Nail fungus - Onychomycosis - is a disease caused by a parasitic fungus.This type of disease occurs in 20% of the adult population.Infection with fungi occurs easily;To do this, it is enough to touch the skin of your feet with a surface that has such a fungus.
Infection can occur, for example, in public baths or swimming pools;In some cases, infection with a fungal infection occurs when trying on shoes in a store or when visiting a beauty salon, which uses accidental instruments for manicures and pedicures.Infection can occur when using shoes worn by people infected with the fungus several months ago;This situation leads to re-infection.
When the first symptoms of a fungal infection appear, treatment should begin immediately.Due to the prevalence of this pathology, almost everyone should know how to treat nail fungus at home.
Popular folk methods for treating nail fungus
Timely treatment of nail fungus at home using the fastest method allows you to overcome this disease in the early stages of the infection process.
When treating nail fungus with folk remedies, you can use relatively simple and effective therapy methods.Folk remedies have simple recipes and simple procedures, which allow anyone to use them freely.
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-based compresses.
The most popular recipes are as follows:
- Soak your feet once or twice a day in a mixture of apple cider vinegar and warm water in a 1:1 ratio. The soaking time is 15-20 minutes.After this time, you should allow your feet to dry.The procedure should be carried out for two weeks.Gradually, the fungus begins to go away, and healthy nails take the place of damaged nails.
- It is recommended to lubricate the skin plate and nails affected by the fungal infection with tea tree oil three times a day.For one use, you need 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 treatment is necessary.This medicine is prohibited for use in the treatment of diseases in children and pregnant women.
- Using kombucha.For treatment, you need to prepare a compress.For this purpose, you need to wrap a piece of kombucha in cellophane and wrap a bandage around your feet, after this manipulation you should wear socks.This procedure must be done at night, before bedtime.In the morning, you need to wash your body parts 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 treatment method is the appearance of rather strong pain, but the advantage of this method is the rapid achievement of positive results of therapy.
- Infections can be cured using tampons with propolis.For this purpose, you can use Propolis Tinctures or its extract.This product can be used every day.Exposure to Propolis accelerates the growth of the nail plate.Which leads to the acceleration of the healing process.
If, when using traditional methods, there is no improvement in this condition, then you should seek help from a doctor to perform an examination and prescribe complex therapy to treat the pathology.
The use of iodine in the treatment of toenail fungus
One way to help fight toenail fungus is iodine solution.Removing the infection with iodine is quite simple.In addition, this method of destruction is cheap and accessible to everyone.
Most experts in traditional treatment methods recommend starting treatment for infections with iodine solution, which is most likely due to the availability of this drug and its widespread use.Medical iodine solutions have pronounced disinfectant and antiseptic properties.
For treatment, you need to use iodine every day, the solution is applied to damaged areas of the skin of the feet and nails.
To treat athlete's foot at home using an iodine solution, you need to apply a few drops to the affected area twice a day.Treatment of the affected area is carried out using cotton swabs or cotton swabs.It is better to drip the drug solution directly onto the nail plate.
The use of iodine in the treatment of fungal infections can accelerate the healing of the damaged area, which makes it possible to restore the skin.To provide a more significant antifungal effect during the procedure, it is recommended to treat not only the affected area, but also the area adjacent to the wound.
When treating the affected nails, it is enough to apply one drop of the medical composition.
Another way to use iodine solution to kill fungus is to use a bath 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, damaged tissue is removed from the affected area without causing injury to healthy skin.After removing the affected area, the skin surface should be treated with hydrogen peroxide and a bandage with an antibacterial composition used.
If necessary, you can mix iodine with apple cider vinegar.This mixture can be treated in the morning and evening, and the treatment lasts more than two weeks.
How to treat with vinegar?
You can get rid of yeast infections 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 plate three times a day.The duration of treatment is about three weeks.
Traditional medicine has developed a simple antifungal remedy - a bath with the addition of apple cider vinegar, which is done every day 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 ratio of 1: 1 components. When treating a fungal infection, moisten the gauze or bandage with the resulting solution and apply to the damaged nail.It is recommended to wear this bandage for 4 hours a day until the infection is completely cured.
In addition to this method of treatment, there are other recipes for folk remedies based on vinegar, the most common of which are the following:
- 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.
Fungus treatment with celandine
Using celandine at home can help cure the infection.It is recommended to lubricate the nail plate that has become deformed and infected with a fungal infection with celandine juice using a cotton swab three times a day.For this purpose, juice is squeezed from new and recently selected plants.
Partially fresh juice can be used immediately after receiving it, and partially juice can be fermented in a dark place for a period of 2-3 weeks.Celandine therapy takes a long time;It is necessary to carry out the procedure 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 1:1 ratio. The prepared solution is applied to the affected area 4 times a day.
For therapy, you can use dry herb Celandine.For this purpose, the herb must be ground in a coffee grinder to a powder state and mixed with iodine oil, vinegar or tea.The result of mixing 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 fungal infections.The use of this chemical solution allows you to stop and prevent the development of pathology.
Peroxide is characterized by the presence of clear deodorizing properties, so it is suitable 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.Feet are placed in the solution and steamed well.
- After steaming, use a clean towel to dry the skin, paying special attention to the skin between the fingers.
- After drying the skin, a cotton pad or swab soaked in a hydrogen peroxide solution is applied to the affected area.The tampon is secured to the damaged area using adhesive tape.After applying the tampon, the leg in the area affected by the infection is wrapped in a towel.This kind of compression should be kept for 4-50 minutes.This procedure should be done twice a day with a break of twelve hours.
- After the toenail becomes light, you should cut the soft area of the nail plate and apply antifungal cream to the surface.
This disease will disappear faster if you use a special foot bath prepared with hydrogen peroxide solution.For this purpose, you need to take two liters of water and dissolve 100 ml of peroxide in it.You need to steam your feet in the resulting solution for 20 minutes.
After the procedure, the skin of the feet is wiped dry with a clean towel, and the softened nails are carefully filed with a nail file.At the end of the procedure to remove damaged nails, antifungal cream is applied to the treated area.It is recommended to perform this procedure once a day.
An additional benefit of using peroxide is that it can speed up the process that promotes healing.Under its influence, pathogenic microorganisms stop multiplying and spread 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 infections should pay special attention to chemicals.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
Old and neglected fungus can threaten patients with nail loss;For this reason, therapeutic measures should start as early as possible.It is advisable to start recovery at the initial stage of the infectious process when the first signs of damage appear.
If the nail plate has become thick and has acquired a loose and loose appearance, then therapeutic measures may be significantly delayed.
Before starting therapy for fungal infections, it is necessary to identify and eliminate factors that contribute to the development of microorganisms.There are various remedies that are quite effective in combating 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 peroxa kombucha is applied to the sore spot.After that, the damaged area is wrapped with polyethylene and fixed with a bandage, this bandage is used overnight, and the procedure itself is carried out several times;
- You can get rid of old or neglected mycosis using potassium permanganate solution.
When using the second method, the feet should be steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate and a compress made of a pre-prepared mixture of alcohol and propolis should be applied to the damaged area.The compress is fixed with a bandage.It is recommended to carry out the procedure every day until the pathological process is completely eliminated.
In the process of treating old forms of fungus, the use of topical antifungal creams and oral medications is necessary.
The use of compresses based on 5% sulfur ointment and preparations with iodine have an excellent effect.In addition, it is recommended to nourish the nails daily with lavender and tea tree essential oils.
Use of medication during treatment at home
When eliminating the infectious process, tablets should be selected by the attending physician.The modern pharmaceutical market offers patients a choice 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 some side effects in patients.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 to treat fungal infections, as well as effective products in the form of creams and gels.
If no positive effect is observed when using prescribed medications at home, you should immediately contact your doctor for advice and adjust the medication used.
If it is necessary to remove the nail plate, you can use a special cream that is used as a compress.
After being exposed to the compress, the cleaned part of the nail is cleaned with a nail file.This procedure should be done every day until the nail bed is completely clean.
Disease prevention
The most effective method of combating fungal infections is to prevent infection.
To avoid the occurrence of an infectious process, you only need to use individual pedicure products.To carry out hygiene procedures, you must have your own towels.You can't put someone else's shoes on your feet.
Eliminating infections is a complex, time-consuming and expensive financial endeavor, so you need to work to prevent infections.For this purpose, it is recommended to clean toilets, bathrooms and rooms at home using disinfectants.
When visiting swimming pools, saunas and bathhouses, you must wear special shoes.Which should be individual.After visiting the bath and shower, it is recommended to wipe dry skin, especially the skin between the fingers.
If you have a tendency to diabetes, you should regularly monitor the level of glucose in the body, because the presence of an increased content of this component in the body is a factor that contributes to the development of viral infections on the skin of the feet.
Make sure you wash your feet every day with soap and dry your shoes if they get wet.It is also necessary to change your socks.
When choosing a shoe model, it is recommended to give preference to types that do not restrict movement and can freely allow air to pass through.
When buying socks, tights, stockings and shoes, you should give priority to quality products.
Among other things, to prevent the occurrence of fungal infections, it is recommended to control your diet.With a lack of certain vitamins and nutritional compounds in the diet, the body wears out and is susceptible to infection.To supplement 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 very acute.
It is important to monitor the condition of the nails and the skin around them on the feet every day;It is necessary to trim it in time, using personal disinfected tools for this purpose.