The best treatment for toenail fungus

Mycosis is a disease that is easily acquired but difficult to treat. This is due to many factors. Pathogenic microorganisms quickly adapt to changing conditions, get used to the active components of drugs. They are able to be on different surfaces for a long time. They multiply rapidly, capturing more and more new areas. They literally penetrate the horn plates, penetrating deeper and deeper. The treatment of nail fungus should be carried out in a comprehensive manner, following all the rules. Otherwise, you may face a situation in which the symptoms begin to pass, but everything quickly returns to its original position.

How can you get onychomycosis?

Most often, the infection, according to statistics, occurs as follows:

1. Personal contact with a person suffering from fungus;
2. Personal belongings: towels, towels, shoes;
3. When visiting saunas, beaches, showers, sports clubs;
4. With a pedicure performed with tools that are not disinfected.

Infection can occur anywhere people walk barefoot. If a person with mycosis has passed through the floor, the scales of his skin remain on the surface. If they fall on healthy nails, a pathological process will begin. A similar route of infection occurs when using other people's personal belongings. Fungal microorganisms grow especially actively in warm places with high humidity. That is why they usually accumulate in saunas, baths, baths.

Even if the fungus has gotten on the nails, this does not mean the beginning of the disease. The body's defenses are sufficient to fight infection. However, there are factors under the influence of which the fungus is introduced and spread more actively. If they are present, the risks of detecting this disease in themselves increase many times over. Consider these factors:

• Wounds and cuts on the legs, microcracks characteristic of dry skin - all these are doors for infection;
• Weakened immune system;
• Taking antibiotics that change the acidity of the feet;
• Poor hygiene
• Sweating of the feet;
• Metabolic problems;
• Diabetes;
• AIDS;
• Overweight.

Factors triggering the development of the disease can be:

• Lack of personal slippers when visiting public places;
• Use of foreign shoes;
• Use of dense synthetic materials;
• Ignoring the need for regular disinfection of the bath;
• Lack of proper foot hygiene.

Based on these observations, it is easy to derive methods for the prevention of mycosis.

Symptoms

The signs of the disease become apparent only when the fungus is already in a moderate stage. However, it is possible to diagnose the disease in the first stage. To do this, you just need to carefully monitor the condition of the nails. The following symptoms should alert:

1. Foot peeling;
2. The appearance of white spots on the nails;
3. Mild itching;
4. Dry feet.

With these signs it is better to see a doctor. They are not specific and therefore one disease can easily be confused with another. The symptoms of the later stages will be much more pronounced:

• The nail loses its natural luster, becomes cloudy;
• The plate takes on unnatural shades: yellow, green, blue;
• The nail begins to crumble, exfoliate, become much more brittle;
• The plate begins to separate from the nail bed. Before that, free spaces appear between him and the bed;
• The structure of the nails changes. Thickening appears. The nail may be bent, growth pathologies are observed;
• The disease spreads to the skin. An inflammatory process develops on them, manifested in the secretion of pus, redness;
• The space between the fingers peels off, cracks appear;
• Itching and burning intensify;
• An unpleasant odor appears.

In the most advanced stages, the fungus severely destroys not only the nails but also the skin. Abscesses may occur. All this causes severe discomfort, interferes with normal life.

Is mycosis dangerous if left untreated?

Untreated disease leads to the following problems:

• The appearance of infectious complications;
• The appearance of severe allergic reactions;
• Causing exacerbations of various diseases, including diabetes mellitus;
• The defeat of internal organs by fungal microorganisms.

In the last stages the disease is very uncomfortable. There is a discharge of pus, cracks appear. It hurts to walk. A pronounced odor appears. All this complicates normal life. In addition, pathogens enter the bloodstream and can affect the entire body. It is extremely dangerous and fraught with injury or even death.

Treatment depending on the stage of the disease

Nail fungus has several stages, depending on the degree of damage. The methods of therapy will depend on 90% of the stage. Consider the characteristics of treatment depending on the stages of disease development:

1. Stage 1.Good reviews can be found for the drug solution. It works great in the early stages of the disease. The solution is used to treat sore nails twice a day. Before treatment, it is recommended to make a hot foot bath, trim the nails and treat them with a file. The cost of the solution is approximately 500 rubles. The advantage of the solution in the form of a solution is its immediate absorption, rapid action;
2. Stage 2.The free part of the nail is removed with scissors or a nail file. In the cavity, as well as on the entire surface of the plate, a healing solution is applied. It is recommended that you start taking pills. The treatment will take approximately 6 months;
3. Stage 3.In this case, the lesion affects not only the plate, but also its root, nail bed and nearby skin. The treatment is performed with drugs with systemic action. It is imperative to see a doctor, as you cannot get rid of an advanced stage without the help of a specialist.

Success in the treatment of nail fungus is determined by the regrowth of a healthy plate on which there are no signs of damage.

Basics of mycosis treatment

How to treat toenail fungus? The therapy is performed with the help of two groups of means:

• Local preparations.It is used in the first and second stages of the disease. It can be combined with systemic drugs. This category includes varnishes, solutions, ointments, gels;
• Systemic drugs.They are antifungals. These can be tablets, capsules. They stop the spread of the disease, destroy pathogenic microorganisms. They have an accumulative effect. That is, the active components of the drug remain in the skin even after completion of therapy. This prevents recurrence.

It is best to treat nail fungus early. This is due to the fact that in this case only topical preparations can be used. The tablets are very effective, but they are also toxic, have many contraindications and side effects. It is forbidden to accept pregnant women and children.

The use of healing varnishes

Nail polishes are great in the early stages of nail fungus. They have the following advantages:

• You do not need to apply the product daily. Enough twice a week;
• The nail dries almost instantly;
• The tool creates a film on the surface of the nail that does not allow bacteria and additional infections inside;
• The nail polish is transparent and therefore not noticeable on the nails.

The characteristics of the course depend on the specific varnish. Their significant disadvantage is their significant price.

Antifungal pills

Antifungal pills will be needed if the fungal infection has spread to more than 1/3 of the nail. A specialist should prescribe a remedy for nail fungus, as the choice depends on the type of microorganisms that caused the disease.

Almost all tablets have cheap analogues. The price of medicines is different.

Laser therapy

In some cases, nail fungus does not respond to medication. In this case, you can use laser therapy. The following advantages should be noted:

• Painlessness;
• Effective destruction of fungal microorganisms;
• There is no harm to healthy tissues;
• The ability to cure a disease in a severe stage with only 4-6 procedures.

It is recommended that the laser action be supplemented with systemic drugs, as well as vitamin complexes aimed at increasing the body's defenses.

Nail removal

Removal of toenails is usually indicated in the advanced stages of toenail fungus. The use of this method on a relatively strong plate is not recommended. Removal has the following advantages:

1. Painless (removal is due to the maximum softening of the plate);
2. Stopping the spread of pathological processes;
3. Better penetration of drugs into the center of the disease.

Removal can be done at home. There are special preparations for this. Removal is due to the urea content of the products. Also in the composition there are auxiliary components that stop the growth of fungi and have an antiseptic effect: stearic acid, tea tree oil.

Before use, the legs are steamed in a bath with a spoonful of baking soda. They must be wiped dry. Then plaster is glued to the shell near the nail. The product should not come into contact with the skin, as this will cause burns. The composition is applied to the nail with a thick layer and then sealed with plaster. After 4 days, the patch is removed. If the nail does not come off, the event may recur.

Traditional methods of treatment

It makes sense to apply folk techniques in the early stages. They have an additional effect. However, it should be borne in mind that these funds do not replace local medicines. Consider the most common folk methods of nail fungus:

• Apple vinegar.Vinegar is mixed with water in a ratio of one to one. The feet are placed in a hot bath for 15-20 minutes. The procedure is performed daily. After that, the feet should be well dried. The effect can be seen after 2 weeks. If not, the product must be replaced;
• Tea tree oil.Apply to the affected nails in pure form three times a day. A drop is needed for each plate. There are contraindications: childhood and pregnancy;
• Fresh celandine.The plant must be ground. Juice is squeezed from the porridge. This can be done with gauze. A glass of juice is combined with a glass of 70% alcohol. The solution is infused throughout the day. Before treatment, the legs are suffocated. The infusion is then applied to the plates. The treatment is performed 3-4 times a day. The course is 10-12 days;
• Iodine.Apply a drop of iodine daily on the affected area. Be sure to trim the growing nail. If there is a burning sensation, you should stop the procedure. This effect indicates tissue burning;
• Tea sponge.Compresses can be made from it. For this piece of sponge is placed on the nail. The finger is wrapped in cellophane and a bandage. Then put on cotton socks. The procedure is performed at night. In the morning the compress is removed, the foot is washed under warm water, the dead spots are removed.

What is the best treatment for toenail fungus? Folk recipes will not work for this. They can only be used as an auxiliary tool. However, the main therapy should be taking pills and topical medications.

Reviews

People who have had nail fungus note the effectiveness of the drug solution, which is convenient to use. However, it should be borne in mind that the tool must be used regularly for a long time. Without this, the mycosis will immediately reappear.

The celandine is also effective. People note that the visible effect can be observed after 3 weeks of use. The structure of the nail changes, the signs of damage disappear. However, this is only relevant for the early stages of the disease.

You can also see negative reviews. They usually warn of the misuse of remedies. For example, patients experience severe burns when using iodine and acetic acid. Therefore, the use of these means must be carried out in accordance with safety measures. In particular, the recommended dose should not be exceeded. If a burning sensation occurs, this indicates the onset of burning. Do not believe articles that claim that pain is a sign of healing. This is usually a sign of serious processes that can leave behind complications that are greater than after a fungus.

Additional measures

Additional measures are needed to speed up treatment and prevent recurrence. Let's look at the main ones:

• Pieces of the patient's skin remain on the socks and shoes. If a person is completely cured by interacting with him, you can become infected again. Therefore, socks should be boiled for 5 minutes. All fungal microorganisms will be destroyed in boiling water. The shoes are treated with special compounds that can be found in pharmacies;
• Vitamin complexes should be taken to stimulate the immune system;
• All funds are used regularly during the prescribed course. Otherwise the treatment will be completely useless.

Careful treatment of all recommendations is the key to a speedy cure.

Precautions

To prevent re-infection with mycosis, preventive measures are applied:

• Before visiting baths, saunas and other public institutions, it is advisable to lubricate your nails with antifungal varnishes;
• You should not wear other people's shoes;
• You can perform hot foot baths once a week, where sea salt and soda are added;
• It is advisable to exclude sweets from the diet;
• Sweaty feet should be avoided.

Once a week, after a recent cure, you can use a local antifungal or similar folk remedy. They are applied to all nails. Even if the infection reappears, it will stop quickly.

It is more difficult to protect yourself from illness when you live with a sick person. In this case, regular disinfection of the bathroom and all surfaces in the house is important. The patient should store and wash their belongings separately from other clothes. Households can use topical mycosis medications once a week for prevention.

Mycosis is difficult to treat. His therapy should be taken very seriously. At the first signs it is advisable to visit a doctor. He takes a scrape from the affected area. You can then determine which microorganisms have caused the disease. Based on this information, medications are prescribed. Individual factors also play a role in the choice of medication. For example, if a woman is pregnant, pills are rarely prescribed. This is due to the fact that they penetrate the blood and can harm the fetus. Nail removal is usually used in combination with topical treatments.