Treatment of toenail fungus with folk remedies is effective in the early stages of the disease. With a more advanced form, it is better to get advice from a specialist.
The best remedy for nail fungus
Few people know that with the help of vinegar you can solve the rather difficult medical problem of eliminating nail fungus. With the availability of table vinegar (9% acid solution) and even the vinegar essence (70% acid solution) available in the hardware store or market, there are many ways to treat toenail fungus with this product.
Of course, self-treatment with vinegar should be performed only if the disease has not progressed to an advanced form and it is advisable to combine it with specially created medicines. However, when there is an urgent need to treat nail fungus, and there is no money and time to visit a doctor, and there is no medical therapy, it is possible to use vinegar independently, as long as you observe proper safety. rules.
Characteristics of using vinegar for the treatment of fungi
The main effect of using vinegar is to create an acidic environment in the area of the fungal infection, which prevents the growth of hyphae and the spread of spores. Gradually, the fungus, left without access to new sources of nutrients, dies and the lack of much more persistent spores prevents the possibility of a recurrence of the disease.
At first glance, everything is very simple - how to destroy bacteria with an antiseptic. But in fact, the fungus turns out to be very durable, as its body is not located on the surface of the nail or skin, but goes to the thickness of the tissue. In this regard, a positive result from the treatment of oncomycosis should be expected only in case of strict regularity of procedures, which will not leave the parasite time for rehabilitation and penetration under the skin.
Before treating nail fungus, make sure that the concentration of acetic acid used matches the one shown in the recipe. If the recipe contains a mention of vinegar essence, then this means a 70% solution to be dispensed or applied in drops. Food or table vinegar, respectively, contain 6 and 9% acid. Neglecting these data can lead to the fact that treatment will end in a chemical burn.
Vinegar bath
Warm foot baths are considered as an effective remedy against fungi, regular use allows you to get rid of onychomycosis at an early stage without additional medications. Also, vinegar baths are an excellent prevention of fungal infection. The procedure requires warm water, about 50 ° C, and a glass of table vinegar with a concentration of 9%. The water level in the pelvis should not be high, but only up to the ankles. The feet are dipped in the solution and held there for 15 minutes.
Before bathing with vinegar, it is desirable to perform a complete pedicure procedure, including removing the affected areas of the nail plate and dead layers of skin, calluses and corns on the feet, but without applying a decorative layer on the nails. If you cut and paint your nails yourself, then you should do so very carefully, as micro-damage to the skin can contribute to the spread of a fungal infection.
Immediately after the vinegar bath dry your feet with a towel and wear cotton socks. Repeat three times a week.
Acetic creams
Lotions in areas affected by the fungus are best done after baths with vinegar. For this, both pharmacy products and pure 9% vinegar are suitable, in which a cotton pad is wetted and applied to the nail for fifteen minutes.
A more complex recipe: a mixture of vodka or medical alcohol forty degrees, glycerin and 70% acetic acid in equal proportions, mix until smooth. A cotton swab moistened with a solution is held for fifteen minutes in the affected areas, after which cotton socks are worn. The course of treatment is one week, if necessary, can be repeated after a few days.
Ointment
Vinegar-based ointments are stored for a long time, they are more convenient to use than products with liquid consistency. To prepare an acetic oil, you need to take 70% acetic acid, dimethyl phthalates, glycerin and olive oil in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1, respectively. After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, the ointment is ready for use.
To prevent the spread of a fungal infection and to destroy its pathogens, you should apply the oil daily on the affected areas with a cotton swab, hold it for 8-10 hours and then rinse it with laundry soap. You can use this recipe not only for the treatment of onychomycosis of the toenails, but also on the affected fingernails.
Treat toenail fungus with tea tree oil
Ways to use tea tree oil:
- Foot bath with tea tree oil. Pour warm water up to the level of the joints in the basin, add 15-20 drops of essential oil and keep the feet in it for twenty minutes, maintaining a high water temperature (45-50 ° C). The course of treatment is two months, you need to take a bath every day. During the treatment procedure, it is necessary to remove the affected areas of the nail plate using a file, scissors or scissors.
- Apply the oil to the nail plate. If you do not have a reaction to undiluted tea tree oil, then to increase the effectiveness of the effect, it is applied in its pure form to the affected areas of the nail. Preliminarily, the feet are steamed in warm water with the addition of laundry soap (for better digestion, it can be ground). The oil is rubbed into the nail plate with a cotton swab twice a day, it is not necessary to wash the product.
How to quickly cure toenail fungus?
Internal and external use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of infectious and other diseases was described by Professor Neumyvakin in a book written on the basis of personal experience. He mentions hydrogen peroxide as a prophylactic with antibacterial properties.
External use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of a fungal infection is performed after evaporation of the feet in warm water with soda dissolved in the amount of one teaspoon per liter. When the nail plates become soft, grab a small fragment of the affected nail area with manicure pliers and, after moistening it with a 3% peroxide solution, stick it to the nail plate. Let it act for 10-15 minutes on the nails or 40 minutes to an hour on foot. Perform the procedure twice a day until the symptoms of a fungal infection disappear.
To reduce the evaporation of peroxide and increase the intensity of exposure, the nail plate with lotion is wrapped with plastic wrap. Once the exposure time has elapsed, rinse your toes and hands thoroughly under running water.
For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, it is recommended to insert the nail cavity with hydrogen peroxide three times a day.
Good results are given by hand and foot baths (depending on the location of onychomycosis) with hydrogen peroxide. Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in water at a temperature of 40-50 ° C in the amount of two tablespoons per liter of water. The procedure time is fifteen minutes, the regularity of the procedure is twice a day for a week.
Instead of hydrogen peroxide, in this recipe dead redox negative water can also be used, also called anolite water. Anolytic water is safe for use on sensitive skin, but has antiseptic properties that reduce the growth rate of fungi.
Effective treatment for advanced nail fungus
This extreme method of treating a fungal infection is used for severe lesions of the nail plate, it should be used carefully so as not to damage the skin.
To get rid of the fungus, the nail is treated with a rust neutralizer (available at an auto parts store). This product contains phosphoric acid, which effectively destroys the fungus, but if used carelessly, can damage skin tissues. Therefore, in the process of using it, it is necessary to observe safety precautions - to work in a well-ventilated area, wear goggles and rubber gloves, avoiding contact with the skin and mucous membranes.
A safer way would be to use kerosene, which also has a high penetrating power and a very large effect on the fungus.
Other popular remedies for nail fungus
Comprehensive treatment of toenail fungus using popular recipes based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and get rid of the unpleasant smell and other related symptoms forever.
Two effective folk remedies against a fungal infection:
- Peroxide recipe 1. To prepare the healing mixture, you will need melted soda (0, 5 cups), hot water (4 cups), 3% hydrogen peroxide (0, 25 cups) and half a cup of sulfatemagnesium or Epsom salts. Mix all the ingredients well and add a quarter cup of vinegar. Soak a cotton swab with the resulting solution and fix it to the nail plate affected by the fungus with a piece. You need to renew the bandage every ten hours, the course of treatment is one month.
- Recipes with peroxide 2. The procedure for treating mushrooms according to this recipe consists of three stages. First, you need to prepare a solution for treating nail surfaces and skin affected by the fungus - mix 3% vinegar and peroxide in a concentration of 3% in a 1: 1 ratio. The feet are treated with this mixture while it cracks. The second stage is dipping the fingers with a fungal infection of the nails for half a minute in a weak solution of bleach in water, after which they are thoroughly washed under running water and wiped dry with a towel. Finally, tea tree oil mixed with Vaseline in equal proportions is applied to the nail plate. Wear warm socks or gloves (if this technique has been used to treat nail oncomycosis). The course of treatment is one week.
- Novokaine lotion. A very simple but effective folk remedy in treating fungus is novocaine lotion. Simply moisten a piece of cotton wool with novocaine and apply it to the fungus overnight. Just two of these creams are enough to get rid of the fungus forever.
- Tincture of apricot resin: 1 tablespoon of resin removed from the tree, pour a glass of vodka, insist for three days. Paint the skin of the feet and nails with this solution. Shake before each use. It took us a month to heal, the affected nails were cut while peeling, they grew young, healthy. On examination, the doctor confirmed the fact of healing. I can also recommend using old thickened sunflower oil in this case.
- Garlic applications: I took a clove of garlic, squeezed it with a garlic press, put the mass on the nail, covered it with cellophane and wrapped it in bandage or placed it on the tip of my finger. I left the bandage until morning, the first days I felt a throbbing pain, like an abscess, but I had to endure it. The procedures were repeated daily and new nails were grown.
- Strong coffee. Few people know that ordinary but strong coffee is a very good folk remedy for treating mold. Make your coffee stronger and just dip your hands or feet into the cup, depending on where you have the fungus. This procedure is best performed in the evening, before going to bed. The fungus disappears completely after some such procedures in the evening. At the same time, the skin becomes smooth and the pain disappears quickly.
What Causes Infection From Nail Fungus
Nail fungus, or as it is called in medicine, onychomycosis, is a disease that causes damage to the nail plates and areas adjacent to parasitic fungal microorganisms. This is one of the subgroups of mycoses. If we consider all the diseases to which only the feet can be subject, onychomycosis is the most common.
It can be caused by several groups of fungi:
- epidermophyte;
- dermatophytic;
- microsporia.
You can catch the infection in public places where the humidity is excessive. These include baths, steam rooms, swimming pools, beaches.
Wooden objects (benches, deck chairs, etc. ) are widely used here. Due to the porosity of the wood, the fungus is difficult to kill there.
In addition, doctors distinguish several risk groups. For people belonging to one of them, the likelihood of infection increases dramatically.
Ajo:
- the elderly;
- cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy;
- after a course of treatment with antibiotics or steroids;
- infected with HIV;
- patients with diabetes.
It is not always possible to get rid of the disease quickly. The rate of cure depends on the variety of parasite that caused it, the stage of disease development, the area of the lesion, the presence of complications and concomitant diseases, and the general condition of the body.
Symptoms of onychomycosis
Nail damage from a parasitic fungus can not go unnoticed. The symptomatic changes in the nail plates are quite pronounced and go down in the following.
- Lost natural luster, transparency.
- The color is changing. It can be yellow, brown, white, bluish, green, gray.
- Surface roughness appears.
- There are clear lines, stains and thickenings.
- Stratification is observed.
- There is exfoliation from the nail bed.
- Different areas are painted and crushed.
- The surrounding tissues may become red, swollen, and itchy.
- There is a sensation of pain.
- The feet give off an unpleasant odor.
Despite all this, self-diagnosis can be difficult. At the beginning of development, the signs of onychomycosis are similar to the symptoms of some other lesions:
- damage to the nail area;
- age modifications;
- onycholysis;
- nail psoriasis;
- paronikia;
- oniki pseudomonike.
How To Get Rid Of Toenail Fungus Quickly With Remedies And Folk Remedies
You need to be realistic and understand that fungal infection of the nail and nail areas is not treated within a week. According to doctors, the recovery period can last from 6-8 weeks to six months, and sometimes 8-12 months.
It depends on many factors as well as the activity of the nail growth. In the hands, this process proceeds much faster than in the feet, and that is why the cure here comes earlier.
The best and fastest possible positive results can be obtained if you follow the following recommendations.
- Use a variety of therapeutic measures in the complex. Do not rely on the effectiveness of any miracle medicine. Competently combine pharmacological preparations and prescriptions of traditional medicine.
- Treatment should be active, but mild-aggressive agents, often used for therapeutic purposes, should not affect healthy areas of the body located in close proximity to the affected ones.
- Strictly observe hygiene requirements so that the fungus does not spread, also to avoid re-infection immediately after treatment. And the chances of that are very high.
- Take care of drying the affected limbs. Remember that humidity and heat are ideal conditions for active reproduction of fungi.
- Eliminate all the causes that caused the onychomycosis to appear and eliminate them.
- Every day, carefully but as much as possible, cut the growing edge of the affected nail. If possible, go through the laser exposure procedure, which very effectively inhibits the pathological activity of pathogens.
Pharmacological agents
Means that act against pathogens are usually divided into three subgroups depending on the active ingredients. Each of them has in its arsenal both external oils and tablets with general action throughout the body.
It should be borne in mind that the latter have an extensive list of side effects. Therefore, you do not have to prescribe medication yourself. To minimize the risks, you should undergo an examination, identify which types of fungi caused the disease, and act on the "targeting" medications.
Subgroups of antifungal drugs
- Azole agents. They are based on triazole or imidazole as well as their derivatives. Depending on the concentration, they exhibit fungistatic or fungicidal effects. They are effective in fighting mold and yeast-like fungi.
- allylamine agents. The active ingredients may be terbinafine, naftifine, butenafine. They are able to stop the growth of fungi, and also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Other drugs. They act on the basis of additives of flucytosine, morpholine, griseofulvin, chlorornitrophenol. They are distinguished by a closer activity targeting several species of fungal pathogens.
External funds
At the beginning of the development of onychomycotic lesions, you should turn only to the help of ointments. Only if they prove ineffective are tablet antifungals administered.
Difference between creams and ointments:
- have a direct effect on lesions;
- relatively harmless;
- have fewer contraindications;
- Adverse reactions are limited.
If you catch the disease early in development, then it will be possible to cope with it within a month.
The most popular antifungal creams and ointments
- Zinc ointment. Allows you to relieve inflammation, dry the affected areas, get rid of itching, get an absorbent effect.
- Naftifine based. Fights inflammation, has an antimicrobial effect. The agent is prone to accumulation on treated surfaces. Use the oil no more than twice a day. The tool is not used during pregnancy and lactation.
Use of tablets
To ensure a systemic effect throughout the body, the doctor prescribes tablets by mouth. Broad-spectrum drugs are prescribed.
- based on fluconazole. It is enough to take it only once a day. Funds are well tolerated. In rare cases, intestinal disorders and redness may occur. The course of treatment can be 1-4 weeks.
- Based on terbinafine. It can accumulate on the skin and its horny formations (hair, nails). The course of treatment is at least 6 weeks. 1 tablet per day is required. The drug is not given to young children, pregnant and lactating women. May provoke migraine, muscle and joint pain, allergies, anorexia.
All medications for nail fungus on the hands or feet should be taken only after consulting a doctor.
How To Treat Toenail Fungus With Folk Remedies At Home
First of all, you should strictly adhere to all medical recommendations, do not skip taking medications and carry out treatment until the end, and do not interrupt the course after the elimination of particularly annoying symptoms.
In addition, you should:
- use local baths regularly;
- apply a specialized spray that blocks the spread of fungi, and also has a therapeutic effect;
- remove every day the protruding parts of the growing nail, which is affected by the disease;
- use special tools to soften the nail plate in order to remove it;
- remove steamed hands or feet before using current external agents;
- take measures to prevent infection of families.
Special varnish
Varnishes have a number of advantages. The active ingredients penetrate well deep into the affected nails, but at the same time harden and leave no trace on clothes, sheets, shoes.
The hardened layer reliably blocks the oxygen supply to pathogens, which blocks their activity. But varnish products are effective only in the initial stage of onychomycosis.
Before using the paint, you should use a local warm bath. Wet tiles affected by a fungus are cut to the maximum, treated with a file or other grinding device. The surface is wiped dry
The varnish is recommended to cover even healthy nails. The procedure is repeated every evening for a long period - from several months to six months.
Help from a surgeon
Both the part and the whole plate can be removed. But this is not a guarantee of complete relief from the disease. The chance of further spread of a fungal infection is very high.
After surgery, the finger heals for a long time. In addition, suppuration may develop. A newly growing nail may be deformed. A preferred alternative to such a method is laser therapy.
Traditional medicine
For the treatment of nail fungus, the following tools are used:
- garlic. Apply garlic paste in the form of applications on sore nails. A fixing bandage is placed on top. A repetition of the procedure is practiced at night. You can also use squeezed garlic juice in a mixture equal to alcohol. The nails are treated with the resulting balm twice a day.
- Uthull. Acetic acid acidifies the environment, which inactivates pathogens. This tool lubricates damaged nails every day. You can use vinegar compresses. To do this, bundles of cotton wool are soaked in vinegar and fixed to the desired fingers in the affected area. The compresses stay on overnight, removing them in the morning.
- Peroxide. Like vinegar and other similar products, apply directly to nails or cotton swab. Peroxide acts as an antiseptic.
- Alcoholic iodine solution. They can cover nail plates, including healthy ones, 1-2 times a day. In addition, an iodine supplement is suitable for any bath. To do this, simply add a few drops of the product.
- Propolis tincture. Can be used for lotions, as well as injected into local baths for hands or feet. Compresses are left on the nails overnight. You can prepare an ointment, which is a mixture of propolis and butter. The composition is superimposed on the gauze and placed on the desired area. The agent is left for 10 hours.
- Means of burning from vegetables. For the treatment of onychomycosis, onions or horseradish are suitable. They have antimicrobial activity. Herbal products are used in the form of gruel. You can also make a kind of ointment by mixing liquid pomace with butter or minced chicken fat.
- Essential extracts. These funds have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, regenerative effects. For the preparation of local baths or as part of mixtures for compresses, oils can be used:
- cedar;
- tea trees;
- rosemary;
- lavender;
- spruce and some others.
The essential extract is mixed with Vaseline in a 1: 1 ratio. It should be rubbed on the damaged nail plates. As always in such cases, the medicine will have a stronger effect if the nails are steamed beforehand.
Preventive measures
The risk of re-infection with the fungus after removal of the disease is very high. Therefore, you should clearly follow simple rules:
- follow foot hygiene;
- get rid of shoes, towels and socks that have been used during treatment;
- avoid sharing such things with other family members;
- avoid excessive moisture of the feet, use talcum powder;
- treat the inner surfaces of the shoes with antiseptics.
Remember, all nail fungus medications, take after consulting a doctor.