Nail fungus is a disease that many people suffer from. This disease is easy to catch, but curing toenail fungus is much 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 pathogenic fungi. Fungi are the smallest microorganisms that feed on proteins contained in nail tissues. Most fungi that live on human nails belong to the genus Trichophyton, although onychomycosis can also be caused by fungi from the genera Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Candida.
Onychomycosis is a contagious disease. Fungi can enter nails through contact with objects that contain fungal spores. It can be the flooring in saunas, baths, swimming pools, changing rooms, manicure tools, shoes, socks. Active reproduction of the fungus, however, only occurs with severely weakened immunity or with problems with the health of the circulatory system, the endocrine system. Cause the disease too:
- excessive sweating of the legs;
- 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 the nail;
- change in nail color (brown, brown, yellow or dark);
- stratification, crumbling of the nail;
- Bad smell.
Ignoring nail fungus can lead to nail plate loss, suppuration. In addition, the fungus can reach the skin surfaces and even extend beyond the legs. There is a danger of infection of other people, especially the patient's relatives.
How can you cure nail fungus?
Many methods have been developed to treat nail fungus. Most of them involve the application of antifungal drugs to the nail surface. If the nail is completely affected by the fungus, the nail is surgically removed. However, not everyone is satisfied with traditional methods. There can be many reasons for this - the high price of pharmaceutical drugs, their inaccessibility (for example, if a person lives in a rural area), low efficiency, distrust of traditional medicine, drug allergy.
Fungal treatment with folk remedies: the most effective ways
Therefore, people in search of a remedy for onychomycosis often turn to folk remedies for help. These methods do not have strictly scientifically proven effectiveness. But in practice, therapy of nail fungus with folk remedies helps many, especially if the disease is at an early stage, that is, one or two plaques are affected, and the skin has not yet been affected. At the same time, treating nails with folk remedies does not exclude the parallel use of traditional pharmaceutical medicines. In this case, the effect of the latter can be significantly increased. It is usually not worth waiting for quick results from the treatment; getting rid of the fungus with folk remedies usually takes 2-3 months.
Antiseptics are the most commonly used home remedies. These are boric acid, iodine, bright green, potassium permanganate, soda, hydrogen peroxide, boric acid, chlorhexidine, ammonia. These drugs, strictly speaking, cannot be attributed to folklore, because they are widely used in traditional medicine. However, doctors generally do not prescribe them to onychomycosis patients as first-line medications. But this does not mean that antiseptics do not affect the fungus on the legs. However, its effectiveness is most often manifested in the early stages of the disease.
Herbal anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agents (St. John's wort, celandine, herbal preparations) can be attributed to folk remedies. These treatments and prescriptions are also most often recommended by doctors as adjuncts.
In addition, treatment with folk remedies includes the use of:
- plant essential oils;
- birch tar;
- kombucha;
- propolis;
- garlic onion;
- vinegar;
- ground coffee;
- household soap and tar;
- lemon juice.
Most often, foot baths, lotions, compresses and ointments are used to treat onychomycosis with folk remedies. Sometimes products can be smeared directly onto the nail surface. The duration of some procedures is just a few minutes, while in other cases, the therapeutic compounds must be kept on the nails for hours. In this case, the procedure is best done at night.
Warm baths with medicinal solutions are most often taken 1-2 times a day. The duration of the procedure is 15 to 20 minutes. The water should be lukewarm but not hot. If the water gets cold before completing the procedure, you will need to add some hot water to the container.
Before applying any medication to the nail surface, it is recommended to steam the legs. That is why in the treatment of onychomycosis it is preferable to use baths, because the surface of the nail softens and the therapeutic compounds penetrate better into the deep tissues. In addition, when using baths, medicinal substances 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 the loose and deformed part of the nail affected by the fungus. For the treatment of healthy and diseased nail plates, it is better to use different manicure tools to avoid transferring infections. During the treatment period, it is necessary to change socks regularly, as increased perspiration contributes to the development of the fungus. Situations that promote reinfection should be avoided - visits to swimming pools, gyms, baths, etc.
All herbal ingredients must first be tested for allergenicity.
Potassium permanganate
Potassium permanganate solution is a strong universal antiseptic that is often used in the home. It is also active against pathogenic fungi. You can use 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 an acidic environment - it is on this feature that the treatment of ringworm with vinegar is based. It is better to use 9% vinegar. Vinegar can be added to foot baths. You can also make lotions with vinegar by rubbing. To prepare a vinegar bath, you need to pour enough water into a basin to reach your ankles, then add 200 ml of vinegar. The water temperature must be +50 °C. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, it must be performed every other day.
Another recipe calls for adding chicken eggs to the vinegar. 200 ml of vinegar is dissolved in 5 liters of water, then 2 raw eggs are added. The mixture is beaten. In this foot bath you need to keep 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 1-2 weeks.
For lotions, cotton pads are taken, previously soaked in vinegar, and also applied to 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.
Celandine Treatment
Celandine is a plant that has long been used to treat skin conditions. It can also help with onychomycosis. However, celandine contains toxic substances, so it should be used with caution.
It is best to use fresh celandine juice, obtained from a plant that has been chopped and squeezed. This juice is applied to the nail twice a day. The course of treatment is three months.
You can also prepare a decoction of celandine. For this, 5 tbsp. I. herbs, pour 1. 5 liters of boiling water. The mixture is heated on fire for 10 minutes and then filtered. The decoction can be used for foot baths. They must be taken within 15 minutes. The procedure is performed 2 times a day.
To prepare a celandine tincture, you need to take alcohol and celandine juice in equal proportions. The liquid is infused during the day. Celandine tincture lubricate the affected nails.
You can also prepare a celandine ointment. For this, 2 tbsp. butter is 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 the 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.
Essencial 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. For a bath with a volume of 3 liters (temperature +45 ° C), you only need 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.
Another version of the tea tree oil bath also includes the use of salt. For 1 liter of water, 1. 5 tbsp are taken. salt and 1 tsp. oils. The procedure must be performed within 15 minutes.
You can also perform compresses with essential oils. To do this, in 2 tsp. water dissolves a few drops of heated oil. Cotton soaked in the solution is applied to the nail. You need to keep it for about an hour.
The easiest way to treat onychomycosis with essential oils is to regularly clean the surface of your nails with cotton swabs dipped in oil. This procedure must be continued for 2-3 weeks.
Propolis
Propolis is a by-product of beekeeping that has long been used in folk medicine. There are also recipes for onychomycosis with propolis. For example, tampons soaked in an alcoholic tincture of propolis can be applied to nails with a fungus. To prepare the tincture, you need to infuse 30 g of propolis in 500 ml of vodka for 2 weeks. This tampon must be kept on throughout the day.
You can also make baths with propolis. Just 15 drops of tincture per 3 liters of water are enough. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. You can apply on nails and pure propolis. This procedure should also take no 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 - a tablespoon of salt is dissolved in 2-3 liters of water. You also need to add a tablespoon of baking soda. The procedure is carried out in 15 minutes. It is advisable to combine it with the application of antifungal ointments.
You can use another recipe for baths - 100 g of salt and 4 tablespoons are taken for 4 liters of water. vinegar. To enhance the effect after salt baths, it is recommended to treat the nails with iodine.
Iodine
An alcoholic iodine solution is suitable for the treatment of onychomycosis. Iodine compounds aggressively affect protein compounds in fungal cells and the nail itself. As a result, fungi lose their source of nutrition. Iodine is cheap and very easy to use. It is necessary to treat the nail plates affected by the fungus with iodine every day. One drop is enough for each nail. You can also regularly lubricate your nails with a cotton swab dipped in iodine solution. Baths with iodine solution are also used. To prepare the bath, you only need to put 10 drops of iodine solution in a container of water. The procedure should take 10 to 15 minutes.
Iodine can also be used to prevent fungus on healthy nails. However, regular treatment with iodine has several contraindications - intolerance to this substance and thyroid disease.
Alcohol
It is used as part of the complex treatment of onychomycosis and medicinal alcohol. Most often, compresses are made with alcohol, which are applied to the affected nail. Before the procedure, the nails must be properly steamed in warm water. An alcohol swab is best done at night, and in the morning, treat the nail with an antifungal medication.
tea mushroom
Kombucha is a traditional medicine that is used for various ailments, including ringworm. The substances contained in kombucha are active against most pathogenic fungi, with the exception of fungi of the genus Candida. Kombucha is often home grown. For therapeutic purposes, it is best to take an infusion at three months of age.
Typically, for the treatment of onychomycosis, compresses with tampons soaked in boiled kombucha concentrate are used. This procedure must be performed at night. You can also lubricate your nails with fungus porridge.
Contraindications to the use of kombucha:
- pregnancy,
- diabetes,
- lactation,
- alcoholism,
- hepatitis,
- ASSISTS.
Hydrogen peroxide
This substance also has a negative effect on the fungus. The most used baths with hydrogen peroxide. The procedure will require 150 ml of a 3% peroxide solution per 4 liters of water. The duration of the procedure is 25 to 30 minutes.
You can also perform compresses with hydrogen peroxide. To do this, cotton swabs must be moistened with peroxide and applied to the painful nails. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour. You can also mix peroxide with vinegar in equal proportions. Wet a cotton swab with this mixture. Then the mixture is applied to the nails with it.
Tar and tar soap
Birch tar is one of the oldest antiseptics and anti-inflammatories known to folk medicine. Tar can be used both in pure form and in ointment form, as a supplement to traditional remedies. Soap with the addition of tar is also used - tar. Before applying tar to nails, they must be steamed. Tar is applied to dry nails. The procedure continues for 2 hours, then the tar is washed off with warm water.
For lack of tar, you can use tar soap - a tool that can be found in any home. It can also be used against the fungus - for treatment and prevention.
Firstly, you can do foot baths 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. The water temperature is hot but not scalding hot. Perform the procedure for 20 minutes. Another recipe is also used - soap in an amount of 15 g is mixed with 30 g of baking soda. This mixture should be rubbed into the painful nails every day.
After using tar soap, the skin may become excessively dry. In this case, you can use a moisturizer. Tar and tar soaps are contraindicated for people with very dry and sensitive skin.
Boric acid
This popular antiseptic will also help against fungus. With a 2% boric acid solution, it is necessary to regularly clean the diseased nail, previously steamed in water. However, acid should not be used if there are wounds, abrasions or bruises on the skin.
Urea
The fungicidal effect of urea is associated with the ability of this substance to absorb water. As fungi need water to live, they quickly die as a result of exposure to urea. It is better to use urea together with birch tar. Both substances are taken in equal proportions and mixed. The composition is applied to the nails and kept for a day.
Then, after removing the affected part of the nail plate, iodine is applied to the nails for five days. If necessary, the procedure is repeated 1-2 more times.