Recently, the number of cases of damage to the nails of a child by a fungal disease has increased significantly. This is due to the fact that the immune system in the first year of a baby’s life is very weak, which provokes the rapid spread of infections, especially lesions of the skin and nails. Onychomycosis is a common fungal infection on the legs and arms that can occur in both children and adults. Such a lesion is characterized by a pathological form of the course and leads to deformation of the nail plate. It is important to determine how to treat nail fungus in a child.
The main symptoms of the lesion
Fungal infections of the skin and nails often occur in children aged one to 14 years. In 80% of all cases, the child becomes infected with the fungus from the parents. On its skin and nails, scales form, on which there is a large number of fungal spores. After some time, the scales fall off and remain on the floor, carpet, bed and spread to other family members.
In order to timely begin treatment for fungal infections, parents should regularly inspect the baby’s nails, skin and feet. It is important to pay special attention even to a minimal change in the appearance of the baby's nails. The fungus on the feet of children is dangerous because at the initial stage of development it does not provoke vivid symptoms, therefore, it is possible to determine the lesion only at a later date. Parents should pay special attention to the following symptoms:
- stratification and severe fragility of nails;
- thinning or thickening of the edges of the nail plate;
- the appearance of pronounced furrows;
- unpleasant plaque of white color;
- discoloration of the nail;
- keratinization of the skin on the foot of the child;
- the appearance of pronounced cracks between the toes;
- severe swelling on the fingertips, changing their shape.
Causes of the appearance of the fungus
The fungus of the toenails in children can appear for the following reasons:
- contact with an infected person;
- wearing too narrow or alien shoes, old things;
- the use of other personal hygiene products;
- walking without special slippers in a common bath, sauna or pool;
- uncomfortable shoes;
- shoes made of materials that do not pass oxygen well;
- too long toenails;
- untreated damage to the legs, scratches into which the infection can easily penetrate;
- heavy sweating of the legs;
- developed form of flat feet;
- prolonged use of antibacterial soap or low-quality cosmetics;
- frequent damage to the skin of the legs (in particular this applies to athletes).
Most at risk are children who have the following lesions:
- diabetes;
- benign and malignant formations that require chemotherapy;
- eczema and trophic ulcers on the skin of the hands and feet;
- prolonged use of corticosteroids;
- problems with immune defense due to a recent illness.
The main types of onychomycosis
Specialists distinguish three types of onychomycosis in a child:
- Normotrophic. The structure of the nail remains the same, but pronounced spots and stripes of a yellow-gray hue can be seen on it. Pain is absent.
- Atrophic. In this case, atrophy of the nail begins, a slow detachment of its plate, the nail itself begins to change color to brownish-gray. Pain begins to appear.
- Hypertrophic. There is deformation and initial destruction of the nail plate due to increasing hyperkeratosis. The nail begins to fade, and also lose its natural shine. Pain occurs to a greater extent when walking.
Distribution Classification
The following localization of fungal infection in a child can be distinguished:
- distal - damage to the posterior nail roller;
- medial - damage to the lateral rollers of the nail;
- total - spread over the entire nail plate of the patient.
The following article presents a photo of a nail fungus in a child.
How does a lesion develop?
Infection and bacteria spread rapidly in a moist, slightly alkaline environment. In newborns and children up to a year, the legs often sweat due to unformed thermoregulation, which is considered an ideal condition for the spread of fungal infection.
Also, infection often appears from already infected family members. The fungus, as a rule, appears on the legs, and then passes to the area of the hands. In children under one year of age, the disease spreads and progresses at a rapid pace, affecting not only the nails, but also adjacent tissues.
Diagnostic measures
At the reception, the specialist conducts a thorough examination of the child’s body and collects information about his condition from the parents. After that, the doctor prescribes a medical history and conducts differential diagnosis, excluding the development of the disease, pathological syndromes and complications. Onychomycosis is often confused with the following lesions of the nail plate: lichen planus, keratoderma, psoriasis of the stratum corneum. To establish the exact cause of the fungal disease, you need to carry out the following diagnostics:
- Microscopy. When conducting a diagnostic study, the doctor takes a tissue sample of the horn plate or conducts a deep scraping. The material is treated with a special solution to eliminate keratin, after which the nail is carefully examined under the microscope. This method of determining fungal infection is the most common and accurate, it helps confirm the presence of fungus. The remaining additional tests will help determine the specific type of lesion and pathogenic factors.
- Fungal inoculation on Saburo medium. When conducting such an examination, particles of infected samples are collected and placed on various nutrient media that pass under certain strains of pathogens. After one week, with continued cultivation, a high activity of the colonies is released, as a result of which the doctor determines the exact type of fungus. At the end of the study, the most successful sample with a fungal infection is divided into several parts and special antifungal agents are added to them to determine a more effective drug that will help to quickly eliminate the pathogenic infection and prevent complications.
The doctor conducts a thorough examination of the child’s body and sends for additional tests. A specialized specialist who identifies the clinical picture with fungal infection is a mycologist or a dermatologist.
Treatment
Treatment of nail fungus in children on their feet will be chosen depending on the type of pathogen, stage of development of the disease, general neglect of the lesion, as well as the individual characteristics of the baby’s body.
Parents should not use any antifungal medications when treating the fungus without first consulting their physician. Such procedures can lead to worsening symptoms of damage, the formation of special resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to the drugs used, which will complicate the treatment of the disease and provoke complications.
Here's what it is important to know about treating nail fungus in children. A photo of the manifestation of the disease is presented above.
The use of ointments
If the stage of the disease is not particularly dangerous, then the treatment of the infection is carried out conservatively. For this, the doctor prescribes special antifungal ointments or gels of local action.
Such treatment of nail fungus on the hands of children can be effective only with a mild form of skin lesions, when pathogens have not spread to the internal organs of the child. Local treatment is considered safe for the child and brings a good result. Ointments will be prescribed depending on the type of fungus identified - Terbinafine, Clotrimazole, Ketoconazole, or iodine alcohol tincture.
Conservative treatment of lesions
Such treatment of nail fungus in a child of 2 years (or any other age) is prescribed for a severe stage of the disease. It can be a complex therapy for systemic damage: mycosis of the skin, nail plate, candidiasis of internal organs, or act as an independent treatment.
Before prescribing drugs, the doctor evaluates the overall clinical picture of the disease, the possible consequences for the child's body, as well as the need for taking the drug. The most common medications for treating nail fungus in children include Fluconazole and Itraconazole.
Surgical intervention
Surgical intervention in the treatment of fungus in a child is prescribed quite rarely and only when all other methods of treatment do not bring the desired effect and do not help get rid of the disease. In this case, the disease is often complicated by a fungal and bacterial infection, there is an accumulation of pus in the bed of the stratum corneum, increasing the risk of sepsis and the development of gangrenous processes.
During the operation, the child uses slightly traumatic chemical dissolution of the stratum corneum and diseased areas with layer-by-layer treatment with special substances that accelerate the growth of a new nail plate. Sometimes, in the treatment of nail fungus in children, classical surgical removal of part of the nail or the entire horn plate is performed with further antiseptic treatment and a subsequent recovery period.
Physiotherapy
This method is optional and is used in conjunction with the main method of treating nail fungus in a child according to Komarovsky. For this, classical procedures are used (ozocerite applications on the nail plate, electrophoresis), as well as laser irradiation with the destruction of pathogens on the nail.
Preventive actions
To prevent the development of a fungal infection in a child, it is important to observe some prevention rules that will help prevent primary and secondary infection:
- Following the rules of personal hygiene (regular bathing, washing hands and feet with high-quality soap). When caring for a child, it is important to use only personal hygiene products (separate towel, washcloth, clothes, socks). This applies not only to the house, but also to public places: when visiting baths, saunas, the beach and the pool.
- Strengthening immune defenses. Experts recommend tempering the child, giving him vitamin complexes, properly composing a diet, using physiotherapy exercises, adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to the diet.
- Regularly monitor the condition of the nails, properly care for them, clean the nail bed.
- Change socks and other underwear regularly.
- To treat any disease of a chronic nature, regularly take the child for an examination to the attending physician.
- Monitor the condition of shoes, regularly disinfect.
Traditional medicine
Any folk recipes against nail fungus are allowed to be used only after visiting a doctor and narrow specialists - a dermatologist, mycologist.
Alternative treatment can not be called independent, it should be used as a complement to conservative, regardless of the stage of the lesion.
You can apply compresses with garlic:
- To do this, take 1 head of garlic, peeled and grated on a fine grater.
- Next, the garlic gruel is combined with 100 ml of hot water.
- The product mixes well and boils for some time. After cooling, the water is filtered.
- Next, a cotton swab is taken and placed in garlic liquid. The swab is applied to the affected area and wound up with a bandage. The compress lasts 30 minutes, after being removed.
Experts recommend performing the procedure in the evening before bedtime. The course of use is 3-4 weeks.