Toenail fungus is a disease that affects many people. The disease is contagious, but to cure toenail fungus is more difficult. Many patients use folk remedies to get rid of the fungus. In many cases, treating nail fungus with them is cheaper and more effective than traditional medicine.
What is nail fungus
The cause of nail fungus (onychomycosis) is an infection of the nail plate with a pathogenic fungus. Fungi are the smallest microorganisms that feed on proteins contained in nail tissue. Most fungi that live on human nails belong to the genus Trichophyton, although onychomycosis can also be caused by fungi of the genera Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Candida.
Onychomycosis is an infectious disease. Fungus can enter nails through contact with objects that contain fungal spores. It can be a floor in a sauna, bath, swimming pool, dressing room, manicure tools, shoes, socks. Active reproduction of fungi, however, occurs only with very weak immunity or with problems with the health of the circulatory system, endocrine system. Causes disease also:
- excessive sweating on the feet;
- nail injuries;
- ignoring hygiene rules;
- taking drugs that reduce immunity - immunosuppressants, corticosteroids;
- overweight;
- uncomfortable or old shoes.
The main symptoms of onychomycosis:
- itching, burning;
- deformation, thickening or thinning of nails;
- changes in nail color (brown, brown, yellow or dark);
- stratification, nail collapse;
- smelly.
Ignoring nail fungus can lead to loss of nail plates, pus. Also, the fungus can go to the surface of the skin and even beyond the feet. There is a danger of infection of others, especially relatives of the patient.
How can you cure nail fungus?
Many methods have been developed to treat nail fungus. Most involve the application of antimycotic drugs on the surface of the nail. If the nail is completely affected by the fungus, then the nail is removed surgically. However, not everyone is happy with the traditional method. There are many reasons for this - high prices of pharmaceutical drugs, inaccessibility (for example, if a person lives in a rural area), low efficiency, distrust of traditional medicine, allergies to drugs.
Treatment of fungus with folk remedies: the most effective way
Therefore, often people looking for a cure for onychomycosis turn to folk remedies for help. This method has no scientifically proven effectiveness. But in practice, nail fungus therapy with folk remedies helps many, especially if the disease is at an early stage, that is, one or two plates are affected, and the skin is not yet affected. At the same time, nail treatment with folk remedies does not exclude the parallel use of traditional pharmaceutical drugs. In this case, the latter effect can be significantly enhanced. It is usually not worth it to wait for a quick result from a treatment; get rid of fungus with folk remedies often stretch for 2-3 months.
Antiseptics are the most commonly used home remedies. These are boric acid, iodine, brilliant green, potassium permanganate, soda, hydrogen peroxide, boric acid, chlorhexidine, ammonia. These drugs, strictly speaking, can not be associated with the people, because they are widely used in traditional medicine. However, doctors usually do not prescribe them to patients with onychomycosis as first -line medications. But this does not mean that antiseptics do not affect the fungus on the feet. However, its effectiveness is most often demonstrated in the early stages of the disease.
Herbal-based anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agents (St. John's wort, celandine, herbal preparations) can be associated with folk remedies. These treatments and recipes are also most often recommended by doctors as side effects.
Also, treatment with folk remedies includes the use of:
- plant essential oils;
- tar birch;
- kombucha;
- propolis;
- garlic, onions;
- vinegar;
- ground coffee;
- household soap and tar;
- lemon juice.
Often, foot baths, lotions, compresses, ointments are used to treat onychomycosis with folk remedies. Sometimes the product can be directly applied to the surface of the nail. The duration of some procedures is only a few minutes, while in other cases, therapeutic compounds must be kept on the nail for hours. In this case, the procedure is best performed at night.
Warm baths with a solution of the drug are most often taken 1-2 times a day. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. The water should be warm, but not hot. If the water has cooled before the procedure is complete, then you need to add a little hot water into the container.
Before applying any medication on the surface of the nail, it is recommended to steam the feet. That is why in the treatment of onychomycosis is better to use a bath, because the surface of the nail softens and therapeutic compounds penetrate better into the deep tissues. In addition, when using the bath, the medicinal substance can also penetrate under the nail bed, and with compresses and lotions, only the upper surface of the plate is affected. Meanwhile, parasitic fungi often live underneath.
It is necessary to regularly cut loose and deformed parts of the nail that are affected by the fungus. For the treatment of healthy and diseased nail plates, it is best to use different manicure tools to prevent transmission of infection. During the treatment period, it is necessary to change socks regularly, because increased sweating contributes to the development of fungus. Situations that encourage re -infection should be avoided - visits to swimming pools, gyms, baths, etc.
All herbal ingredients must first be tested for allergenic.
Potassium permanganate
Potassium permanganate solution is a powerful universal antiseptic that is often used at home. It is also active against pathogenic fungi. You can use both baths and lotions. To prepare the bath, you need to take 500 ml of vinegar and 10 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes.
Vinegar treatment
Pathogenic fungi do not tolerate acidic environments - it is based on this feature of the treatment of mycosis with vinegar. It is best to use 9%vinegar. Vinegar can be added to foot baths. You can also make a lotion with vinegar, rub. To prepare a bath with vinegar, it is necessary to pour enough water into the basin so that it reaches the ankles, and then add 200 ml of vinegar to it. The water temperature should be +50 ° C. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, it must be performed daily.
Other recipes require the addition of chicken eggs into the vinegar. 200 ml of vinegar is dissolved in 5 liters of water, and then 2 raw eggs are added there. The mixture is whipped. In this foot bath, you need to keep 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 1-2 weeks.
For the lotion, a cotton pad is taken, previously soaked in vinegar, and also applied on the nails for 15 minutes.
Treatment with vinegar requires caution, as it is an aggressive substance. Vinegar therapy should not be performed on damaged skin.
Treatment of celandine
Celandine is a plant that has long been used to treat problem skin. It can also help with onychomycosis. However, celandine contains toxic substances, so it should be used with caution.
It is better to use fresh celandine juice, obtained from plants that have been chopped and squeezed. This juice is applied on the nails twice a day. The course of treatment is three months.
You can also prepare a decoction of celandine. For this, 5 tbsp. l. herbs, pour 1. 5 liters of boiling water. The mixture is heated on the fire for 10 minutes, and then filtered. The boiled water can be used for foot baths. They must be taken within 15 minutes. This procedure is performed 2 times a day.
To prepare celandine tincture, you need to take alcohol and celandine juice in equal proportions. The liquid is infused during the day. Colored celandine lubricates the affected nails.
You can also prepare an ointment from celandine. For this, 2 tbsp. butter mixed with chopped celandine grass. The ointment is rubbed into the nails 2-3 times a day for 10-14 days.
garlic treatment
Garlic contains natural substances that kill harmful microorganisms. Therefore, garlic is also used in the treatment of onychomycosis.
For treatment, you can use garlic juice or crushed garlic. For example, it is recommended to dilute garlic juice in alcohol and water (in a ratio of 1: 1: 1). With this solution, you can lubricate your nails every day.
Essential oils
In the treatment of onychomycosis, oils of lavender, ylang-ylang, lemon, spruce, rosemary are used. The most popular is tea tree oil. Essential oils can be used in therapeutic baths. To bathe with a volume of 3 liters (temperature +45 ° C), you need only 10 drops of oil. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes. Upon completion, the feet are wrapped in a dry towel. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.
Other versions of tea tree oil baths also include the use of salt. For 1 liter of water, 1. 5 tablespoons are taken. salt and 1 tsp. oil. The procedure should be performed within 15 minutes.
You can also do compression with essential oils. To do this, in 2 tsp. water dissolves a few drops of heated oil. Cotton wool soaked in the solution is rubbed on the nails. You need to keep it for about an hour.
The easiest way to treat onychomycosis with essential oils is to regularly wipe the surface of the nail plate with a cotton swab dipped in oil. This procedure must be continued for 2-3 weeks.
Propolis
Propolis is a byproduct of bee breeding that has long been used in folk medicine. There are also recipes for onychomycosis with propolis. For example, tampons soaked in propolis alcohol tincture can be applied on nails with fungus. To prepare the tincture, you need to infuse 30 g of propolis in 500 ml of vodka for 2 weeks. These tampons should be stored throughout the day.
You can also make a bath with propolis. Just 15 drops of tincture per 3 liters of water is enough. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. You can apply on nails and pure propolis. This procedure should also not last more than 15 minutes.
Salt and soda
Sea and table salt, as well as soda, are included in many recipes for onychomycosis. They are often added to foot baths. Salt baths can be made as follows - one tablespoon of salt dissolved in 2-3 liters of water. You also need to add a tablespoon of baking soda. The procedure is performed within 15 minutes. It is advisable to combine it with the use of antifungal ointments.
You can use another recipe for bathing - 100 g of salt and 4 tablespoons taken for 4 liters of water. vinegar. To enhance the effect after a salt bath, it is recommended to treat nails with iodine.
Iodine
Alcoholic solution of iodine is suitable for the treatment of onychomycosis. Iodine compounds aggressively affect protein compounds in fungal cells and in the nail itself. As a result, the fungus loses its nutritional source. Iodine is cheap and very easy to use. It is necessary to treat nail plates affected by the fungus with iodine daily. One drop is enough for each nail. You can also always lubricate the nails with a cotton swab soaked in iodine solution. Baths with iodine solution are also used. To prepare the bath, you need to drop just 10 drops of iodine solution into a container filled with water. The procedure should last 10-15 minutes.
Iodine can also be used to prevent fungus on healthy nails. However, regular treatment with iodine has some contraindications - intolerance to this substance and thyroid disease.
Alcohol
It is used as part of the complex treatment of onychomycosis and medical alcohol. Often, compresses are made with alcohol, which is applied to the affected nails. Before the procedure, the nails must be properly steamed in warm water. Alcohol compresses are best done at night, and in the morning treat nails with antimycotic drugs.
The mushrooms
Kombucha is a traditional medicine used for a variety of ailments, including mycosis. The ingredients contained in kombucha are active against most pathogenic fungi, except fungi of the genus Candida. Kombucha is often grown at home. For therapeutic purposes, it is better to take the infusion at the age of three months.
Usually, for the treatment of onychomycosis, compresses with tampons soaked in boiled kombucha concentrate are used. This procedure should be performed at night. You can also lubricate the nails with gruel from the fungus.
Contraindications to the use of kombucha:
- pregnancy,
- diabetes,
- lactation,
- alcoholism,
- hepatitis,
- HELP.
Hydrogen peroxide
This substance also has a negative effect on fungi. The most common bath is used with hydrogen peroxide. This procedure requires 150 ml of 3% peroxide solution per 4 liters of water. The duration of the procedure is 25-30 minutes.
You can also do compresses with hydrogen peroxide. To do this, a cotton swab must be moistened with peroxide and applied to the sore nail. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour. You can also mix peroxide with vinegar in equal proportions. Soak a cotton ball with this mixture. Then the mixture is applied on the nails with it.
Soap tar and tar
Birch tar is one of the most ancient antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs known in folk medicine. Tar can be used in pure form and in the form of ointments, in addition to traditional medicine. Soap with the addition of tar is also used - tar. Before applying tar on nails, it must be steamed. Tar is rubbed on dry nails. This procedure is continued for 2 hours, then the tar is washed with warm water.
For a lack of tar, you can take tar soap - a tool that can be found in any home. It can also be used against fungi - for treatment and prevention.
First of all, you can do a foot bath with soap. In the bath, it is necessary to dissolve the maximum amount of soap. To make the soap dissolve better, you can grate it. Warm water temperature, but no burns. Perform the procedure for 20 minutes. Another recipe is also used - soap in an amount of 15 g mixed with 30 g of baking soda. This mixture must be rubbed into the sore nail daily.
After using tar soap, the skin may become too dry. In this case, you can use a moisturizer. Tar and tar soaps are contraindicated for people with overly dry and sensitive skin.
Boric acid
This popular antiseptic will also help fight fungus. With a 2% solution of boric acid, it is necessary to regularly wipe the diseased nails, which were previously steamed in water. However, acid should not be used if there are cuts, abrasions or bruises on the skin.
Urea
The fungicidal effect of urea is associated with the ability of this substance to absorb water. Because fungi need water to live, they quickly die as a result of exposure to urea. It is better to use urea with birch tar. The two ingredients are taken in equal proportions and mixed. The composition is applied on the nails and stored for a day.
Then, after removing the affected part of the nail plate, iodine is applied to the nail for five days. If necessary, the procedure is repeated 1-2 more times.