Nail fungus is medically called onychomycosis. Virtually everyone comes into contact with fungal spores. It's easier to get infected in public places: swimming pools, saunas, baths. But infection also occurs at home when using other people's towels, slippers, manicure accessories.
Skin and toenails are very susceptible to infections. Most often, the disease develops in people with reduced immunity. Immunity is weakened if a person suffers from chronic diseases, especially of the gastrointestinal tract, and is forced to treat them, is subjected to stress and works in dangerous industries.
Causes of fungi
At risk are people who take aggressive drugs for a long time, such as antibiotics.
Age-related changes in the acid-base balance of the skin, impaired blood circulation in the extremities, toe injuries and diabetes also create more than favorable conditions for the development of the fungus in the body.
Stages of development of the disease
The fungus begins to develop on the skin between the toes, where small cracks appear.
Further, the infection spreads to the skin of the foot, itching, burning, throbbing, hyperemia appear. If you do not pay attention to these symptoms, the fungus develops and eventually affects the nail plate.
External signs of a fungus on the legs in the initial stage
In the initial stage of the disease, the nail does not lose its luster, retains its pink color, but yellow streaks and spots appear along the edges of the nail.
What does the fungus on the legs look like in a ruined state?
With advanced onychomycosis at home, it's too late to treat the fungus with anything. The toenails change their structure, become thick, peel off, crumble, a characteristic unpleasant odor appears.
The change in the color and structure of the nails depends on the type of fungus that has affected the nails. In an extremely neglected state, the nails become very thick, deform, taking the form of claws, then the nail plate is destroyed. The skin is flaky, dead layers are constantly exfoliating.
Foot fungus medications
Many patients ask themselves: if a toenail fungus is found, how to treat it at home, is it possible to do without removing the nails?Having found the first signs of a fungus, you need to consult a doctor to prescribe the right treatment.
Depending on the stage of the disease, topical preparations are prescribed: ointments, varnishes, solutions or tablets of complex action. However, the most important thing in treating fungus is discipline, as any course of treatment lasts for several weeks.
Local application
For the treatment of nail fungus, varnishes and medicinal liquids are produced:
- Lacquer of the morpholine group.
- Varnish belonging to the group of oxypyridones.
- Varnish, the active ingredients of which are formaldehyde and a mixture of enzymatic proteins.
- Spray from the group of allylamines.
- A serum product made from rye enzyme filtrate is sold complete with disposable nail files. The kit includes a diary and templates for tracking nail changes.
- Drops belonging to the group of allylamines.
- An agent from the imidazole group is available in the form of a kit: a waterproof plaster, a dispenser and a scraper are attached to the ointment.
Systemic action
Systemic drugs are taken orally. They affect the whole body, so they can be used only as prescribed by a doctor, taking into account contraindications. With onychomycosis, all medications are taken for several months, while the nail plate changes.
- A broad-spectrum drug from the group of triazoles. Released on prescription. With onychomycosis, it is taken within 3 months.
- An antibiotic from the grisani group is not recommended by doctors in the initial stages of the disease.
Traditional methods of treating fungus on the legs
If you have found a toenail fungus, traditional medicine will tell you how to treat it at home. Folk remedies must be combined with medications.
The treatment will give a result if, before each use, the legs are steamed for 15-20 minutes in a warm bath with the addition of laundry or tar soap, salt or soda, then remove the skin layer and l diseased nail with a nail file.
If, according to the prescription, the product is to be applied to the nail with a swab or stick, a separate swab should be used for each nail.Manicure tools must be disinfected after each procedure.
Iodine
Iodine is the most popular folk remedy for mushrooms. For nail treatment, a 5% iodine solution should be applied to the affected nails twice a day for a month. Contact with the 5% iodine solution on the skin can cause burns.
Therefore, another common method is iodine baths. Just drop a few drops of iodine into a bowl of warm water to color the water and soak your feet for 20 minutes. After the bath, dry your feet and apply an antibacterial ointment.
Important: Iodine treatment is contraindicated for people with thyroid problems!
Vinegar
Vinegar is widely available in the home and is very effective in treating toenail fungus as scientific studies have shown that the fungus is afraid of acidic environments and dies quickly. In order not to have to treat burns, apple cider vinegar should be used, although it is less preferred than vinegar essence at a concentration of 9%.Treatment options:
- Apply vinegar to your nails, put on cotton socks and go to bed.
- Pour 250ml of vinegar into a bowl of warm water, hold for 10 minutes before going to bed, then apply the prescribed cream.
Ammonia
Ammonia has a disinfecting effect. Tablets are used for treatment. 1 tablespoon of ammonia is diluted in a glass of warm water.
The resulting solution is moistened with a cotton cloth, wrapped around the feet with it, plastic bags and socks are put on top. With this compress go to bed.
Those who are uncomfortable sleeping with socks over bags can be advised to rub a mixture of ammonia with glycerin in a 1: 1 ratio into the affected areas. The resulting mixture is applied to the nails and skin twice a day, morning and evening.
Hydrogen peroxide
Experts recommend using hydrogen peroxide in the initial stages of the disease, when the fungus has not yet deeply affected the nails.
- A cotton swab is moistened with a 3% peroxide solution, applied to the affected nail and kept for at least half an hour. After that, the compress is removed, the softened areas of the skin are cut with scissors, the nail is removed with a nail file and an antifungal agent is applied.
- A very effective remedy is a paste of soda (2 tablespoons), table salt (1 tablespoon) and hydrogen peroxide (1 teaspoon), all mixed with 4 tablespoons of warm water. The mixture is applied to the nails, covered with a bandage. Apply twice a day for 40 minutes for one month.
Propolis
In addition to useful properties, bee glue has a pleasant aroma. Persons allergic to honey and other bee products should not use this product. For the treatment of onychomycosis, both propolis itself and its 20% tincture are used.
Propolis in its pure form is applied for half an hour to the affected nails several times a day.
Propolis tincture can be purchased at a pharmacy or made independently.
To make it at home, 20 g of propolis is poured into 80 ml of alcohol and infused for 2 weeks.
The resulting tincture lubricates the skin around the affected nails, and a compress is applied to the nails themselves.
If the fungus is running, the concentration can be increased by pouring propolis with alcohol in a 1: 1 ratio.But in this case, the wraps should be done only on the nails, the skin should be protected with a cream to avoid burns before the procedure. Also, propolis tincture can be added to baths in which the legs are steamed before using medicines.
Tar
Birch tar is obtained by boiling birch bark in special boilers. To cure nail fungus at home, tar can be purchased at the pharmacy. It has an anti-inflammatory, wound healing effect, dries the skin better than the remedies listed above.
The tar is applied to the skin and nails for two hours. The skin can be damaged, with cracks and abrasions, this is not dangerous. After two hours, the remains are removed with a cotton swab, a moisturizer is applied, after which socks are put on. The disadvantages of the product include a dark color and a strong unpleasant odor, which makes it difficult to use the product before going outside.
Tar has a drying effect, so people prone to dry skin should use it with great care.In addition to pure tar, the use of tar soap gives good results.
For compresses, soap is rubbed on a grater, mixed with water, you can also add baking soda. The resulting paste is applied to the nails, the fingers are wrapped with a film, socks are put on top. After a few hours, the compress can be removed, the remnants can be washed off with warm water.
Lemon
Since the fungus is afraid of acid, lemon is a logical solution in the treatment of the fungus.
- A compress of lemon slices is the easiest way to treat a fungus at the initial stage. Thinly sliced \u200b\u200bfruit is applied to the nails, covered with a film, put on with socks and left overnight.
- Small lemons can be put on the finger as caps, fixed with a bandage and left overnight.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice can be applied to the nails in the morning and in the evening. It's important to remember that lemon juice is highly acidic, so people with sensitive skin may experience irritation. You can also mix lemon juice with olive oil and rub this mixture on your nails.
Egg
Raw chicken eggs are also used in the treatment of mushrooms. A common folk recipe is an egg dissolved in vinegar. To do this, the washed egg is poured with vinegar essence so that it completely covers it.
The container is closed and placed in a cool place for several days, but not in the refrigerator, until the shell is completely dissolved. This usually takes about a week. Egg films are removed from the solution, the liquid itself is mixed with fat, for example, butter.
The resulting ointment is applied to the diseased nails, wrapped with a film. A mixture of chicken protein, vinegar essence and vodka also helps well.Egg products must be stored in the refrigerator.
Garlic
It is necessary to use garlic in the treatment of fungus very carefully, as garlic juice can cause burns.
On diseased areas, you can apply gruel and garlic juice in its pure form, as well as in the form of alcohol tincture and diluted with vegetable oil. For the manufacture of garlic tincture for 50 ml. vodka will need 4 cloves.
Celandine
As a systemic remedy in the treatment of toenail fungus, alcohol tincture of celandine is used. At home, an alcohol tincture is prepared at the rate of one part of celandine grass per 10 parts of vodka.
It is important to remember that celandine is very poisonous, so it should be treated with greater caution than other medicinal herbs.
20 drops of alcohol tincture are taken inside half an hour before meals. People with bronchial asthma should not take celandine orally. Effective is the external use of celandine. Nails affected by onychomycosis can be lubricated with fresh celandine juice. At the same time, the juice should not get on healthy skin, otherwise you can get severe burns.
To protect yourself from burns, you can lubricate the skin around the nails with a cream. A more gentle remedy is celandine oil, but it should not be applied to damaged skin either. Celandine oil can be purchased at a pharmacy or prepared independently.
To do this, the collected stems, leaves and flowers of the plant are dried, placed in a glass container and poured with the same volume of hot vegetable oil. After holding the container for a week in a cool dark place, the oil is filtered and diluted with vegetable oil in a 1: 1 ratio.
Rowan
An effective remedy is a compress of fresh rowan leaves. The leaves are washed, crushed, the resulting slurry is applied to the affected nails and covered with a bandage.
The result of such treatment will be noticeable no earlier than in a month.
Tea tree oil
Essential oils are widely used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Tea tree oil is considered to be the most effective against nail fungus. You can simply rub it into your nails or add 15-20 drops to baths where your legs are steamed. The best result is the use of tea tree oil in the initial stages of the disease.
Tea mushroom
Kombucha is a symbiosis of acetic acid bacteria and yeast. It was brought from Japan, so people also call it Japanese mushroom or jellyfish mushroom. Kombucha is grown into weak sweet tea.
If you leave the mushroom in a container for several weeks, it will grow and the liquid will become carbonated and acquire a sour taste.Bacteria secrete acid and even ethyl alcohol. Thus, kombucha is effective for treating fungus at home.
A small piece is separated from the top layer, put on the nail, covered with cling film and goes to bed. In the morning, the compress is removed, the softened parts of the nail and skin are cleaned. Compresses are repeated until a healthy nail grows. You can also apply kombucha, ground into gruel, to your nails.
Golden mustache tincture
The golden mustache has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Golden mustache tincture is easy to prepare at home.
To do this, 50 segments of the plant are poured with 2 glasses of vodka and infused for 10 days. Apply in the form of compresses.
Calancho
The popular name for this houseplant is a home healer or flower of life. Its anti-inflammatory and healing properties are widely known. For the treatment of nail fungus, the skin is removed from a fresh Kalanchoe leaf, applied to the nail, reinforced with tape and left overnight.
In the morning, the compress is removed, the softened area of \u200b\u200bthe nail is removed with a nail file. The procedure is repeated until the nail plate is completely renewed. If a burning sensation is felt, the compress should be removed to avoid an allergic reaction.
Lilac
Alcohol tincture of lilac flowers, preferably white, is prepared in the proportion of half a glass of flowers per glass of vodka. After 2 weeks, the tincture is ready. Rub your nails every day until a healthy nail grows out.
mint salt
One of the main symptoms of the fungus is itching. The cooling effect of mint will ease the condition. A compress of chopped fresh mint leaves mixed with coarse salt helps well.
Also useful are baths of fermented, dried mint leaves with salt dissolved in the infusion. For 2 liters of infusion you need 4 tablespoons of salt. Such baths should be done 2 times a day.
poplar shoots
Helps from fungal tincture of poplar buds on vodka. To do this, a glass of aspen buds is poured with two glasses of vodka and infused in a dark place for 10 days. A compress from the tincture is applied at night. In the morning, the softened part of the nail is cut off.
Drink
Baking soda, being an alkali, does not kill the fungus, but perfectly softens the nails and skin of the feet, which allows the means applied then to penetrate as deeply as possible. To do this, before applying the remedies prescribed by the doctor or traditional medicine, you need to take a bath with a warm soapy soda solution.
Afterwards, the softened layers of the nail or skin can be removed and the medicine applied to the areas. Using soda alone does not give an effective effect.
White
Whiteness is a bleach known to housewives.The main component is chlorine. The tool is very caustic, it must be used very carefully.
The room where the procedure is performed must be well ventilated. In no case should this remedy be used by pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Also, do not use the remedy for asthmatics, allergy sufferers, as well as for anyone whose skin around the nails is inflamed or damaged.
The agent is applied with a cotton swab to the nail plate. The product is applied to the nails only, contact of Whiteness with the skin can cause severe chemical burns.
To protect the skin around the nails, you need to apply a greasy cream. The product is washed off after a few hours. Whiteness is used only in the most advanced cases, when other means no longer help.
garden horseradish
Horseradish root has disinfectant properties. For the treatment of the fungus, freshly grated horseradish roots are applied to the affected skin and nails, previously steamed in hot water, wrapped in foil and put on socks. Keep the compress for at least two hours.
Vodka
Most of the mentioned folk remedies are used in the form of alcohol solutions. Ethyl alcohol has a disinfecting effect.
Coffee
In addition to the cosmetic effect, coffee also has a healing effect and is also used in the treatment of onychomycosis. You need to brew very strong coffee and let it brew for about half an hour.
Then take a bath of coffee diluted with warm water. After the skin has been steamed, the affected areas of the nails and skin should be removed with a nail file, then apply the remaining coffee grounds. Coffee baths strengthen nails and improve skin condition.
Official and traditional medicine offers many remedies for the treatment of the fungus. To be successful, it is necessary to start acting at the first symptoms of the disease, especially if the skin and toenails are affected.
The sooner you start the treatment, the better the result of the home treatment will be. Treatment of nail fungus requires patience and discipline, since all the remedies described must be applied for several weeks, or even months, until the nail plate changes.