How to cure a fungus on the skin of the feet at home quickly

fungus on the skin of the feet

Therapy of mycotic infections on the feet with the use of local preparations is carried out on an outpatient basis. For a speedy recovery, it is important to follow medical recommendations, to know how to treat fungus on the legs at home and how to properly carry out the necessary procedures.

General rules

Therapeutic and hygienic measures should be carried out regularly, treatment cannot be interrupted until the fungus is completely eliminated. The duration of the recovery process depends on the degree of neglect of the disease and the area of the lesion.

For a successful outcome of treatment and prevention of infection of others, it is recommended to follow the basic rules:

  1. For the entire period of treatment, you should refuse to visit swimming pools, saunas, beaches, pedicure rooms.
  2. The patient must have individual means for hygienic treatment of the feet: files, pumice stone, soap, towels, etc.
  3. Shoes must be thoroughly disinfected and dried. The insoles and the inner surface of the shoes can be treated with special solutions or sprays.
  4. Feet must be kept dry at all times. The causative agents of fungal diseases actively multiply in a warm and humid environment. After water procedures, the feet should be wiped with a clean towel, and with excessive sweating of the legs, use talc, powders and powders.
  5. Particular attention is paid to hosiery. It is better to choose socks made of natural cotton. Such material absorbs moisture well and provides normal ventilation of the skin of the feet. Socks should be changed as often as possible, and used products should be boiled.
  6. Drug treatment is carried out strictly in accordance with the instructions of the attending physician after confirming the diagnosis with the results of laboratory tests of the infected material.

The keratinized skin of the fingers and soles must be constantly removed with a special foot brush or pumice stone. Otherwise, cracks may form, through which the fungus will penetrate into the deep layers of the epidermis and the bloodstream.

Comfortable shoes made from natural materials should be preferred to prevent the accumulation of excess moisture.

Foot baths

therapeutic bath for foot fungus

Therapeutic baths are an indispensable item in the treatment of fungal diseases of the legs at any stage of the development of the infectious process. Procedures for steaming the feet in hot water with the addition of various active ingredients are a preparatory stage before applying the main antifungal drugs.

Foot baths can be applied twice a day or daily at bedtime. The duration of the procedure depends on the composition of the bath, but does not exceed a half-hour threshold.

Healing herbs

For foot antifungal baths, decoctions of medicinal herbs are used:

  • plantain;
  • wormwood;
  • burdock;
  • milkweed;
  • yarrow;
  • calendula flowers.

Herbs can be combined or steamed separately. For the best effect, the decoction must be strong enough. The required amount of vegetable raw materials must be poured with boiling water. As soon as the temperature of the decoction becomes tolerable for the skin, you can put your feet in the bath and steam your feet for 15-20 minutes.

Celandine

Celandine preparations are often used in the fight against fungus on the legs. For the preparation of foot baths, it is recommended to use dried celandine grass. You can buy it at a pharmacy or prepare it yourself.

The decoction is prepared at the rate of 8 tablespoons of grass per 2 liters of boiling water, then cooled to a temperature of 50 ° C and placed in a convenient container. Feet should be kept in the bath until it cools. The course of treatment is 20 days.

Vinegar

An acidic environment has a detrimental effect on the pathogenic microflora that causes mycoses. As an effective treatment for foot fungus at home, folk remedies use baths with vinegar essence.

Vinegar is taken at the rate of 100 ml of essence per 2 liters of warm water. The approximate duration of the procedure is one third of an hour. Such a home remedy for fungus can significantly speed up the treatment carried out by modern pharmaceuticals.

soda and salt

Salt and soda solutions for soaking the feet allow you to fight the fungus on the feet in the initial stage. There are a lot of options for preparing foot baths with salt and soda at home. The most simple and effective recipes:

  • In two liters of warm water, dissolve 2 tablespoons of table salt and baking soda, soak your feet for up to 20 minutes.
  • To two liters of boiling water, add a similar amount of strong decoction of oak bark, a few drops of mint oil and tea tree essential oil, 2 tablespoons of soda, 2 tablespoons of sea salt. The duration of steaming is half an hour. The duration of treatment takes 14 days.
  • In warm water, stir 1 tablespoon with a slide of soda and coarse salt, add a couple of tablespoons of liquid soap with an antibacterial effect (you can use tar). Steam the feet in the prepared solution for up to half an hour, at the end of the procedure, allow the feet to dry without wiping or rinsing with clean water.

Salt helps to strengthen nails and regenerate epidermal tissues, and soda softens the skin, cleansing and disinfecting the surface of the feet. Salt solutions with an admixture of iodine have a pronounced fungicidal effect.

Foot steaming with vodka, ammonia, propolis, strong coffee, birch tar, hydrogen peroxide and garlic juice are great help.

Compresses, rubbing, lotions

compress for fungus on the skin of the feet

You can remove the fungus on the legs with the help of compresses and various rubs according to alternative medicine recipes. The procedure is carried out after careful treatment and steaming of the legs.

The healing mass is applied to the affected area, fixed with a gauze bandage and insulated from above with clean socks. Provided that there are no aggressive substances in the composition of the compress, the bandage is left overnight.

The most popular recipes for homemade antifungal compresses for the treatment of foot fungus:

  • Finely chopped fresh rowan leaves are applied to the infected skin, covered with a burdock leaf on top and wrapped in cellophane.
  • Apply 35% salicylic ointment evenly to the lesions of the fungus, wrap with cling film. Change the bandage once a day.
  • Pass a few cloves of garlic through a press, mix with an equal amount of butter until smooth. Apply the resulting mass to the sore spot, wrap with a film, leave overnight. Garlic will sting, but it's a good way to quickly cure foot fungus.
  • Onion gruel is used for compresses in its pure form, you just need to change the bandages as often as possible. If the itching becomes unbearable, you can dilute the onion with petroleum jelly in a 1: 1 ratio.
  • Night acetic compresses show good results. It is more convenient to use a cotton pad dipped in a weak solution of vinegar essence.
  • Alcohol wraps help with foot fungus. A small piece of linen fabric soaked in an aqueous solution of ammonia is wrapped around a sore leg and insulated with polyethylene. The course is designed for 7-10 days.
  • Pureed potato sprouts insist on vodka for a day. Ready gruel is used for foot compresses before going to bed.
  • If the fungus is localized in the interdigital folds, you can apply a slurry of peppermint grass and salt to the affected skin. This remedy perfectly fights the manifestations of itching, removes an unpleasant odor and other symptoms.

The method of rubbing the affected skin with birch tar, an alcohol solution of iodine, garlic juice, tea tree oils and celandine helps to quickly get rid of the fungus on the legs at home.

Many pharmaceutical local antifungal drugs are recommended to be used in the form of compresses if mycosis has reached an advanced stage.

Medicinal antimycotic agents

The fastest way to cure a mycotic infection is with the right combination of folk remedies and antifungal drugs. Medicines for fungal diseases are divided into two main groups: for local and systemic use.

Oral antimycotics are prescribed for drug therapy of a fungus in an advanced form in the absence of contraindications. Taking tablets is associated with a risk for the liver, they should be taken only in the dosage indicated by the doctor.

The choice of local medicines depends on the species of the causative agent of the disease and the financial capabilities of the patient. It may take several months to remove the fungus, and not everyone can buy expensive drugs.

Preparations for external use are available in the form of creams, gels, ointments, sprays, varnishes and solutions. Well-known pharmaceutical companies produce a whole series of products for the complex treatment of fungus.

Regardless of the form, brand and price category, the main difference is the type of active ingredient in the drug. It is this criterion that determines the effectiveness of the drug in relation to a particular type of infectious agent.

Antifungal drugs contain fungistatic substances: sertocanazole, bifonazole, ketoconazole, oxiconazole, terbinafine, ciclopiroxalamine, amorolfine.

It is easier to defeat the fungus on the legs with the help of local preparations in the early stages of the development of the disease, when the first signs of infection appear, if the treatment is carried out continuously in accordance with the attached instructions.

Personal hygiene rules as a prevention against fungus on the legs

foot hygiene to prevent skin fungus

Prevention of foot fungus is, first of all, personal hygiene measures aimed at preventing infection, creating an environment hostile to microorganisms.

It is important to remember that mycotic lesions of the feet can proceed for a long time, almost without manifesting themselves, they are characterized by a chronic relapsing course.

Pathogenic microorganisms that affect the foot are unusually tenacious, they love dampness, wet unventilated interdigital folds of the feet, the lower and lateral surfaces of the sole.

Below is a short list of personal hygiene practices (well known, but not always followed) to avoid catching this compulsive infection:

  • Keep your feet dry and cool;
  • Do a pedicure in a timely manner on a regular basis using tools that have undergone proper disinfection treatment, using modern auxiliary and caring products;
  • Wash your feet with warm soapy water daily, use antibacterial soap if necessary, wash your feet several times a day;
  • Wipe dry your toes from the base to the very tip, the skin between the fingers, the entire foot;
  • Fight sweaty feet
  • Use antifungal foot powders, if necessary - antifungal cosmetic and medicinal creams, gels, nail polishes;
  • Walk barefoot, barefoot at least at home, in the country;
  • Keep your toes slightly apart;
  • In locker rooms, showers, gyms, fitness clubs and other public places, do not go barefoot - wear flip flops (rubber slippers, waterproof slippers);
  • Do not use someone else's sponge, washcloth, towel, slippers (even within the family);
  • In case of infection, separate a separate towel for the affected area or use disposable paper towels;
  • Wear comfortable, well-fitting footwear made from leather and other natural materials;
  • Avoid rubber and plastic shoes - a favorable environment for the growth of dermatomycetes;
  • Keep the shoes clean and dry, ventilate them, treat the inside of the shoes with an antifungal powder or aerosol;
  • In summer, wear light, well-ventilated shoes;
  • Change your sneakers in a timely manner; if they can be washed, wash them at least once a month;
  • Change socks (knee socks, stockings, tights) more often, especially in case of hyperhidrosis, if necessary - more often;
  • Wear socks made of hygroscopic materials (natural fibers or special synthetics);
  • Wash socks to kill fungal spores in very hot water twice; rinse socks thoroughly after washing from washing powder so as not to worsen the condition of the skin;
  • For the proper sanitary and hygienic condition of sinks, showers, bathtubs, basins, wash them regularly, use special products;
  • Do not self-medicate, consult a doctor in the early stages of a fungal disease; do not expose others to the risk of infection;
  • Be especially careful in the presence of fungal diseases in households;
  • Help elderly family members to comply with the prescription of dermatologists and the necessary sanitary and hygienic requirements aimed at treating this disease.

Giving up bad habits is a significant contribution to the prevention of foot fungus

giving up bad habits to prevent fungus

Bad habits (excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, drug addiction), improper wakefulness - sleep, work - rest, inadequate behavior in stressful situations usually lead to a serious decrease in immunity, circulatory disorders.

Unreasonable unbalanced diet, excessive consumption of light carbohydrates, physical inactivity - to obesity. Against the background of weakened immunity, circulatory disorders and obesity, a favorable climate is formed for infection and the development of the infection into a generalized dangerous disease.

This indicates an urgent need to give up bad habits.

Folk and pharmacy remedies for the prevention of foot fungus

When choosing folk remedies for the prevention of foot fungus, it should be remembered that fungi do not like an acidic environment; a weakly acidic environment (pH 5. 5) is sufficient to stop the growth of fungi. For preventive purposes, it is advisable to periodically:

  • Treat feet with diluted lemon juice or fermented milk products (kefir, curdled milk, etc. )
  • Take baths with salt water (2 tablespoons of salt in 0. 5 liters of water) or light vinegar water (1 cup of table vinegar in 3 to 4 liters of water) or soda water (1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate in 1 liter of water).

Almost every person has experienced a fungal infection, and knows that it is very difficult to get rid of it. To cure the disease, you need to spend a lot of time, effort and money, especially at an advanced stage of the development of the disease. Consider how to treat a fungus on the legs at home in order to forget about the disease as soon as possible.

What you need to know about fungus

Fungus on the feet is a contagious infectious disease that affects the skin and nails of a person. Most often, this disease affects adults and the elderly. The infection takes root perfectly in warm and humid places: in baths, saunas, showers. You can become infected when visiting public places barefoot, when trying on shoes and during a pedicure, with insufficient sterilization of instruments.

On a note!

Mycosis develops with a weakened immune system and when an infection enters wounds or cuts.

The fastest way to get rid of the fungus is to start treatment when the first signs of the disease appear. It is quite difficult to diagnose mycosis on your own, especially at the initial stage. Usually, the infection does not manifest itself in any way, then itching, unpleasant smell from the feet, peeling and discoloration of the nail appear. As soon as you notice any of these symptoms, immediately contact a dermatologist. He, after a visual examination and tests, will be able to confirm the exact diagnosis, and then write out a detailed treatment plan.

If you do not start to fight the disease, you can be completely without a nail. At the initial stage, the doctor will prescribe medication and alternative methods that can be used at home to treat mycoses.

Medications for the treatment of fungus

There are various drugs to eliminate mycosis. You can quickly cure feet from a fungus using modern pharmacy products. They kill the causative agent of the disease and prevent further reproduction of the infection. Medicines come in different forms of release, depending on the location of the fungus and the size of the affected area, the type of remedy is selected.

Before using remedies for the treatment of fungus, consult a doctor, he will tell you how to quickly get rid of the fungus on your feet at home, taking into account your condition and possible contraindications.

Important!

It is undesirable to self-medicate, if the means used are not suitable, then complications may appear and the situation may worsen.

To remove the fungus from the soles of the feet, it is best to use ointments, it is convenient to use suspensions on the skin between the fingers, and creams and varnishes for nails.

Important!

The scheme of using drugs depends on the type of pathogen and the depth of the lesion. It may take 9-12 months to defeat mycosis in the advanced stage.

Folk remedies for the treatment of fungus on the legs

Traditional recipes help get rid of mycosis at the initial stage of the development of the disease. Numerous home remedies for foot fungus allow for the use of common products that are easy to find in every home.

The main thing is to follow the recommendations for use and not interrupt therapy until a stable result is obtained.

Important!

Before using ointments and compresses, the legs must be steamed in a salt or soda bath. To do this, add 1 tbsp to 1 liter of hot water. l. salt and soda. Warm up the legs for 10-15 minutes, treat the feet and fingers with pumice, and the nails with a soft file. After that, continue further care.

Iodine

An alcoholic solution of iodine is a powerful antiseptic, with a pronounced antifungal effect. It destroys the protein structures that make up the causative agent of mycosis.

Before using recipes with iodine, be sure to test for an allergic reaction. Many people suffer from intolerance to this medicine. The drug should not be used by people with thyroid disease.

Before going to bed, you can use a bath with iodine. To do this, dissolve 3 tbsp. l. iodine in 5 liters of hot water, support your feet for 20 minutes and dry your feet thoroughly with a towel. Treatment is carried out every other day.

Mix alcohol and iodine in equal proportions, apply the resulting liquid only to the affected areas, contact of the solution with healthy tissues can cause epidermal burns. Treat your feet for 5-10 days before bed.

Hydrogen peroxide

The tool is known for its antiseptic properties and the ability to soften tissues. It is used in numerous recipes, including to fight a fungal infection.

Bath with hydrogen peroxide against nail fungus. Pour 100 ml of peroxide into 2 liters of warm water, steam your feet for 15-20 minutes, then wipe dry and treat the skin with a pumice stone or brush, cut your nails.

Apply a 3% peroxide solution to a gauze bandage and apply it for 30-40 minutes to the damaged area. The procedure must be repeated twice a day.

Vinegar

Mycosis has a protein structure, therefore it is afraid of deviations from the normal level of acidity. Acetic acid destroys the cells of the causative agent of the disease, due to which it turns out to remove the fungus on the legs.

For treatment, 9% apple cider vinegar diluted with water in equal proportions is used. Wet a sock or cotton pad (depending on the size of the affected area) and put it on or place it on your foot. The compress is kept for 20 minutes, the procedure is repeated twice a day for 10 days.

Mix 70% vinegar and vegetable oil in equal proportions. Rub the resulting mass daily for a month or until complete recovery.

Pour 1 egg 30 g of water and vinegar, mix thoroughly. Lubricate the affected areas of the leg with this remedy every other day until the manifestations of the fungus are completely eliminated.

The tool must be used with caution: before use, it is recommended to apply a greasy cream to healthy areas of the skin to protect the integument from burns.

Celandine

Medicinal herbs help to get rid of many diseases, including skin. A home remedy for fungus with celandine will effectively eliminate the disease at the initial stage of development and will be an effective type of therapy for removing an old form of mycosis. This poisonous plant inhibits the activity of the causative agent of the disease, due to which the mycotic cells die. In folk recipes, both flowers and celandine leaves are used.

Apply fresh celandine juice to cracks, damage and rashes. It eliminates the infection and helps speed up the recovery process. Treat the feet every three days until the symptoms of the disease are completely eliminated.

Pour the dried celandine with a glass of boiling water and boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour the resulting liquid into a container and lower your legs there to steam for 20 minutes. This bath softens the skin and relieves puffiness.

Thoroughly mix dry celandine and tea oil until a slurry is obtained. Apply the resulting mass to the affected area of the leg and fix with a bandage. The compress is done before going to bed. Rinse your feet in the morning with warm water.

Fungal infection is the most common type of disease, it affects about 20% of the world's population. Getting rid of the disease is not so easy, but with the right therapy it is possible. Treatment of a fungus on the legs at home is most effective at the initial stage of the development of the disease. There are numerous ways to eliminate mycosis at home: pharmaceutical preparations or folk recipes. It is best to start therapy only after consulting a doctor, he will help you choose the most effective treatment.