Nail mycosis - onychomycosis - is a disease caused by parasitic fungi.This type of disease occurs in 20% of the adult population.Infection with a fungus occurs quite easily;to do this it is sufficient to touch the skin of the feet with a surface containing these fungi.
Infection can occur, for example, in a public toilet 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 tools for manicure and pedicure.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 high prevalence of this pathology, almost every person 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 deal with the disease in 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 allow anyone to use them independently.
To cure the disease in the initial stages of the 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 the following:
- 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 15-20 minutes.After this time, you should let your feet dry.The procedures should be performed over two weeks.Gradually, the fungus begins to disappear and a healthy nail takes the place of the damaged one.
- It is recommended to lubricate the skin and nails affected by a fungal infection with tea tree oil three times a day.For a single use, 4 to 10 drops of oil will be needed.The antifungal effect resulting from the use of this drug is observed two weeks after starting therapy.In some cases, an extension of the treatment course is necessary.The use of this remedy is prohibited in the treatment of diseases in children and pregnant women.
- Using Kombucha.For treatment, you should prepare a compress.For this purpose, you should wrap a plate of kombucha in cellophane and wrap a bandage around your leg, after these manipulations you should put on socks.The procedure should be performed at night, before bedtime.In the morning you need to 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 treatment method is the appearance of rather severe pain, but the advantage of the method is the rapid achievement of a positive result of therapy.
- The infection can be treated by using swabs with propolis.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.Which leads to an acceleration of the healing process.
If, when using traditional methods, no improvement in the condition is found, it is necessary to 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 means to help fight toenail fungus is iodine solution.Removing iodine infection is quite simple.Moreover, this method of destruction is cheap and accessible to everyone.
Most experts in traditional treatment methods recommend starting treatment of infection with iodine solution, which is most likely due to the availability of this remedy and its widespread use.Medical iodine solution has pronounced disinfectant and antiseptic properties.
For treatment, it is necessary to use iodine daily, the solution is applied to the damaged areas of the skin of the foot and nail.
To treat mycosis of the feet at home using 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 ball.It is better to drip the drug solution directly onto the nail plate.
Using iodine in the treatment of fungal infections can speed healing of damaged areas, allowing the skin to recover.To provide a more significant antifungal effect during procedures, it is recommended to treat not only the affected areas, but also the areas adjacent to the wound.
When treating the affected nail, it is enough to apply a drop of the medical 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, damaged tissue is removed from the affected areas without causing injury to 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 in the morning and in the evening, and the course of treatment lasts more than two weeks.
How to deal with vinegar?
You can get rid of a fungal infection with vinegar.To carry out the procedure it is necessary 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 performed daily before going to bed.The usual course of such therapy lasts 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 component ratio.When treating a fungal infection, moisten a gauze or bandage with the resulting solution and apply it to the damaged nail.It is recommended to wear this bandage for 4 hours a day until the infection is completely healed.
In addition to these treatment methods, there are other recipes of folk remedies based on vinegar, the most common of them are the following:
- egg and vinegar ointment;
- using pure vinegar;
- using wine vinegar.
In the preparation of vinegar-based products it is possible to use vinegar essence, previously diluted with water to the desired concentration.
Treatment of fungus with celandine
Using celandine at home can help cure the infection.It is recommended to lubricate the nail plate 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 a fresh, just harvested plant.
Partly fresh juice can be used immediately after receiving it, while part juice can be left to ferment in a dark place for a period of 2-3 weeks.Celandine therapy takes a long time;you need to carry out the procedures until a new nail grows.
Celandine can be used to treat pathology in a mixture with alcohol.For this purpose, a juice solution with 70% alcohol in a 1:1 ratio is prepared.The prepared solution is applied to the affected areas 4 times a day.
For therapy, you can use dried herbs of celandine.For this purpose, 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 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 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 the treatment of damaged areas.
When using peroxide, you must follow the instructions for use.
Therapy with a solution of hydrogen peroxide can be carried out according to the following scheme:
- A hot foot bath is carried out, to which copper sulphate is added.The feet are placed in the solution and steamed thoroughly.
- After steaming, dry your skin with a clean towel, paying particular attention to the skin between your fingers.
- After drying the skin, cotton pads or swabs soaked in a solution of hydrogen peroxide are applied to the affected areas.The pads are fixed to the damaged areas using adhesive tape.After applying the swabs, the leg in the area affected by the infection is wrapped in a towel.This type of compress should be kept for 4-50 minutes.The procedure should be performed twice a day with a twelve-hour break.
- After your toenails become light, you should trim 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 hydrogen 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 dried with a clean towel, and the softened nail is carefully filed with a nail file.At the end of the damaged nail removal procedure, an antifungal cream is applied to the treated area.It is recommended to perform this procedure once a day.
An added 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, it is possible to avoid the development of a relapse of the infectious process.
Pregnant women suffering from the infection should pay special attention to the chemical.Since 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, neglected fungus can threaten a patient with the loss of a nail;for this reason therapeutic measures should begin as soon as possible.It is recommended to start recovery in the very early stages of the infectious process, when the first signs of damage appear.
If the nail plate has become thick and has acquired a loose, flaky appearance, therapeutic measures can be significantly delayed.
Before starting therapy for 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 very effective in fighting old and advanced infections.
At home you can use the following methods:
- The skin around the affected area is lubricated with a nourishing cream, and peroxidized kombucha is applied to the sore spot.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 using a solution of potassium permanganate.
When using the second method, the legs should be steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate, and on the damaged areas it is necessary to apply a compress consisting of a pre-prepared pasty mixture of alcohol and propolis.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.
In the process of treating an old form of fungus, the use of topical antifungal creams and oral medications will be required.
An excellent effect has the use of compresses based on 5% sulfur ointment and prepared with iodine.In addition, it is recommended to nourish the nail with lavender and tea tree essential oils daily.
Use of medications during home treatment
When eliminating an infectious process, tablets should be selected by the attending physician.The modern pharmaceutical market offers patients a wide 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.
Furthermore, 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 your doctor.
Currently, pharmacies offer patients tablets for the treatment of fungal infections, as well as effective products in the form of creams and gels.
If you do not observe any positive effects with the use of prescribed medications at home, contact your doctor immediately for advice and to change the medication used.
If it becomes necessary 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 done daily until the nail bed is completely clean.
Prevention of the onset of the disease
The most effective method to fight fungal infections is to prevent the infection.
To prevent the occurrence of an infectious process, it is necessary to use only individual pedicure products.To carry out hygiene procedures you need to have your own towel.You should not put someone else's shoes on your feet.
Eliminating the infection is a complex, time-consuming and economically expensive undertaking, so efforts must be made to prevent the infection.For this purpose it is recommended to regularly clean the toilet, bathroom and rooms in the house using disinfectants.
When visiting the swimming pool, sauna and bathhouse you need to wear special shoes.Which should be individual.After visiting the toilet and shower, it is recommended to dry the skin, especially the one 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 legs.
Be sure to wash your feet every day 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 those varieties that do not restrict movement and are able to allow air to pass freely.
When purchasing socks, tights, stockings and shoes, you should give preference to quality products.
Among other things, to prevent the occurrence of a fungal infection, it is recommended to control your diet.With the lack of certain vitamins and nutritional compounds in the diet, the body becomes worn out and is easily susceptible to infections.To replenish the loss of vitamins and biologically active compounds, it is recommended to consume more fruits and vegetables, 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 skin around the feet every day;it is necessary to trim them promptly, using disinfected personal tools for this purpose.