Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. You can get the disease, especially in the summer, anywhere. But the fight against him often takes a long time. A quarter of the world's population, as the statistician says, suffers from this scourge. We will show you how to treat nail fungus at home.
Vinegar for nail fungus
Not many people know that vinegar can be used to solve the rather complex medical problem of removing nail fungus. With the availability of table vinegar (9% acidic solution) and even vinegar essence (70% acidic solution), which can be purchased in hardware stores or in the market, there are many ways to deal withtoenail fungus using this product.
Of course, self-medication with vinegar should be carried out only if the disease has not turned into a neglected form, and it is advisable to combine it with specially developed drugs.
However, when there is an urgent need to treat nail fungus, there is no money or time to see a doctor, and there is no drug treatment, you can use vinegar. yourself, the main thing is to follow the appropriate safety rules.
Features of the use of vinegar
The main effect of using vinegar is to create an acidic environment in the area of infection with the fungus, which prevents the growth of hyphae and the spread of spores.
Gradually, the fungus, left without access to new sources of nutrients, dies and the absence of much more resistant spores prevents the possibility of a relapse of the disease.
At first glance, everything is very simple - how to destroy bacteria with an antiseptic. But in fact, the fungus turns out to be very stubborn, because its body is not located on the surface of the nail or skin, but penetrates into the thickness of the tissues.
In this regard, a positive result of therapy for oncomycosis should be expected only with strict regularity of the procedures, which will not give the parasite time to readjust and get under the skin.
Before treating nail fungus, make sure that the concentration of acetic acid used is the same as stated in the recipe.
If the recipe contains a mention of vinegar essence, this means a 70% solution, which must be dissolved or applied on a one-off basis. Food vinegar or table vinegar, respectively, contains 6 and 9% acid. Neglect of this data can lead to the fact that the treatment will end with a chemical burn.
In addition to this point, there are no particular contraindications to treatment with vinegar. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is such a common substance that patients are generally aware of this feature of the body.
A burning sensation may occur during the first few operations, but this is normal and will pass over time. Otherwise, the vinegar, subject to safety rules, presents no health hazard.
Vinegar baths
Hot foot baths are considered to be an effective remedy for fungus; regular use allows you to get rid of onychomycosis at an early stage without additional drugs.
In addition, vinegar baths are an excellent prevention of fungal infections. The procedure requires hot water, about 50 degrees, and a glass of vinegar at 9% strength.
The water level in the basin should not be high, but only up to the ankles. The feet are soaked in the solution and held there for 15 minutes.
Before the vinegar bath, it is advisable to perform a complete pedicure procedure, including the removal of the affected areas of the nail plate and layers of dead skin, calluses and corns on the feet, but without applyingdecorative coating on the nails.
If you cut and file your nails yourself, you need to do this very carefully, as micro-damage to the skin can contribute to the spread of a fungal infection.
Immediately after the vinegar bath, wipe your feet with a towel and put on cotton socks. Repeat three times a week.
vinegar lotions
Lotions on the places affected by the fungus are best done after vinegar baths.
For this, both pharmacy products and 9% pure vinegar are suitable, in which a cotton ball is moistened and applied to the nail for fifteen minutes.
A more complex recipe: a mixture of vodka or forty-degree medical alcohol, glycerin and 70% acetic acid in equal proportions, mix until smooth.
A cotton swab, moistened with a solution, is kept for fifteen minutes on the affected areas, after which they put on cotton socks. The course of treatment is a week, if necessary, you can repeat it after a few days.
Ointment against fungus on the feet
All existing local preparations are based on the following active ingredients:
- bifonazole;
- sertocanazole;
- ketoconazole;
- terbinafine;
- naftifine;
- oxyconazole;
- cyclopiroxolamine.
The choice of ointment for nail fungus is carried out only after scratching the skin or the upper part of the nail. Based on the results of the analysis, it becomes clear which of the types of pathogenic microorganisms is the causative agent of mycosis:
- epidermophytes;
- trichotones;
- dermatophytes;
- microspores;
- molds;
- yeast-like fungi.
Based on the results of the diagnosis, you need to buy the best ointment that is able to cope with the detected pathogen of the fungus.
Antifungal ointments
All antifungal agents designed to get rid of nail fungus are divided into 2 groups:
- Allylamine. These drugs penetrate deep into the nail plate, completely destroying the fungal colony. After treatment, the concentration of the accumulated active substance helps to resist relapse for a long time, a healthy nail grows in place of the nail affected by the fungus.
- Azole. They interfere with the synthesis of the fungus by destroying its cell membrane. The effect of the accumulation of the drug in the nail plate leads to the complete death of the infection.
If the affected area of the nail is still relatively small, you can get rid of the fungus with a special nail polish.
These funds are used as an ordinary pedicure varnish, applied in a thin layer directly to the affected nail twice a week.
For prophylaxis, healthy nails of neighboring fingers should also be varnished, since fungal spores spread very quickly and easily in space.
Preparatory procedures
These guidelines will help you use the ointment against the fungus more effectively.
- If the fungus has infected more than one area of your body, they must be treated at the same time in order to avoid a relapse of the disease.
- Apply the ointment not only to the affected nail or skin, but also to the adjacent areas.
- During the period of applying the ointment, observe strict hygiene, both of the affected area of the skin and of the whole body as a whole.
- Before applying the medicine, thoroughly wash the affected area with antibacterial soap under running water. Then take a soothing bath. To do this, dilute 1-2 tablets of furacilin or potassium permanganate in 5 liters of warm boiled water. Soak your hands or feet in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes.
If, after several weeks of using the drug, the first signs of a recurrence of the disease do not appear, it is necessary to change the ointment and consult a dermatologist.
Naftifine ointment
Antifungal cream with the active substance naftifine hydrochloride, which contributes to the disruption of the structure of the cell wall of the infection. Penetrates into the deep layers of the skin. It also exists as a solution.
It is used in the treatment of fungi of the feet, nails, various lichens present on the body. The agent is applied to the affected and cleaned surface and adjacent areas once a day.
The duration of the course is several to eight weeks with fungus on the skin. In case of nail infection, it is applied several times a day for six months.
Contraindicated in hypersensitivity to naftifine. Sometimes this can cause redness and burning of the skin, but you should not stop the treatment.
Terbinafine ointment
One of the safest and most effective anti-fungal agents. This may be due to the active ingredient terbinafine.
The ointment is applied in a thin layer on the base of the nail and on the adjacent skin areas and rubbed. The process is repeated 1-2 times a day.
The course of therapy lasts from 14 days to 1 month. Usually the first results are visible after the first two weeks. If no improvement is observed, then it is recommended to replace the agent with another drug. The drug is allowed for adults and children from 2 years old.
Ketoconazole ointment
This remedy is most effective for yeast infections, especially on the skin. Ketoconazole - the main active ingredient in the ointment, penetrates the deep layers of the skin and acts directly in the cells of the fungus, preventing their reproduction and causing death.
Good because it quickly relieves the symptoms of the fungus. It is applied once a day for a month if the lesion is localized on the hands, and up to two months if it is localized on the legs.
Clotrimazole ointment
An effective antifungal medication is a cream used to treat nail plate and skin. The main component of the drug is clotrimazole, which destroys the membranes of fungi, resulting in their death, is applied twice a day to diseased nails.
The duration of treatment depends on the degree of development of the disease. But even after the symptoms disappear, the treatment should be continued for a month.
The ointment is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to its components and liver diseases.
Inexpensive ointments: salicylic, zinc and sulfuric
Salicylic ointment can be used to successfully treat nail fungus. It is used in two ways. In the first case, it is smeared on the affected areas with a thin layer.
In the second case, with the help of the ointment, compresses are made at night. After such procedures, the skin on the feet will begin to peel off sharply. Soap and soda baths will help speed up the peeling process.
Sulfur ointment is an older, proven medicine for nail fungus. It is applied once a day at night for a week, the concentration is prescribed by the doctor individually.
It is a strong allergen, therefore, before use it is necessary to test on a healthy area of the skin.
Tea tree oil against fungi
Tea tree oil is an effective remedy for onchomycosis, acting directly on the cause of the disease - dermatophyte fungi.
Tea tree essential oil contains alpha-terpinene, alpha-fellandrene, limonene, sabinene, cineole and other substances that give it its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Before using the essential oil, it is necessary to perform an allergy test - apply a little of the product to the skin of the wrist, if no irritation, redness of rashes and other reactions occur within 12 hours, then the product can be used for medicinal purposes.
Otherwise, it must be diluted to a safe concentration, or this technique must be abandoned altogether.
Ways to use tea tree oil:
- Foot bath with tea tree oil. Warm water is poured into a basin at the ankles, 15-20 drops of essential oil are added and the feet are held there for twenty minutes, maintaining a high water temperature (45-50 degrees). The course of treatment is two months, you need to do the baths daily. During the treatment procedure, it is necessary to remove the affected areas of the nail plate with the help of a file, nail tweezers or scissors.
- Apply oil to the nail plate. If you have no reaction to undiluted tea tree oil, in order to increase the effectiveness of the effect, it is applied in its pure form to the affected areas of the nail. Previously, the legs are steamed in warm water with the addition of laundry soap (for better dissolution it can be grated). The oil is rubbed into the nail plate with a cotton swab twice a day, it is not necessary to wash off the product.
How to cure nail fungus fast
The internal and external use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of infectious diseases and the like has been described by Professor Neumyvakin in a book written on the basis of personal experience.
He mentions hydrogen peroxide as a prophylactic agent with antibacterial properties.
External use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of fungal infections is carried out after steaming the feet in warm water with dissolved soda at the rate of one teaspoon per liter.
When the nail plates become soft, pinch a small fragment of the affected area of the nail with a nail clipper and, soaking it in 3% peroxide solution, apply it to the platenail.
Leave on for 10-15 minutes on the nails or 40 minutes to an hour on the feet. Perform the procedure twice a day until the symptoms of the fungal infection subside.
To reduce the evaporation of peroxide and increase the intensity of the impact, the nail plate with lotion is wrapped in plastic wrap.
After the exposure time has elapsed, rinse your toes and hands thoroughly under running water.
For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, it is recommended to instill hydrogen peroxide into the nail cavity three times a day.
Good results are given by baths for the hands and feet (depending on the localization of onychomycosis) with hydrogen peroxide.
Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in water at a temperature of 40-50 degrees at the rate of two tablespoons per liter of water. The duration of the procedure is fifteen minutes, the regularity of the procedure is twice a day for a week.
Other folk remedies
Comprehensive treatment of toenail fungus with the help of folk recipes based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and permanently get rid of the unpleasant smell and other accompanying symptoms.
Two effective folk remedies for fungal infections:
- Recipe with peroxide 1. To prepare the mixture you will need extinct soda (0. 5 cup), hot water (4 cups), 3% hydrogen peroxide (0. 25 cup) andhalf a cup of magnesium sulfate or Epsom salts. Mix all the ingredients well and add another quarter cup of vinegar. Soak a cotton swab in the resulting solution and fix it on the nail plate affected by the fungus with a bandage. The dressing should be changed every ten hours, the course of treatment is one month.
- Peroxide recipe 2. The procedure for treating mushrooms according to this recipe consists of three steps. First of all, it is necessary to prepare a solution for treating the surfaces of the nail and skin affected by the fungus - mix 3% vinegar and peroxide at a concentration of 3% in a 1: 1 ratio. This mixture is applied to the feet while it sizzles. The second step is to immerse the fingers with a fungal nail infection for half a minute in a weak solution of bleach in water, after which they are thoroughly rinsed with running water and wiped dry. with a towel. At the end, tea tree oil mixed with petroleum jelly in equal proportions is applied to the nail plate. Wear warm socks or gloves (if this technique has been used to treat nail cancer). The duration of treatment is one week.
- Novocaine lotion. A very simple but effective folk remedy in the treatment of fungus is novocaine lotion. Just soak a piece of cotton with novocaine and apply it to the fungus overnight. Two of these lotions are enough to kill the fungus forever.
- Apricot resin tincture: 1 tablespoon of resin taken from the tree, pour a glass of vodka, leave for three days. Lubricate the skin of the feet and nails with this solution. Shake well before each use. It took us a month for the treatment, the affected nails were cut as they peeled off, new healthy nails grew. On examination, the doctor confirmed the fact of recovery. I can also recommend using old and thickened sunflower oil in this case.
- Garlic applications: I took a clove of garlic, pressed it with a garlic machine, applied the mass to the nail, covered it with cellophane and wrapped itin a bandage or put on the fingertip. I left the bandage until the morning, the first few days I felt a stabbing pain, like an abscess, but I had to endure. The procedures were repeated daily and new nails grew.
- Strong coffee. Not many people know that regular but strong coffee is a very good folk remedy for treating fungus. Make your coffee stronger and simply dip your hands or feet in the cup, depending on where you have the fungus. This procedure is best done in the evening, before going to bed. The fungus disappears completely after several of these evening procedures. At the same time, the skin becomes smooth, and the pains pass quickly.