Toenail fungus is a disease that many people suffer from. This disease is easy to detect, but curing toenail fungus is much more difficult. Many patients use home 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 enter the nails through contact with objects that contain fungal spores. It can be the floor of saunas, baths, swimming pools, changing rooms, manicure tools, shoes, socks. However, the active reproduction of the fungus occurs only with severely weakened immunity or problems with the health of the circulatory system, the endocrine system. Cause disease also:
- excessive sweating of the legs;
- nail injuries;
- ignore 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, tan, yellow, or dark);
- layering, crumbling of the nail;
- Bad smell.
Ignoring nail fungus can lead to loss of the nail plate, suppuration. Also, the fungus can go to skin surfaces and even go beyond the legs. There is a danger of infection of other people, especially relatives of the patient.
How can nail fungus be cured?
Many methods have been developed to treat nail fungus. Most of them involve the application of antifungal drugs to the nail plate. 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 drugs, their inaccessibility (for example, if a person lives in a rural area), low efficiency, distrust of traditional medicine, allergy to drugs.
Fungus treatment with folk remedies: the most effective ways
Therefore, often people looking for a remedy for onychomycosis turn to home remedies for help. These methods are not strictly scientifically proven to be effective. 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 drugs. In this case, the effect of the latter can be significantly enhanced. Quick results of treatment are usually not worth waiting for; getting rid of the fungus with folk remedies often lasts 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, cannot be attributed to the people, 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, its effectiveness is most often manifested in the initial 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 ancillary.
In addition, treatment with folk remedies includes the use of:
- plant essential oils;
- birch tar;
- kombucha;
- propolis;
- garlic onion;
- vinegar;
- ground coffee;
- household and tar soap;
- lemon juice.
In most cases, foot baths, lotions, compresses and ointments are used to treat onychomycosis with folk remedies. Sometimes products can be smeared directly onto the nail plate. 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 complete, you need to add a little hot water to the container.
Before applying any medication to the nail plate, it is recommended to steam the legs. That is why in the treatment of onychomycosis the use of baths is preferable, because the surface of the nail softens and the therapeutic compounds penetrate better into the deep tissues. Also, 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 below.
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 the transmission of infection. During the treatment period, it is necessary to change the socks regularly, since increased sweating contributes to the development of the fungus. Situations that favor reinfection should be avoided: visits to swimming pools, gyms, bathrooms, etc.
All herbal ingredients must first undergo allergenicity testing.
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 dips 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 acid environment; It is on this characteristic 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 a container so that it reaches the ankles, and then add 200 ml of vinegar to it. The water temperature must 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 the vinegar. 200 ml of vinegar is dissolved in 5 liters of water, and 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, previously soaked in vinegar, are taken 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 been used for a long time to treat skin problems. 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 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. iherbs, 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 a celandine tincture, you need to take alcohol and celandine juice in equal proportions. The liquid is infused during the day. Celandine tincture lubricates 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, garlic juice is recommended to be diluted 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, lavender, ylang-ylang, lemon, fir and rosemary oils 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 need only 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 tbsp. salt and 1 tsp. oils. The procedure must be carried out within 15 minutes.
You can also make compresses with essential oils. To do this, in 2 tsp. the water dissolves a few drops of hot 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 wipe the surface of the nail plates with cotton swabs dipped in oil. This procedure should 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 alcohol tincture of propolis can be applied to fungal nails. To prepare the tincture, you need to infuse 30 g of propolis in 500 ml of vodka for 2 weeks. This buffer should be kept throughout the day.
You can also make baths with propolis. Just 15 drops of tincture per 3 liters of water is enough. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. It can be applied on 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 done 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 per 4 liters of water are taken. 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, the mushrooms 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 of water. The procedure should last 10-15 minutes.
Iodine can also be used to prevent fungus on healthy nails. However, regular iodine treatment 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 medicinal alcohol. Most often, compresses are made from alcohol, which are applied to the affected nail. Before the procedure, the nails must be properly steamed in warm water. It is better to make an alcohol compress at night, and in the morning to treat the nail with an antifungal 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 genus Candida. 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 done at night. You can also lubricate the nails with mushroom gruel.
Contraindications to the use of kombucha:
- the 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 make 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 hydrogen peroxide with vinegar in equal proportions. Soak a cotton swab in 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 the form of an ointment, as a supplement 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 household. It can also be used against fungus, for treatment and prevention.
First of all, you can make foot baths with soap. In the bathroom, it is necessary to dissolve the maximum amount of soap. To make the soap dissolve better, you can grate it. The water temperature is lukewarm, but not boiling. 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 should be rubbed on the 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 fungus. With a 2% solution of boric acid, it is necessary to regularly clean the diseased nail, 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. Since fungi need water to live, they quickly die as a result of exposure to urea. 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.