Nail fungus - onychomycosis - is a disease caused by parasitic fungi.This type of disease occurs in 20% of the adult population.Infection with fungus occurs quite easily;To do this, it is enough to touch the skin of your feet with a surface containing such fungi.
Infection can occur, for example, in a public bath 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, which uses poorly disinfected manicure and pedicure instruments.Infection can occur when using shoes worn by a person infected with the fungus several months ago;this situation leads to reinfection.
As soon as the first symptoms of a fungal infection appear, treatment should be started immediately.Due to the high prevalence of this pathology, almost everyone should know how to treat toenail fungus at home.
Popular folk methods for treating nail fungus
Timely treatment of nail fungus at home using the fastest methods allows you to effectively cope with the disease at the early stages of the infection process.
When treating nail fungus with folk remedies, you can use quite simple and effective therapeutic methods.Folk remedies have simple recipes and procedures, which allows everyone to use them independently.
To treat the disease in the early stages of infection, you can use apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, celandine juice, iodine solution, hydrogen peroxide, and kombucha compresses.
The most popular recipes are:
- Soak your feet once or twice a day in a mixture of apple cider vinegar and warm water in a 1:1 ratio.Soaking time is 15 to 20 minutes.After this time, you must let your feet dry.The procedures must be carried out over two weeks.Gradually, the fungus begins to disappear and a healthy nail replaces the damaged nail.
- It is recommended to lubricate skin and nails affected by fungal infection with tea tree oil three times a day.For single use, you will need 4 to 10 drops of oil.The antifungal effect of the use of this drug is observed two weeks after the start of treatment.In some cases, continuation of treatment is necessary.This remedy is prohibited for the treatment of diseases in children and pregnant women.
- Use Kombucha.For treatment, you need to prepare a compress.To do this, you need to wrap a plate of kombucha in cellophane and wrap a bandage around your leg, after these manipulations you need to put on socks.The procedure should be carried out at night, before bedtime.In the morning you need to wash your lower limbs with warm water.And remove dead areas and lubricate the places where they were removed with iodine solution.One of the side effects of this treatment method is the appearance of quite severe pain, but the advantage of the method is the rapid achievement of a positive result from therapy.
- The infection can be cured by using propolis pads.For this purpose, you can use propolis tinctures or its extract.This product can be used daily.Exposure to propolis accelerates the growth of the nail plate.This leads to an acceleration of the healing process.
If, when using traditional methods, the condition does not improve, then you should seek help from a doctor to conduct an examination and prescribe complex therapy to treat the pathology.
The use of iodine in the treatment of toenail fungus
One of the ways to combat toenail fungus is iodine solution.Eliminating infection with iodine is quite simple.In addition, this destruction method is inexpensive and accessible to everyone.
Most experts in traditional treatment methods recommend starting treatment of infection with iodine solution, which is probably due to the availability of this remedy and its widespread use.Medical iodine solution has pronounced disinfectant and antiseptic properties.
For treatment, you need to use iodine daily, the solution is applied to damaged areas of the skin of the foot and nail.
To treat foot fungus at home using an iodine solution, you will need to apply a few drops to the affected areas twice a day.Treatment of affected areas is carried out using a cotton swab or cotton swab.It is better to pour 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, leading to the restoration of the skin.To provide a greater antifungal effect during procedures, it is recommended to treat not only the affected areas, but also areas adjacent to the wound.
When treating the affected nail, it is enough to apply one drop of the medical composition.
Another way to use iodine solution to kill fungus is to use baths with this medication.
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, damaged tissue is removed from the affected areas without damaging healthy skin.After removing the affected areas, the skin surface will need to be treated with hydrogen peroxide and apply a bandage with an antibacterial composition.
If necessary, you can mix iodine with apple cider vinegar.This mixture can be treated morning and evening and the treatment duration lasts more than two weeks.
How to treat with vinegar?
You can get rid of a fungal infection with vinegar.To carry out the procedure, you need to mix 70% acetic acid and glycerin in equal proportions and shake well before use;the resulting mixture is lubricated on the affected nail plates three times a day.The duration of treatment is approximately three weeks.
Traditional medicine has developed a simple antifungal remedy: baths with the addition of apple cider vinegar, which are carried out daily before bedtime.The usual duration of such treatment 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 ratio of components 1:1.When treating a fungal infection, moisten gauze or a bandage with the resulting solution and apply it to the damaged nail.It is recommended to wear this dressing for 4 hours a day until the infection is completely cured.
In addition to these treatment methods, there are other recipes for folk remedies based on vinegar, the most common of them are as follows:
- egg and vinegar ointment;
- use pure vinegar;
- using wine vinegar.
When preparing vinegar-based products, vinegar essence can be used previously diluted with water to the desired concentration.
Celandine mushroom treatment
Using celandine at home can help cure the infection.It is recommended to lubricate the deformed nail plate infected with fungal infection with celandine juice using a cotton swab three times a day.For this purpose, the juice is extracted from a recently picked fresh plant.
Partly fresh juice can be used immediately after receipt, and part juice can be fermented in a dark place for a period of 2 to 3 weeks.Celandine treatment takes a long time;it is necessary to carry out procedures until a new nail grows.
Celandine can be used to treat pathology mixed with alcohol.For this purpose, a juice solution is prepared with 70% alcohol in a 1:1 ratio.The prepared solution is applied to the affected areas 4 times a day.
For therapy, you can use dry celandine herbs.For this, the herb must be ground in a coffee grinder to a powder state and mixed with iodine, vinegar or tea tree oil.The result of the mixture should be a porridge-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 composition capable of destroying a fungal infection.Using 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, therefore it is ideal for treating damaged areas.
When using peroxide, you must follow the instructions for use.
Therapy with hydrogen peroxide solution can be carried out according to the following scheme:
- A warm foot bath is carried out, to which copper sulfate is added.The feet are placed in the solution and steamed well.
- After steaming, use a clean towel to pat the skin dry, paying special attention to the skin between the fingers.
- After drying the skin, cotton pads or tampons soaked in a hydrogen peroxide solution are applied to the affected areas.The pads are attached to the damaged areas using adhesive tape.After applying tampons, the leg in the area affected by the infection is wrapped in a towel.This type of compress should be kept for 4 to 50 minutes.The procedure should be carried out twice a day with a break of twelve hours.
- After the nails have 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 hydrogen peroxide solution.To do this, you will need to take two liters of water and dissolve 100 ml of peroxide in it.You need to spray your feet in the resulting solution 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 perform this procedure once a day.
Another benefit of using peroxide is that it can speed up processes that promote healing.Under its influence, pathogenic microorganisms stop multiplying and spreading to new areas.In addition, when using this chemical compound, the development of a relapse of the infectious process can be avoided.
Pregnant women suffering from an infection should pay special attention to the chemical.Since its use does not lead to negative consequences either for the mother's body or for the unborn child.
Treatment of advanced forms of the disease
An old and neglected fungus can threaten a patient with loss of a nail;therefore, therapeutic measures should begin as early as possible.It is advisable to start healing in the early stages of the infectious process, when the first signs of damage appear.
If the nail plate has become thick and acquired a loose, scaly appearance, therapeutic measures can be significantly delayed.
Before starting treatment for fungal infection, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the factor contributing to the development of microorganisms.There is a whole range of fairly effective remedies in the fight against old and advanced infections.
The following methods can be used at home:
- The skin around the affected area is lubricated with a nourishing cream and peroxide kombucha is applied to the sore spot.After which 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 using a solution of potassium permanganate.
When using the second method, the legs should be steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate and a compress made from a previously prepared pasty 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 eliminated.
When treating an old form of the fungus, the use of topical antifungal creams and oral medications will be necessary.
The use of compresses based on 5% sulfur ointment and iodine-based preparations has an excellent effect.In addition, it is recommended to nourish the nail daily with essential oils of lavender and tea tree.
Use of medications during home treatment
To get rid of an infectious process, tablets should be selected by the attending physician.The modern pharmaceutical market offers patients a wide choice of these drugs.
When using antifungal drugs at home, remember that they all have a large number of contraindications that must be taken into account when taking them.
Additionally, all of these medications can cause a number of side effects in the patient.For this reason, self-prescription of these medications is contraindicated;they should only be taken if prescribed by the treating physician.
Currently, pharmacies offer patients tablets to treat fungal infections, as well as effective products in the form of creams and gels.
If no positive effects are observed when using prescribed medications at home, you should immediately contact your doctor for advice and adjustment of the medication used.
If it becomes necessary to remove the nail plate, you can use special creams applied in the form of a compress.
After exposure to the compress, the softened part of the nail is cleaned with a nail file.This procedure should be done daily until the nail bed is completely clean.
Prevention of the occurrence of diseases
The most effective method of fighting fungal infections is to prevent infection.
To avoid the occurrence of an infectious process, you should use only individual pedicure products.To carry out hygiene procedures, you must have your own towel.You shouldn't put someone else's shoes on your feet.
Getting rid of the infection is a complex, time-consuming and expensive business, so you should strive to prevent infection.For this purpose, it is recommended to regularly clean the toilets, bathroom and rooms of the house using disinfectants.
When visiting the swimming pool, sauna and bathhouse, you must wear special shoes.Which should be individual.After bathing and showering, it is recommended to dry the skin, especially the skin between the fingers.
If you have a tendency to diabetes, you need to regularly monitor the level of glucose in the body, since the presence of an increased content of this component in the body is a factor contributing to the development of a viral infection on the skin of the legs.
Be sure to wash your feet daily with soap and dry your shoes if they get wet.It is also necessary to change socks.
When choosing shoe models, it is recommended to give preference to varieties that do not restrict movements and are able to pass air freely.
When purchasing socks, tights, stockings and shoes, choose quality products.
Among other things, to prevent the appearance of a fungal infection, it is recommended to control your diet.When certain vitamins and nutritional compounds are lacking in the diet, the body becomes worn out and easily susceptible to infections.To replenish the loss of vitamins and biologically active compounds, it is recommended to consume more vegetables and fruits, especially in spring, when the lack of vitamins in the body is particularly acute.
It is imperative to monitor the condition of the nails and the skin surrounding them on the feet daily;it is necessary to prune them in a timely manner, using disinfected personal tools for this purpose.