Toenail fungus is a disease that many people suffer from. This disease is easy to get, but curing toenail fungus is much more difficult. Many patients use folk remedies to get rid of the fungus. In many cases, the treatment of 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 the proteins contained in the nail tissues. Most of the fungi living 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 to 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. Active reproduction of the fungus, however, occurs only with severely weakened immunity or with health problems of the circulatory system, the endocrine system. It also causes the disease:
- excessive sweating of the legs;
- nail injuries;
- ignore 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);
- layering, crumbling of the nail;
- bad smell.
Ignoring the nail fungus can lead to the loss of the nail plate, suppuration. In addition, the fungus can reach the skin surfaces and even 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 applying antifungal drugs to the surface of the nail. If the nail is completely affected by the fungus, the nail is surgically removed. However, not everyone is happy with traditional methods. There can be many reasons for this: the high price of medicines in pharmacies, their inaccessibility (for example, if a person lives in a rural area), low efficiency, distrust of traditional medicine, drug allergy.
Treatment of the fungus with folk remedies - the most effective ways
Therefore, often people in search of a remedy for nail fungus turn to folk remedies for help. These methods do not have a rigorously scientifically proven efficacy. 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 plaques 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, the elimination of the fungus with folk remedies often extends 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 usually don't prescribe them to patients with onychomycosis as first-line medications. 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.
Herbal anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agents (St. John's wort, celandine, herbal preparations) can be attributed to folk remedies. These treatments and recipes are also more often recommended by doctors as accessories.
Also, treatment with folk remedies includes the use of:
- essential plant oils;
- birch tar;
- kombucha;
- propolis;
- garlic, onion;
- vinegar;
- grinded coffee;
- household soap and tar;
- lemon juice.
Most often, foot baths, lotions, compresses, ointments are used to treat nail fungus with folk remedies. Sometimes the products can be smeared directly on the nail surface. The duration of some procedures is a few minutes, while in other cases the therapeutic compounds must be kept on the nails for hours. In this case, it is better to carry out the procedure at night.
Warm baths with medicinal solutions are often taken 1-2 times a day. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. The water should be lukewarm, but not hot. If the water has cooled before the completion of the procedure, you need to add some hot water to the container.
Before applying any medicine 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 therapeutic compounds better penetrate into the deep tissues. In addition, when using baths, medicinal substances can also get 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 nails, it is better to use several 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 favor reinfection - visits to swimming pools, gyms, baths, etc. should be avoided.
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 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 vinegar bath, you need to pour enough water into a basin so that it reaches your ankles, then add 200 ml of vinegar. The water temperature should be +50 ° C. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, it must be performed every other day.
Another recipe involves 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 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 performed on damaged skin.
Celandine treatment
Celandine is a plant that has long been used to treat problem skin. It can also help with nail fungus. 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. L. herbs, pour 1, 5 liters of boiling water. The mixture is heated on the stove 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 tincture of celandine, you need to take alcohol and celandine juice in equal proportions. The liquid is infused throughout the day. Celandine tincture lubricates the affected nails.
You can also make 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, lavender, ylang-ylang, lemon, fir, 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), only 10 drops of oil are needed. 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 involves the use of salt. For 1 liter of water, 1, 5 tablespoons are taken. salt and 1 tsp. oils. The procedure must be done within 15 minutes.
You can also do essential oil compresses. To do this, in 2 tsp. the water dissolves a few drops of heated oil. Cotton wool soaked in the solution is applied to the nail. You need to hold it for about an hour.
The easiest way to treat nail fungus with essential oils is to regularly clean the nail surface with oil-soaked cotton swabs. 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 nail fungus with propolis. For example, tampons soaked in an alcoholic tincture of propolis can be applied to the nails with a fungus. To prepare the tincture, it is necessary to infuse 30 g of propolis in 500 ml of vodka for 2 weeks. This tampon should be kept all day.
You can also bathe with propolis. Only 15 drops of tincture are enough for 3 liters of water. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. You can apply on the 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 nail fungus. They are often added to foot baths. Salt baths can be prepared 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 recommended 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 solution of iodine is suitable for the treatment of onychomycosis. Iodine compounds aggressively affect protein compounds in fungal cells and the nail itself. As a result, the mushrooms lose their source of nutrition. Iodine is inexpensive and very easy to use. It is necessary to treat the nails 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 drop 10 drops of iodine solution into a container with water. The procedure should take 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 diseases of the thyroid gland.
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. It is better to do 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 indoors. 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 your nails with gruel from the fungus.
Contraindications to the use of kombucha:
- pregnancy,
- diabetes,
- feeding time,
- 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 do hydrogen peroxide compresses. To do this, cotton swabs need to 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 ball with this mixture. Then the mixture is applied to the nails with it.
Tar and tar soap
Birch tar is one of the oldest known antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs from folk medicine. Tar can be used both in pure form and in the form of an ointment, in addition to traditional remedies. Soap with the addition of tar is also used - tar. Before applying tar on 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 make soap foot baths. 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 hot, but not 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 sore nails every day.
After using tar soap, the skin can 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, the 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 mushrooms need water to live, they quickly die from 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 stored 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.