks of the foot fungus, lat. Tinea pedis, if a fungus spreads in the toe gaps, on the sole or the back of the foot. A nail fungus, Tinea unguium, attacks toenails, but can also spread further in the course of time.

It is one of the most common fungal diseases and is annoying but harmless in most cases. These fungal diseases are usually caused by filamentous fungi, which reach the skin via direct or indirect transmission. Especially in public places like swimming pools or saunas, where people are usually barefoot, the risk of infection is highest.

Here, the floor, fallen skin scales and the like can be covered with the fungus and thus get onto the skin of the next patient. Through small skin cracks the fungus penetrates the skin and can grow there. Risk factors such as diabetes, overweight and lack of hygiene awareness promote the development of athlete’s foot.

Among the classic signs of athlete’s foot, as they occur in many fungal diseases, are a distinct itching, which increases in the course of time, and reddened skin. If the disease is not treated, the skin begins to flake, sometimes small blisters form. The symptoms develop slowly at first, but then become an impairment relatively quickly.

For a long time, the nail fungus is only noticeable on the nail. It turns yellow-brownish and begins to become brittle and cracked. White stripes can also become visible.

The thickness of the nail substance increases slowly. In the course of time, the adjacent nail bed also becomes inflamed and it is possible that it can spread to the rest of the foot. The diagnosis of these types of fungal diseases is relatively simple.

On the one hand, one has the typical symptoms of fungal diseases such as reddening of the skin, itching and damage to the skin or nail. On the other hand, the fungus detection is available. A skin or nail sample can be examined under the microscope, and a sample of the affected area is taken and grown in a laboratory, so that the exact pathogen can be determined.

The accuracy of the diagnosis determines the success of the therapy for fungal diseases. The therapy of fungal diseases, i.e. also the treatment of athlete’s foot or nail fungus, is carried out with antimycotics that act specifically against fungi. These are applied externally or also from the inside as tablets.

Against athlete’s foot, in most cases a superficial treatment with ointments, creams or sprays, which are applied several times a day to the affected areas, is sufficient. Contained active substances are e.g. Terbinafine, Miconazole or Bifonazole, which are effective against filamentous fungi. The treatment lasts from 10 days to several weeks depending on the course of the disease.

If the fungus has reached deeper skin layers, oral antimycotics must be prescribed. Nail fungus can be treated with special nail polishes. This may be supplemented by an ointment that softens the nail to reach deeper layers of the skin. Systemic treatment with medication is rarely necessary. The therapy of nail fungus takes 3 to 6 months, because the nail must grow back healthy again.