According to WHO, almost a quarter of the world's population suffers from a fungal infection, and in the structure of the entire dermatological pathology, mycoses account for about 40-45%.
In summer, our skin is in maximum contact with the external environment. At this time of the year, the incidence of fungal infection increases significantly.
The beach, swimming pools, showers, saunas, and water parks are typical places where the risk of encountering fungi is especially high in summer. Dermatophyte fungi are present on the floor of public spaces, especially on wooden surfaces and in places where water accumulates.
Most often, the picture is this: a person walks on a wet floor and leaves behind the smallest scales formed on the feet affected by the fungus. Fungal elements live in them. They get into healthy tissues within 6-8 hours. If you do not wash your feet at home after the pool or sauna, then you get a fungus.
How to avoid mycoses of nails and feet in summer? Here are some simple rules that will protect you from fungal infections:
- Don't try on someone else's shoes.
- Do not use other people's towels.
- After a bath, pool, sauna, wash your feet with soap.
- The skin of the feet must be kept clean, after each wash, carefully wipe the interdigital folds.
- Going to the beach or to the swimming pool, take rubber slippers with you.
- After visiting public places, treat the skin of the feet with some kind of antifungal ointment, cream, gel or spray. Almost any antifungal agents or antiseptic alcohol solutions are suitable for prevention.
- Wear only cotton socks, especially in summer.
- Choose shoes strictly in size so that scuffs and scratches do not appear on the skin.
- It does not hurt, even if you do not have a fungus (and even more so if you are sick), to periodically disinfect your shoes.
- Don't use fluffy bath mats. They don't wash well. This is a great home for microbes.
- Strengthen the body's defenses: walk, sunbathe if possible, take vitamins.
Why is fungus dangerous?
Fungal infection of the skin, face, body, feet, mycoses of the nails and any other presence of a fungus of any kind of organisms is extremely detrimental to the whole organism. Immunity decreases, the general condition of the patient worsens, the course of many chronic diseases is complicated.
It turned out that the quality of life in nail mycoses is reduced by an average of 50-55% of the full, characteristic of a healthy person. At the same time, patients noted not only physical inconveniences associated with thickening or destruction of nails, but also experienced anxiety, fear, and negative emotions. It has been established that nail fungus sharply limits a person's activity, interfering with his rest, sports life, and communication with other people.
The most effective natural remedies for fungus
Many plants have a pronounced antifungal effect. In addition, some of them are natural antiseptics, relieve inflammation, eliminate itching, contribute to the rapid restoration of areas damaged by the fungus and prevent re-infection.
- One of the most famous bactericidal and anti-inflammatory natural remedies isoak bark. It effectively relieves inflammation on the skin and promotes rapid healing, and also reduces sweating of the feet, reducing the likelihood of re-infection with the fungus. To prepare a foot bath with oak bark, you need to pour 5 tablespoons of the bark into 1 liter of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. After cooling the broth to a temperature comfortable for the body, you need to immerse your feet in it for 20-30 minutes.
- Baths with sea salt and iodine are also highly effective in the treatment of foot fungus. To prepare the bath, you need to dissolve 200 grams of sea salt and a few drops of iodine with a concentration of 10% in three liters of hot water. To enhance the antiseptic effect, you can add chamomile steamed with boiling water or a tablespoon of ground cinnamon to the solution.
- To quickly get rid of the unpleasant infection, decoctions of medicinal plants can be applied to the places affected by the fungus. For example, you can prepare a decoction of dried calendula flowers. This plant will help get rid of pathogenic microflora, as it has not only an antifungal, but also an antimicrobial effect. You can also use a decoction of string or thyme.
Summer is a wonderful season. Do not deprive yourself of the pleasure of looking good this summer. Take action when you find the first suspicious symptoms of a fungal infection!