The fungus on the skin is very often diagnosed in patients of an older age category. As for this disease in children, this phenomenon is not frequent, but has the same serious and negative consequences. Earlier and really, foot fungus was rare in a child, that is, it was an isolated case, now it occurs in many. It is not so difficult to infect them, more often small patients with weak immunity suffer. Treatment is carried out by a dermatologist after the examination, but in order not to suffer from such an unpleasant disease, it is recommended that preventive measures be taken.
What it is?
A fungus, a fungal infection or mycosis, is diagnosed in different parts of the body, but in most cases on the legs, feet, and nails. It is considered a viral disease. Specialists distinguish such types of pathology:
- Epidermophytosis. In this case, there is a lesion of the skin of the feet, as well as the interdigital space. The causative agent is the fungus Tinea pedis.
- Onychomycosis. The fungus affects the nail plate of the fingers of the lower limb. The causative agent is Tinea unguium.
A specialist can determine the type of fungal infection after a thorough examination of the damaged surface of the body. In most cases, a mixed appearance is diagnosed, and if there are still cracks or damage on the skin, then staphylococci and streptococci are attached to everything. These microorganisms feed on scales, like moisture, gradually penetrating deeper into the epidermis. Treatment will be serious and comprehensive, necessarily based on the use of medicines.
The foot fungus spreads in the child as a result of the movement of its spores, infection occurs instantly. You can not get infected with this infectious disease only if there are no health problems, there is no vitamin deficiency, flat feet, impaired metabolism and the rules of personal hygiene are observed.
Provocative factors
In order to begin treatment, which should be effective, and to eliminate relapse, you need to correctly determine the causes of this infectious disease. These include the following:
- Incorrectly selected shoes, as well as from non-natural materials.
- Visiting public places without replaceable shoes, such as a pool.
- Wearing other people's things or shoes.
- Non-observance of personal hygiene.
- Long or too short nails.
- Untreated and unprotected wounds on the foot.
Also, the provoking factors of the fungus on the feet of the child can be attributed to the other. For example, during colds, immunity weakens, and the body becomes vulnerable to pathogenic bacteria. The development of pathology in such a situation is rapid. The first signs of defeat appear immediately.
Very susceptible to this viral disease are children with vascular disorders of the lower extremities, as well as those who suffer from flat feet, which can be hereditary. In most cases, the fungus is also diagnosed in patients with diabetes mellitus. This is because elevated blood glucose is considered an excellent medium for the development and propagation of fungal infections.
Symptomatology
To understand that a child has a fungus, you need to carefully examine the foot or other surface. Sores will certainly be present, while the skin is swollen, vesicles and redness are noted on them. When probing the affected area, pain may occur. A child with a fungus complains of itching, constantly climbs to his feet to scratch them, which leads to the appearance of wounds and the intensive spread of the fungus.
Symptoms of foot fungus in children include pain when walking and moving fingers, peeling of the skin over the entire affected area, including on the heels and sides of the foot, poor sleep, constant vagaries due to discomfort, and the nail plate begins to exfoliate.
At the first symptoms of foot fungus in children, treatment is required immediately. A dermatologist will be able to choose therapy, which is based on an integrated approach. In this situation, the child needs to explain everything correctly so that he understands that you can not touch the legs, since the disease can pass into the hands and will cause him discomfort.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is carried out at home and in hospital. Attention is drawn to all signs of pathology. A survey of the child is carried out, if it allows his age, as well as his parents. The specialist must establish the provoking factor, and when the disease began. In addition, it is recommended to take blood and urine tests, consult with other narrow-profile specialists, and take scrapings from damaged areas.
Therapy Basics
The foot fungus in a child is treated. The course will depend on the neglect of the situation, as well as the age category, since many medicines have age restrictions. The approach will be comprehensive. To achieve a positive result for a long time, you need to combine medicines with alternative methods of treatment, it is imperative to carry out preventive measures and adhere to the recommendations of a specialist.
To make you feel better, you need to do baths, rub ointments thoroughly, apply compresses. If everything is done correctly, then the disease will pass as soon as possible.
Vegetable baths for children's legs
To treat foot fungus in children, it is often advised to make baths, they not only help get rid of this infectious disease, but also distract the baby from the problem and alleviate his condition. Below will be presented the most common types of baths.
An effective recipe is a decoction of milkweed. For cooking, it is recommended to take half a glass of grass and pour boiling water, leave it all for 30-40 minutes, preferably in a water bath. Then the resulting broth must be poured into a container for the legs and add a little warm water. You need to sit for 15 minutes. The procedure is performed daily until the condition of the skin improves. Instead of milkweed, you can use wormwood.
Salt baths. Using coffee
If a foot fungus was diagnosed in a child, then salt can also be used instead of plant baths, which are considered a good method in the fight against this disease. For cooking, you need to take 0.2 kg of salt, preferably sea salt, and dissolve it in a liter of water. Boil the resulting mixture, cool, after which you can proceed to the procedure. To be in such a bath is allowed no more than 15 minutes every day. It must be remembered that salt dries the skin very well.
How to treat foot fungus in children with coffee? This drink is not only tasty, but also has a lot of positive qualities. For the bath, you need to prepare strong coffee, cool and pour into a container for the legs. Keeping the feet is recommended no more than 15 minutes. After two sessions, the pain will disappear, the itching will disappear, and the skin will become smooth again.
Ointments and compresses
For the treatment of fungus, a variety of ointments and creams, both factory-made and home-made, are also recommended. Before buying and using these funds, you should consult with a specialist, pay special attention to contraindications, as well as age restrictions. Ointments help get rid of the problem in a short time, penetrate deep under the skin, kill the fungus, and eliminate relapse. In most cases, a compress of salicylic ointment 35% is used. Do not forget about "Clotrimazole", "Bifonazole".
As for the compresses, a variety of plants can be used to prepare them. Specialists recommend mountain ash, onions, garlic or burdock leaves. For this, the ingredients are always crushed, placed in cheesecloth and applied to the affected area for a long time, best of all over the night. The procedure is performed until complete recovery. It must be remembered that folk remedies, although effective, but the result from them is not as quickly noticeable as from medicines.
Preventive actions
In order to exclude a fungus on the sole of the foot of a child, prophylaxis is necessary. If there was an infection earlier, then during and after treatment the shoes need to be disinfected, and it is better to replace them. It is advisable to purchase from natural materials. Shoes need to be selected correctly in order to exclude other problems with the feet and legs; for this, you can consult with an orthopedist first.
It is also worth paying attention to such moments as:
- To exclude severe sweating of the legs, they should be constantly dry, since moisture is the main favorable environment for the reproduction of the fungus.
- Observe personal hygiene. Wipe them thoroughly after washing your feet.
- Shoes should be regularly ventilated and dried.
- Replace old insoles in a timely manner.
To get rid of the foot fungus in a child (a photo of the disease can be seen in the clinic on the stand), it is worth paying attention to provoking factors, diseases, and timely treatment. Having eliminated the cause, one can forget about the defeat itself. It is advisable not to start the fungus, since this is an insidious pathology that causes considerable discomfort and worsens the quality of life of not only an adult, but also a child.