Treatment of fungus on the big toe nail

Thumbnail fungus (onychomycosis) always goes unnoticed.The infection first affects the skin of the toes, then moves up to the nail and, if not detected in time, spreads to the entire foot.Even in the early stages, treatment may take 2 to 3 weeks.It is therefore essential to recognize the insidious fungus as early as possible.Moreover, today the disease can be cured by different methods - both pharmaceutical drugs and proven traditional recipes.

Symptoms and stages of big toe fungus

Both men and women are at risk of onychomycosis: anyone who wears tightly closed shoes, regularly visits the swimming pool and sauna, and in summer likes to relax on public beaches.

Children suffer from onychomycosis least often, and after 60 years, every second person is already infected.Low immunity, chronic diseases, endocrine disorders are to blame...

Fungal infection is a disease with many faces.There are several types of fungus and each pathogen causes different symptoms.To understand if you have suffered a fungus, you need to take a closer look at your big toe, examine the skin around and between the toes.

The following symptoms will indicate that it is time to treat the nail:

• the skin of the legs becomes dry and cracked;
• small bubbles filled with ichor appear between the fingers;
• thickening of the nail plate began;
• the nail has become brittle, crumbles and breaks;
• the nails have lost their shine, their usual color and have become uneven;
• yellow spots and stripes appear on the nail plate (these are dermophytic fungi);
• the nail suddenly turns green or black (mold);
• on the sides, the nail plate began to turn yellow and lag behind the skin (yeast);
• The nail began to grow under the skin and cause severe discomfort.
• Onychomycosis develops gradually, with each stage of the disease having its own symptoms.And although each pathogen also behaves differently at different stages, in general, the stages of foot fungus can be represented as follows:
1. Early stage.Here, the fungus hardly shows up.Sometimes the skin on the feet itches and begins to crack, and barely visible spots and scratches appear on the nail of the big toe.
2. Second step.The nail loses its healthy pink color and the plate begins to deform (on the sides and edge).
3. Advanced stage.The nail plate eventually changes color, becomes thick and loose, and sometimes falls off.The skin on the toes and between the toes is affected.At this stage, the pathogen enters the body and symptoms of intoxication appear.These are weakness, drowsiness, dysbiosis, weakened immunity.

Treatment with pharmaceutical drugs

If you find a fungus on your thumb, self-medication is far from the best option.There are several types of this infection and the medication you choose may not be effective against your particular type of fungus.Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor who will prescribe tests and select individual treatment.

Before treating a disease with traditional medicines, it is necessary to destroy all routes of escape of the pathogen.And to do this, disinfect shoes, bed linen, socks.Textiles can be boiled, outdoor shoes can be wiped from the inside with lemon, and indoor slippers should be thrown away.These methods will not only speed up healing, but also save you from infecting your family members.

It will take 1-2 months to eliminate a fungal infection in the early stages.In advanced cases, treatment continues for up to a year or more.

Foot fungus can be successfully treated with three groups of medications:

• anti-mycotic varnishes;
• local preparations: ointment, cream, spray;
• medicines for oral administration.

Antimycotic varnishes for the treatment of fungus

Antifungal varnishes are recommended initially, when the disease has not yet reached an advanced stage.

The main advantage of medicinal varnishes is versatility.They can be used for preventative purposes, treat existing fungus and even be used to remove the diseased part of the nail.Some medications can be applied not only to the nail, but also to the painful skin on the feet.The only drawback of these funds is their high price.

Most antifungal polishes fight several types of fungus at once.It takes 2 months to a year to cure all symptoms of the infection.

Creams and ointments to treat fungus

Using ointments and creams for onychomycosis is the most effective and simple way.To completely get rid of the infection at home, it will take up to a year (depending on the stage of the disease).Doctors recommend changing the ointment (or alternately) every 14 days, otherwise the fungus will get used to the medicine and there will be no effect.When all symptoms disappear, you should continue treatment for another 2 weeks to consolidate the effect of the drug.

Antifungal drugs for oral administration

In advanced forms of onychomycosis, it is useless to treat the disease only with ointments and varnishes - the fungus has already entered the bloodstream.In this case, the doctor prescribes antifungal and immunomodulatory drugs.

Treatment with home remedies

You can fight big toe fungus at home not only with pharmaceutical varnishes and ointments.At first, “grandmother's” folk methods will be very effective.

But it is important to understand that treatment with folk remedies, although less expensive, will take more time than using antifungal varnishes and special creams and ointments.

Traditional medicine methods are widely used in the treatment of fungal infections.It is recommended to use them as additional measures to the main treatment.They cannot replace medications.

Common recipes:

• The simplest home treatment method is iodine cauterization.You just need to apply iodine to the nail plate and surrounding skin using a cotton swab 2 times a day (in the morning and before bed).Remember: iodine dries your skin.Therefore, every week it is better to take a short break and treat the fungus with other folk remedies.
• If you catch the infection at a very early stage, you can treat it with a proven military method: laundry soap.We simply grate a bar of ordinary soap on a coarse grater, dilute it in a bowl of hot water and arrange foot baths every evening.Until complete recovery.
• The antibacterial properties of garlic are also excellent for fighting fungus.There are two garlic recipes you can use at home.The first is to rub the garlic until it becomes a paste, spread it on the sore nail, wrap it with film and put a sock on it.Do it twice a week in the evening, antifungal treatment – six months.The second recipe is 2 crushed garlic cloves per 100 grams of soft butter.Use the same way, but every evening, after washing.Use for 1 to 2 months.
• Treatment of mycosis of the big toe with folk remedies is impossible without potato peelings.We take fresh peels, boil them, drain the water and knead them manually directly in the pan.Then we transfer the legs damaged by fungus to a basin and steam them when cleaning.After 15-20 minutes, rinse the remaining peels with potato broth and put on clean socks.Do this every evening until the fungal symptoms disappear.

Vinegar essence, lemon compresses, aspen bark baths, herbal mixture of chamomile, violet and string, celandine, etc.are also considered effective folk remedies for big toe fungus.

Removing the big toe nail

If the fungal infection has already entered the second or third stage, the comprehensive treatment must necessarily include removal of the nail.You can remove the entire nail plate or just part of it, and the new nail will become smooth, pink and healthy.

Removing the nail plate using folk remedies requires special care and precision - complete sterility must be maintained so as not to introduce a new infection.Homemade keratolytics also work in the same way: they soften the nail plate infected with fungus and can be removed.The most popular recipes at home are soap and soda baths and birch tar compresses.

Nail hair removal is possible in different ways: at home, in the hospital or in a beauty salon.If you decide to carry out such a responsible procedure yourself, you have four options:

• keratolytic varnishes;
• special ointments and creams;
• keratolytic plaster mixtures;
• nail removal using folk remedies.

All varnishes, patches, creams and other folk remedies work on the same principle.A keratolytic mixture is applied to the steamed nail (according to the instructions daily or several times a week), sealed on top and removed after a while.It is recommended to remove patches once a day, ointment and cream - once a day or 3-4 days, varnish - once a week.In this case, the damaged part of the nail is removed along with the product.

Remember: nail waxing is not the entire treatment.The fungus itself lives and multiplies on the nail bed.Therefore, after removing the nail plate, you need to treat the sore finger with other antifungal drugs.Otherwise, the infection will become more active and infect the new growing nail.

It is much more difficult to cure a fungus than to prevent it, therefore prevention of fungal infections must be carried out constantly.To do this, you must follow simple hygiene rules.You should not wear someone else's shoes, use a separate towel for your feet, take only your own shoes into the swimming pool, sauna and bathhouse and disinfect them regularly.Whatever you wear - shoes, boots, sneakers - shoes should be comfortable, breathable, ideally made from natural materials.

You also need to take care of your feet: cut your nails in time, prevent the nail from growing into the skin and heal all cracks and small wounds as soon as possible.Also examine your fingers regularly for any suspicious symptoms.