Which doctor treats toenail fungus, dermatologist or mycologist?
Content
- Do I need to see a therapist or pediatrician first?
- Is toenail fungus treated by a mycologist or dermatologist?
- Algorithm of actions of the doctor
- How to choose a specialist?
- How is the appointment with a specialist going?
- How much does a mycologist or dermatologist cost?
The prevalence of fungal infection ranks second after respiratory viral diseases. It is very difficult to get rid of it without the intervention of a specialist, since the pathology penetrates into the body and has a systemic effect. Where to start treatment and which doctor to go to with nail fungus, we will consider in this article.
Do I need to see a therapist or pediatrician first?
Onychomycosis is a delicate topic. Not everyone at the initial signs of the disease attaches importance to them, therefore, in most cases, the decision to go to the doctor is made with a delay. Nail fungus cannot be cured on its own, even with the help of advertised expensive products. Therefore, sooner or later, you will have to go to the clinic.
First of all, you need to visit a therapist or pediatrician if it is a child. The doctor will analyze the patient's history and give a referral to the necessary specialist.
If the medical history is not aggravated by serious pathologies, the patient is advised to consult a dermatologist.
In the case of an advanced form of mycosis and the presence of concomitant complications - to a mycologist.
If the fungus is a consequence of diabetes mellitus, the help of an endocrinologist is needed.
Sometimes there is another option for solving the problem - with the initial symptoms of infection, the therapist or pediatrician himself can take care of the treatment.
Is toenail fungus treated by a mycologist or dermatologist?
And yet, most often patients bypass the therapist's office and go to see a dermatologist, including a pediatric one. This doctor specializes in skin, nail and hair conditions. Of course, he specializes in the treatment of fungal infections, and, upon treatment, prescribes an algorithm for combating the infectious process.
In the case of a rare type of onychomycosis, an advanced form of the disease and associated complications, a dermatologist may decide that this situation is not within his competence and will refer the patient to a narrow specialist - mycologist. He is involved in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of fungal infections.
Unlike a dermatologist, who can be found in every local clinic or private medical center, finding a mycologist is not so easy. Due to the narrow profile, such a specialty is found not even in all settlements.
Algorithm of actions of the doctor
Regardless of which doctor the patient turned to, the physician is guided by the following principles of work listed in the table.
| Algorithm of actions | Description |
|---|---|
| ANAMNESIS COLLECTION AND EXAMINATION | The specialist examines the nature of fungal lesions on the nail plates of the hands or feet, studies the patient's medical history, finds out the ways of infection and the peculiarities of his lifestyle. |
| DIAGNOSTICS | Clinical and laboratory tests are prescribed, of which sowing on the microflora becomes mandatory, which makes it possible to determine the type of causative agent of the disease and the stage of the pathological process. As a rule, all research takes about 14 days. |
| SELECTION OF TREATMENT | After the results of the tests are in the hands of the doctor, the specialist re-invites the patient and, based on the data obtained, selects an individual treatment regimen. |
Once again, I want to remind you that nail fungus is not a disease that needs to be treated on its own. Delaying a visit to a doctor leads to the transition of pathology to an advanced stage, the result of which may be loss of a nail and other serious complications. Therefore, it is imperative to go to the doctor - receiving adequate help will help solve the problem of onychomycosis as soon as possible.
How to choose a specialist?
It should be noted right away that it is not easy to get to a mycologist - not all medical institutions have such doctors. In large cities, it is easier to do this, since there are mycology institutes where patients are admitted.
Therefore, if there is an opportunity to contact this specialist directly, it is better to dwell on him in view of his targeted work against all fungal infections, regardless of their name, in particular, onychomycosis feet. At the same time, you can visit a doctor at any stage of the disease - even with an initial form, the doctor will give the necessary advice and recommendations, as well as select the treatment, based on the complexity of the pathological process.
In the absence of a mycologist, you should contact a dermatologist without delaying a visit to the doctor. You can choose a specialist in a private medical center, focusing on the reviews of friends, or in a polyclinic at your place of residence.
In the latter case, doctor's visits will be free, but, most likely, with long queues at the doctor's office and when undergoing tests. In the second case, you will have to pay for the appointment of a specialist, but with the saving of personal time and nerves.
How is the appointment with a specialist going?
Initially, the doctor conducts a visual examination, finding out whether the patient has addressed "to the address". Sometimes we are not talking about mycosis, but about a completely different disease, so the doctor must determine whether this treatment corresponds to his professional competence.
After that, the specialist begins a conversation with the patient, listening to his complaints about the disease that has arisen. Dialogue with your doctor is important to confirm the suspected diagnosis. He also examines the history of the patient who applied.
In only half of the cases, a specialist can make a conclusion on the basis of an initial examination. Therefore, laboratory and clinical studies are often prescribed, which must be passed without fail in order to select an adequate treatment.
At the end of the appointment, the specialist chooses the time for a second consultation, by the time the test results are ready. Usually this period is 10-14 days.
How much does a mycologist or dermatologist cost?
Treatment in a polyclinic at the place of residence and in a private clinic differs in different costs. In the first case, when dealing with "free medicine", you will not have to pay money for the appointment of a specialist, you only need to spend money on antifungal drugs.
In medical centers, specialist services depend on the quality and status of the medical institution. On average, the cost of an appointment with a dermatologist or mycologist in clinics will be approximately the same, since both specialists have a narrow profile of medical practice.
Approximate prices for g. Moscow and the regions are as follows:
| Services and medicines | Cost (rubles) |
|---|---|
| Initial inspection | from 1300 |
| Analyzes | from 500 per unit (for example, it can be called "scraping for pathological fungi") |
| Repeated consultation | from 900 |
| The cost of drugs for a standard course of treatment | from 5000 |
Therapy for fungal infections requires constant monitoring. After carrying out the prescribed drug regimen, the patient must again consult a doctor and receive a referral for tests, which are carried out three times with a weekly interval. If all of them turn out to be negative, it is considered that the disease has been cured.
Many patients neglect these studies, believing that they only take a lot of time and money. In fact, the specificity of any mycosis is such that during laboratory diagnostics, accidentally surviving mycospores are found. impossible - it takes time for them to turn into full-fledged microorganisms - pathogens of candidiasis, onychomycosis and NS. Analyzes at certain time intervals confirm their absence, which means the exclusion of a relapse of the disease.
