Toenail fungus is a disease that many people suffer from. This disease is easy to pick up, but to cure 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 the tissues of the nail. Most of the 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 a contagious disease. Fungi can get on the nails through contact with objects that contain fungal spores. It can be the floor in saunas, baths, swimming pools, locker rooms, manicure tools, shoes, socks. Active reproduction of the fungus, however, occurs only with severely weakened immunity or with problems with the health of the circulatory system, the endocrine system. Provoke the disease also:
- excessive sweating of the legs;
- nail injuries;
- ignoring the rules of hygiene;
- taking drugs that reduce immunity - immunosuppressants, corticosteroids;
- excess weight;
- uncomfortable or old shoes.
The main symptoms of onychomycosis:
- itching, burning;
- deformation, thickening or thinning of the nail;
- change in the color of the nail (brown, brown, yellow or dark);
- stratification, crumbling of the nail;
- bad smell.
Ignoring nail fungus can lead to loss of the nail plate, suppuration. Also, the fungus can go to the skin surfaces and even go beyond the legs. There is a danger of infection of other people, especially relatives of the patient.
How can you cure nail fungus?
Many methods have been developed to treat nail fungus. Most of them involve the application of antimycotic drugs to 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 traditional methods. There can be many reasons for this - the high price of pharmacy medicines, their inaccessibility (for example, if a person lives in a rural area), low efficiency, distrust of traditional medicine, allergy to drugs.
Treatment of fungus with folk remedies: the most effective ways
Therefore, often people in search of a remedy for onychomycosis turn to folk remedies for help. These methods do not have strictly 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, the treatment of 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 enhanced. It is usually not worth waiting for quick results from treatment; getting rid of the fungus with folk remedies often stretches 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 attributed to folk, because they are widely used in traditional medicine. However, doctors do not usually prescribe them to patients with onychomycosis as first-line drugs. But this does not mean that antiseptics do not affect the fungus on the legs. However, their effectiveness is most often manifested in the initial stages of the disease.
Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agents based on herbs (St. John's wort, celandine, herbal preparations) can be attributed to folk remedies. These treatments and recipes are also most often recommended by doctors as ancillary.
Also, treatment with folk remedies includes the use of:
- essential oils of plants;
- birch tar;
- kombucha;
- propolis;
- garlic, onion;
- vinegar;
- ground coffee;
- household and tar soap;
- lemon juice.
Most often, foot baths, lotions, compresses, ointments are used to treat onychomycosis with folk remedies. Sometimes products can be directly smeared on 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 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 15-20 minutes. The water should be warm, but not hot. If the water has cooled down before the procedure is completed, then you need to add a little hot water to the container.
Before applying any medicines to the surface of the nail, 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 bed of the nail, 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 off the loose and deformed part of the nail affected by the fungus. For the treatment of healthy and diseased nail plates, it is best to use different manicure tools to avoid the transfer of infection. During the treatment period, it is necessary to change socks regularly, as increased sweating contributes to the development of the fungus. Situations that promote re-infection 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 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 an acidic environment - it is on this feature that the treatment of mycosis with vinegar is based. It is best to use 9% vinegar. Vinegar can be added to foot baths. You can also make lotions with vinegar, rubbing. 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 carried out every other day.
Another recipe calls for adding chicken eggs to 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 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 carried out on damaged skin.
Celandine treatment
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 best to use fresh celandine juice, which is obtained from a plant that has been minced 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. l. 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 carried out 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. Tincture of celandine lubricate the affected nails.
You can also prepare an ointment from celandine. 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 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, fir, 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. After its 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 tablespoons are taken. salt and 1 tsp. oils. The procedure should be carried out within 15 minutes.
You can also carry out compresses with essential oils. To do this, in 2 tsp. water dissolves a few drops of heated oil. Cotton wool 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 wipe the surface of the nail plates 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 traditional medicine. There are also recipes for onychomycosis with propolis. For example, tampons soaked in an alcohol 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 should be kept on throughout the day.
You can also make baths with propolis. Only 15 drops of tincture per 3 liters of water are enough. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. You can apply to the 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 - 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 within 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 alcohol 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, 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 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 only 10 drops of iodine solution into a container 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 a number of contraindications - intolerance to this substance and thyroid disease.
Alcohol
It is used as part of the complex treatment of onychomycosis and medical 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 compress is best done at night, and in the morning treat the nail with an antimycotic drug.
Tea mushroom
Kombucha is a traditional medicine that is used for various diseases, including mycosis. The substances contained in kombucha are active against most pathogenic fungi, with the exception of fungi of the Candida genus. Kombucha is often grown at home. For therapeutic purposes, it is best to take an 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 carried out at night. You can also lubricate the nails with gruel from the fungus.
Contraindications to the use of kombucha:
- pregnancy,
- diabetes,
- lactation,
- alcoholism,
- hepatitis,
- AIDS.
Hydrogen peroxide
This substance also has a negative effect on the fungus. The most commonly 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 25-30 minutes.
You can also carry out compresses with hydrogen peroxide. To do this, cotton swabs must be moistened with peroxide and applied to sore nails. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour. You can also mix peroxide with vinegar in equal proportions. Soak 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 most ancient antiseptics and anti-inflammatory drugs known to folk medicine. Tar can be used both in pure form and in the form of an ointment, as an addition to traditional remedies. Soap with the addition of tar is also used - tar. Before applying tar to the 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 take tar soap - a tool that can be found in any home. It can also be used against the fungus - for treatment and prevention.
First of all, 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 warm, but not scalding. Carry out 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 must be rubbed into sore nails every day.
After using tar soap, the skin may become excessively dry. In this case, you can use a moisturizer. Tar and tar soap are contraindicated for people with too dry and sensitive skin.
Boric acid
This popular antiseptic will also help against fungi. With a 2% solution of boric acid, it is necessary to regularly wipe 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. Since fungi need water for their life, as a result of exposure to urea, they quickly die. It is best 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.