Onychomycosis is a disease caused by parasitic fungi.This type of disease occurs in 20% of the adult population.Fungal infections occur quite easily;To do this, it is enough to touch the skin of your feet on the surface with such fungus.
Infection can occur, for example, in public baths or swimming pools;In some cases, fungal infections occur when trying on shoes in a store or when visiting a beauty salon where poorly sterilized manicure and pedicure tools are used.Infection can occur when using shoes worn by a person with fungal infection several months ago;This condition leads to reinfection.
When the first symptoms of a fungal infection appear, treatment should begin immediately.Because of the high prevalence of this condition, most people should know how to treat toenail fungus at home.
Popular folk methods to treat nail fungus
Timely treatment of nail fungus at home using the fastest methods allows you to effectively cope with this disease at the earliest stages of infection.
When treating nail fungus with folk remedies, you can use quite simple and effective treatment methods.Folk remedies have simple recipes and simple procedures, allowing everyone to use them independently.
To treat the disease at the initial stage 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 as follows:
- 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 procedure should be performed in two weeks.Gradually, the fungus begins to disappear and healthy nails replace the damaged nails.
- It is recommended to lubricate skin and nail areas affected by fungal infections with tea tree oil three times a day.For one-time use, you will need 4 to 10 drops of oil.The antifungal effect from the use of this drug is observed two weeks after the start of treatment.In some cases, it is necessary to prolong the course of treatment.This remedy is prohibited for use in the treatment of diseases in children and pregnant women.
- Use Kombucha.For treatment, you should prepare a compress.To do this, you should wrap the kombucha plate in cellophane and wrap a bandage around your leg. After these manipulations, you should put on socks.The procedure must be performed at night, before going to bed.In the morning, you need to wash your lower limbs with warm water.And remove dead areas and lubricate the places where they have been removed with an iodine solution.One of the side effects of this treatment is the appearance of quite strong pain, but the advantage of this method is that positive results of therapy are quickly achieved.
- Infections can be cured by using sanitary napkins with propolis.For this purpose, you can use propolis tincture or its extract.This product can be used daily.Contact with propolis will accelerate the growth of the nail plate.This leads to an acceleration of the healing process.
If, 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 methods to help fight toenail fungus is iodine solution.Removing infection with iodine is quite easy.In addition, this method of destruction is inexpensive and accessible to everyone.
Most experts on traditional treatments recommend starting the infection treatment with an iodine solution, most likely because this remedy is readily available and widely used.Medical iodine solution has pronounced disinfectant and antiseptic properties.
For treatment, you need to use iodine daily, the solution is applied to damaged skin on 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 area twice a day.Treatment of affected areas is carried out with a cotton swab or swab.It is best to drip the drug solution directly onto the nail plate.
The use of iodine in the treatment of fungal infections can speed up the healing process of damaged areas, helping to restore the skin.To provide a more significant antifungal effect during the procedure, it is recommended to treat not only the affected areas, but also the areas adjacent to the wound.
When treating affected nails, it is enough to apply just one drop of the medical preparation.
Another way to use iodine solution to kill fungus is to use this medicine as a bath.
To prepare for the bath, you need to mix half a bottle of iodine solution in a bowl of warm water and then steam your feet for 10 minutes.After the procedure, damaged tissue is removed from the affected area without causing damage to healthy skin.After removing the affected areas, the skin surface will need to be treated with hydrogen peroxide and bandaged with an antibacterial preparation.
If necessary, you can mix iodine with apple cider vinegar.This mixture can be treated in the morning and in the evening, the course of treatment lasts more than two weeks.
How to treat with vinegar?
You can get rid of fungal 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 plates three times a day.The duration of treatment is about three weeks.
Traditional medicine has developed a simple antifungal cure - baths with apple cider vinegar, which are taken daily before bedtime.The usual course 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 1:1 component ratio.When treating a fungal infection, moisten gauze or bandage with the resulting solution and apply to the damaged nail.This bandage should be worn for 4 hours every day until the infection is completely cured.
In addition to these treatments, there are other vinegar-based folk healing recipes, the most popular of which are:
- egg and vinegar ointment;
- use pure vinegar;
- Use wine vinegar.
When preparing vinegar-based products, vinegar essence that has been previously diluted with water to the desired concentration can be used.
Treat fungus with celandine
Using celandine at home can help cure infections.It is recommended to lubricate the deformed and fungally infected nail plate with celandine juice with a cotton swab three times a day.For this purpose, juice is pressed from a freshly picked plant.
Part of the fresh juice can be used immediately after receipt, and part of the juice can be fermented in a dark place for a period of 2-3 weeks.Celandine therapy takes quite a while;it is necessary to carry out the procedure until the new nail grows out.
Celandine can be used to treat pathology by mixing it with alcohol.For this purpose, the 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 treatment, you can use dried celandine.To do this, this 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 will be a porridge-like mass.
Using the resulting composition, apply to the damaged nail plate.
The use of hydrogen peroxide in treatment
Hydrogen peroxide is not a preparation capable of destroying fungal infections.The use of a solution containing this chemical allows you to stop and stop 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 use.
Treatment with hydrogen peroxide solution can be carried out according to the following scheme:
- A heated foot bath is made, with the addition of copper sulfate.The feet are placed in the solution and steamed well.
- After steaming, use a clean towel to dry your skin, paying special attention to the area between your fingers.
- After drying the skin, cotton pads or cotton swabs soaked in hydrogen peroxide solution are applied to the affected area.Sanitary pads are fixed to damaged areas with adhesive tape.After applying the tampon, the leg in the infected area will be 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 the toenails become light, you should trim the soft areas of the nail plate and apply antifungal cream to the surface.
The disease will heal much faster if you use a special foot bath prepared with a hydrogen peroxide solution.For this purpose, you will 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 foot 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 will be applied to the treatment area.It is recommended to carry out this procedure once a day.
Another benefit of using peroxide is that it can speed up the process of promoting 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 recurrence of the infectious process.
Pregnant women with infections need to pay special attention to chemicals.Since its use does not cause negative consequences for both the mother's body and the fetus.
Treatment of progressive forms of the disease
An old and neglected fungus can threaten patients with the loss of nails;For this reason, treatments should begin as soon as possible.Recovery should begin at the early stages of the infection when the first signs of damage appear.
If the nail plate becomes thick and has a loose and flaky appearance, treatments may be significantly delayed.
Before starting treatment for fungal infections, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the factor that contributes to the development of microorganisms.There are many remedies that are quite effective in the fight against old and severe infections.
The following methods can be used at home:
- The skin around the affected area is lubricated with a nourishing cream and peroxidized kombucha is applied to the sore spot.The damaged area is then wrapped in polyethylene and secured with a bandage, which is applied overnight and the procedure is performed several times;
- You can get rid of old or forgotten fungal diseases with a solution of potassium permanganate.
When using the second method, the leg must be steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate and applied to the damaged area with a compress made from a pre-prepared paste of alcohol and propolis.The compression is fixed with a bandage.The procedure should be carried out every other day until the pathological process is completely eliminated.
During the treatment of older forms of fungus, it will be necessary to use topical antifungal creams and oral medications.
The use of compresses based on 5% sulfur ointment and preparations with iodine gives excellent results.In addition, you should nourish your nails daily with lavender and tea tree essential oils.
Use medication during home treatment
When eliminating the infectious process, the drug should be selected by the attending physician.The modern pharmaceutical market offers patients a wide choice of such drugs.
When using antifungal medications at home, you should remember that they all have many contraindications that need to be kept in mind when used.
In addition, these drugs can cause some side effects for patients.For this reason, self-prescription of these drugs is contraindicated;they should only be taken if prescribed by the attending physician.
Currently, pharmacies offer patients pills for the treatment of fungal infections as well as effective products in the form of creams and gels.
If you do not see positive effects when using prescribed medication at home, you should immediately contact your doctor for advice and to adjust the medication you are using.
If it is necessary to remove the nail plate, you can use special creams applied in the form of a compress.
After contact with the gauze pad, the soft part of the nail will be cleaned with a nail file.This procedure should be performed daily until the nail bed is completely clean.
Prevent disease from appearing
The most effective method to fight fungal infections is to prevent infection.
To prevent the occurrence of infectious processes, you should only use individual pedicure care products.To carry out hygiene procedures, you must have your own towel.You should not wear other people's shoes on your feet.
Removing an infection is a complicated, time-consuming and financially expensive task, so you need to try to prevent infections.For this purpose, it is recommended to regularly clean toilets, bathrooms and rooms in the house with disinfectants.
When visiting swimming pools, saunas and bathhouses, you must wear special shoes.Which should be personal.After bathing, dry your skin, especially the area between your fingers.
If you have a tendency to diabetes, you should regularly monitor the level of glucose in the body, since an increase in the content of this component in the body is a contributing factor to the development of viral infections on the skin of the feet.
Remember to wash your feet daily with soap and dry your shoes if they get wet.It's also essential to change your socks.
When choosing shoe models, priority should be given to models that do not restrict movement and can freely let air pass through.
When buying socks, tights, socks, and shoes, you should prioritize quality products.
Among other things, to prevent the occurrence of fungal infections, you should control your diet.When there is a lack of certain vitamins and nutritional compounds in the diet, the body becomes exhausted and susceptible to infection.To replenish the lost amount of vitamins and biologically active compounds, it is recommended to consume more vegetables and fruits, especially in spring, when vitamin deficiency in the body is especially severe.
It is imperative to monitor the condition of the nails and skin around the feet daily;It is necessary to prune them promptly using personal sterilized tools for this purpose.