Nail fungus - onychomycosis - is a disease caused by parasitic fungi.This type of disease occurs in 20% of the adult population.Fungal infection happens quite easily;to do this, it is enough to touch the skin of your feet with a surface that has such fungi.
The infection can occur, for example, in a public bathroom or swimming pool;in some cases, infection with a fungal infection occurs when trying on shoes in a store or when visiting a beauty salon, where poorly disinfected manicure and pedicure tools are used.Infection can occur when using shoes worn by a person infected with the fungus several months ago;this situation leads to reinfection.
When the first symptoms of a fungal infection appear, treatment should begin immediately.Due to the widespread prevalence of this pathology, almost every person should know how to treat toenail fungus at home.
Popular folk methods for the treatment of nail fungus
Timely treatment of nail fungus at home using the fastest methods allows you to effectively deal with the disease in the earliest stages of the infectious process.
When treating nail fungus with folk remedies, you can use quite simple and effective treatment methods.Folk remedies have simple recipes and simple procedures, which allows everyone to use them independently.
To treat the disease in the initial stages of infection, you can use apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, celandine juice, iodine solution, hydrogen peroxide and compresses based on kombucha.
The most popular recipes are the following:
- Soak your feet once or twice a day in a 1:1 mixture of apple cider vinegar and warm water.Soaking time is 15-20 minutes.After this time, you should let your feet dry.The procedures should be carried out for two weeks.Gradually, the fungus begins to disappear and the healthy nail takes the place of the damaged nail.
- It is recommended to lubricate the skin and nail plates affected by a fungal infection with tea tree oil three times a day.For a single use you will need from 4 to 10 drops of oil.The antifungal effect of the use of this drug is observed two weeks after the start of therapy.In some cases, an extension of the course of treatment is necessary.This drug is prohibited for use in the treatment of diseases in children and pregnant women.
- Using Kombucha.For treatment, you need to prepare a compress.To do this, you need to wrap a plate of kombucha in cellophane and wrap your leg with a bandage, after these manipulations put on socks.The procedure should be performed in the evening before going to bed.In the morning, you should wash your lower limbs with warm water.And remove the dead areas and lubricate the places where they were removed with iodine solution.One of the side effects of this method of treatment is the occurrence of quite severe pain, but the advantage of the method is the rapid achievement of a positive result of the therapy.
- The infection can be cured using propolis tampons.For this purpose, you can use tinctures of propolis or its extract.This product can be used daily.Exposure to propolis accelerates the growth of the nail plate.Which leads to acceleration of the healing process.
If there is no improvement in the condition when using traditional methods, then you should seek the help of a doctor to conduct an examination and prescribe complex therapy for the treatment of the pathology.
The use of iodine in the treatment of toenail fungus
One of the means to fight toenail fungus is iodine solution.Removing the infection with iodine is quite easy.In addition, this method of destruction is cheap and accessible to everyone.
Most experts in traditional methods of treatment recommend starting treatment of the infection with iodine solution, which is most likely due to the availability of this drug and its wide distribution.Medical iodine solution has pronounced disinfectant and antiseptic properties.
For treatment, you need to use iodine daily, the solution is applied to the damaged areas of the skin of the feet and nails.
To treat foot fungus at home with an iodine solution, you will need to apply a few drops to the affected areas twice a day.Treatment of the affected areas is carried out using a cotton swab or cotton swab.It is best to drip the medicinal solution directly onto the nail plate.
The use of iodine in the treatment of fungal infections can accelerate the healing of damaged areas, making it possible for the skin to regenerate.In order to ensure a more significant antifungal effect during the procedures, it is recommended to treat not only the affected areas, but also the areas near the wound.
When treating the affected nail, it is enough to apply one drop of the medicinal composition.
Another way to use iodine solution to kill fungi is to use baths with this medicine.
To prepare a bath, you need to add half a bottle of iodine solution to a bowl of warm water and steam your feet for 10 minutes.After the procedure, the damaged tissue is removed from the affected areas without harming the healthy skin.After removing the affected areas, the skin surface will need to be treated with hydrogen peroxide and a bandage with an antibacterial composition applied.
If necessary, you can mix iodine with apple cider vinegar.This mixture can be treated in the morning and in the evening, and the course of treatment lasts more than two weeks.
How to treat with vinegar?
You can get rid of a yeast infection with vinegar.To perform the procedure, you need to mix 70% acetic acid and glycerin in equal proportions and shake well before use;the resulting mixture is smeared on the affected nail plates three times a day.The duration of treatment is about three weeks.
Traditional medicine has developed a simple antifungal remedy - baths with the addition of apple cider vinegar, which are taken daily before going to bed.The usual course of such therapy is three weeks or more.
Using apple cider vinegar, you can prepare products with the addition of vegetable oil.The solution is prepared in a 1:1 ratio of components. When treating a fungal infection, moisten gauze or a bandage with the resulting solution and apply to the damaged nail.It is recommended that this dressing be worn for 4 hours a day until the infection is completely healed.
In addition to these methods of treatment, there are other recipes for folk remedies based on vinegar, the most common among them are the following:
- egg and vinegar ointment;
- using pure vinegar;
- using wine vinegar.
When preparing vinegar-based products, you can use vinegar essence previously diluted with water to the desired concentration.
Treatment of fungus with yellow fever
Using celandine at home can help cure the infection.It is recommended to lubricate the deformed and infected nail plate with the juice of yellow flowers using a cotton swab three times a day.For this purpose, juice is squeezed from a fresh, recently picked plant.
Partially fresh juice can be used immediately after receiving it, and partially the juice can be fermented in a dark place for a period of 2-3 weeks.Jaundice therapy takes a long time;it is necessary to carry out procedures until a new nail grows.
Celandine can be used to treat pathology in a mixture with alcohol.For this purpose, a juice solution is prepared with 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:1.The prepared solution is applied to the affected areas 4 times a day.
For therapy, you can use dry celandine herbs.To do this, the herb must be ground in a coffee grinder to a powdery state and mixed with iodine, vinegar or tea tree oil.The result of mixing should be a mush-like mass.
Using the resulting composition, apply a compress to the damaged nail plate.
The use of hydrogen peroxide in treatment
Hydrogen peroxide is not a compound capable of destroying a fungal infection.The use of a solution of this chemical substance allows you to stop and prevent the progression of the pathology.
Peroxide is characterized by the presence of pronounced deodorizing properties, so it is ideal for treating damaged areas.
When using peroxide, you must follow the instructions for its use.
Therapy with hydrogen peroxide solution can be carried out according to the following scheme:
- A hot foot bath is made to which copper sulfate is added.The feet are placed in the solution and steamed well.
- After steaming, wipe the skin with a clean cloth, paying special attention to the skin between the fingers.
- After drying the skin, cotton swabs or swabs soaked in hydrogen peroxide solution are applied to the affected areas.The tampons are attached to the damaged areas using tape.After placing tampons, the leg in the area affected by the infection is wrapped with a towel.This type of compress should be kept for 4-50 minutes.The procedure should be carried out twice a day with a twelve-hour break.
- After the toenails become light, you need to cut off the soft areas of the nail plate and apply an antifungal cream to the surface.
The disease will disappear much faster if you use a special foot bath prepared with a solution of hydrogen peroxide.For this purpose, you will need to take two liters of water and dissolve 100 ml of peroxide in it.In the resulting solution, you need to steam your feet for 20 minutes.
After the procedure, the skin of the feet is wiped with a clean towel, and the softened nail is carefully filed with a nail file.At the end of the procedure to remove the damaged nail, an antifungal cream is applied to the treated area.It is recommended to do this procedure once a day.
An additional benefit of using peroxide is that it can speed up the processes that promote healing.Under its influence, pathogenic microorganisms stop multiplying and spreading to new areas.In addition, when this chemical compound is used, the development of a relapse of the infectious process can be avoided.
Pregnant women suffering from infection should pay special attention to the chemical.Because its use does not cause negative consequences for both the mother's body and the unborn child.
Treatment of advanced forms of the disease
An old and neglected fungus can threaten the patient with nail loss;for this reason, therapeutic measures should be started as early as possible.It is recommended that recovery begin at the earliest stages of the infectious process, when the first signs of damage appear.
If the nail plate has become thick and has acquired a loose and scaly appearance, then therapeutic measures can be significantly delayed.
Before starting the treatment of a fungal infection, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the factor contributing to the development of microorganisms.There is a whole range of remedies that are quite effective in the fight against old and advanced infections.
The following methods can be used at home:
- The skin around the affected area is smeared with a nourishing cream, and tea peroxide is applied to the inflamed area.After that, the damaged area is wrapped in polyethylene and fixed with a bandage, this bandage is applied overnight and the procedure itself is carried out several times;
- You can get rid of old or neglected mycosis with the help of a solution of potassium permanganate.
In the second method, the legs should be steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate and a compress made of a previously prepared mixture of alcohol and propolis should be applied to the damaged areas.The compress is fixed with a bandage.It is recommended to carry out the procedure every other day until the pathological process is completely removed.
In the process of treating an old form of fungus, the use of topical antifungal creams and oral medications will be necessary.
The use of compresses based on 5% sulfur ointment and preparations with iodine has an excellent effect.In addition, daily nourishing of the nail with essential oils of lavender and tea tree is recommended.
Use of drugs during home treatment
When you get rid of an infectious process, the tablets should be selected by the attending physician.The modern pharmaceutical market offers patients a wide selection of such drugs.
When using antifungal drugs at home, you should remember that they all have a large number of contraindications that must be taken into account when taking them.
In addition, all these drugs can cause a number of side effects in the patient.For this reason, self-prescription of these drugs is contraindicated;they should be taken only if prescribed by the attending physician.
Currently, pharmacies offer patients tablets for the treatment of fungal infections, as well as effective products in the form of creams and gels.
If no positive effect is observed when using the prescribed drugs at home, you should immediately contact your doctor for advice and correction of the drug used.
If you need to remove the nail plate, you can use special creams that are applied as a compress.
After exposure to the compress, the softened part of the nail is cleaned with a nail file.This procedure should be carried out daily until the nail bed is completely clean.
Prevention of disease
The most effective method of fighting yeast infection is to prevent infection.
To prevent the occurrence of an infectious process, you should use only individual pedicure products.To perform hygiene procedures, you must have your own towel.You should not put other people's shoes on your feet.
Eliminating the infection is a complex, time-consuming and financially expensive undertaking, so you should strive to prevent the infection.For this purpose, regular cleaning of the toilet, bathroom and rooms in the house using disinfectants is recommended.
When visiting the pool, sauna and bath, you must wear special shoes.Which should be individual.After visiting the bath and shower, it is recommended to wipe the skin dry, especially the skin between the fingers.
If you have a tendency to diabetes, you should regularly monitor the level of glucose in the body, since the presence of an increased content of this component in the body is a contributing factor to the development of a viral infection on the skin of the feet.
Remember to wash your feet daily with soap and dry your shoes if they get wet.It is also necessary to change your socks.
When choosing shoe models, it is recommended to give preference to those varieties that do not restrict movement and can freely pass air.
When buying socks, tights, stockings and shoes, you should give preference to quality products.
Among other things, to prevent the appearance of a fungal infection, it is recommended to control your diet.In the absence of certain vitamins and nutritional compounds in the diet, the body becomes exhausted and is easily susceptible to infections.To compensate for the loss of vitamins and biologically active compounds, it is recommended to consume more vegetables and fruits, especially in the spring, when the lack of vitamins in the body is particularly acute.
It is mandatory to monitor the condition of the nails and the skin around them on the feet every day;it is necessary to trim them in a timely manner, using personal disinfected tools for this purpose.