If you have problems with your nail plates, it is important to know which doctor treats toenail fungus, so that you can see a specialist without waiting for complications.It is difficult for a person who is dealing with a mycosis for the first time to understand the name of this specialist.Dermatologists and mycologists deal with the problems of fungal diseases, so visiting a therapist is not recommended.
What is nail fungus?
A disease caused by parasitic microorganisms is called a pathogenic fungus.The disease affects the cuticle (nails) and the skin of the feet around them, develops rapidly, brings discomfort and suffering.Living in the body, dangerous parasites poison it with toxins and can worsen the general condition.You can get infected by wearing someone else's shoes, not observing foot hygiene, or walking barefoot on the beach or in the pool.People with such problems should know which doctor treats nail fungus in order to prevent complications and receive the appropriate treatment to eliminate the unpleasant disease.
Symptoms of the disease
Which doctor treats the symptoms of toenail fungus depends on how badly the plaque affected by the fungus is damaged and what the nature of the damage is.The following characteristic signs of the appearance of a fungus are distinguished:
- normotrophic type: stripes, spots on the lateral parts of the nail of ocher-yellow or white color, ease of separation of the plate from the skin, a person suffers from itching of the skin under healthy nails.
- hypertrophic: plaque thickening, loss of gloss, chipping, dullness, severe distortion, dark yellow or gray color.
- atrophic: brown-gray color, loss of luster, pallor, necrosis and destruction of the toenail.
- lateral and distal: loss of color, transverse yellowish furrows, crumbling, roughness, exposed bed of the toes, swelling, redness, thickening, pain in the skin of the foot, advanced cases may be characterized by the appearance of pus.
- proximal: bleaching, destruction.
- total: complete destruction of the toenail due to lack of treatment.
- white superficial: white spots, crumbling, peeling, pain.
Which doctor treats nail fungus?
Knowing which nail doctor is helpful for any patient dealing with nail fungus.In this case, a therapist will not help.you need to see a qualified specialist.This doctor is a dermatologist, he advises on the initial stages of the disease.In advanced cases, a consultation with a mycologist is required - this is a specialist who treats nail fungus in a highly targeted manner.
Dermatologist
This doctor can prescribe the right treatment and eliminate nail fungus.Its qualities allow it to eliminate skin problems, including viral and infectious lesions, dermatitis, eczema and parasitic diseases.The latter involves a fungal infection.If the case is not advanced, you should contact a dermatologist at a local clinic or dermatovenologic office and register for the first examination.According to indications, he may refer the patient to a mycologist.
Mycologist
In difficult cases, the answer to the question of which doctor treats toenails is to contact a mycologist.This is the name of the same dermatologist who treats only fungal infections of the skin, hair and nail plates.It is not available in every clinic or even in the city.Consultation with mycologists includes treatment and prevention of fungal diseases: onychomycosis, candidiasis, microsporia, trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, mycosis of the foot.You should contact them after a referral from a dermatologist.
How's the date going?
Once you know which doctor treats toenail fungus, don't hesitate to make an appointment.During the first visit, the nail specialist interviews the patient about how long ago the problem appeared, the sensations experienced and the patient's lifestyle.After collecting information, a preliminary examination of the affected areas of the foot is carried out, a diagnosis is made and the stage of infection is determined.
External signs may not always indicate a fungal species, so dead scales are scraped off for laboratory examination.The resulting medical material is examined under a microscope and placed in nutrient media.You need to see a doctor as early as possible to treat the fungus without consequences for the patient and his body.
Repeated consultation
After receiving tests from the laboratory, a second consultation takes place.A mycologist or dermatologist reports the cause of the growth, the presence of fungus, its type and prescribes the right treatment.Medicines are selected depending on the individual characteristics of the patient.The treatment process for the disease is long, so you will need to visit a specialist several times to monitor the treatment and prevent infection of the patient's body.
Treatment options
After studying the etiology of the fungus that has affected the nail plate on the toes, treatment is prescribed.It is not recommended to choose medicines on your own because there is a risk of side effects.The main antifungal drugs and methods of treatment used:
- orally – tablets, capsules for a comprehensive effect on the parasite from the inside.
- local effects - applied externally, include ointments, creams, compresses, drops, varnishes.
- special laser treatment - improves the penetration of agents into the interior and tissue microcirculation.
- a recommendation for surgical removal of the nail is given in extreme cases where recovery is impossible.
Popular effective drugs, divided into groups according to their effect on the fungal pathogen, are:
- Antifungal varnishes.
- Preparations for the removal of plaque (sometimes required to treat the fungus).
- Antifungal tablets.
- Creams, ointments, sprays.
- Other remedies: medicated liquids, tea tree oil, and more.