Fungal diseases that affect toenails and toenails cause great discomfort and can significantly impair a person's quality of life. Furthermore, nail fungus is characterized by a long and complex treatment process, when it is detected in later stages.
However, it is easier and relatively simple to deal with it if you start timely treatment when the first symptoms of a fungal infection appear.Traditional medicine suggests the adoption of some recipes that can solve the problem of fungal development.
Iodine protects nail health
With a protein structure, dermatophyte fungi parasitize the nails, the skin of the feet and between the toes, and feed on the horny scales of the skin and the keratin that is part of the nail plate.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the most popular remedy for treating onychomycosis at home is an alcoholic iodine solution. An iodine solution has a detrimental effect on the structure of protein cells, destroying them, in addition, iodine is a fairly strong antiseptic and has pronounced fungicidal properties (resistance to the formation of fungi).
Do not forget that iodine is a very active substance and, if handled inappropriately, it can cause some damage, such as chemical burns, etc.
The affordable price of iodine makes this drug attractive to consumers for the treatment of nail fungus, as well as for prevention purposes. It is worth remembering the rules that must be followed when using iodine solution for medical purposes.
Safety rules when working with iodine
- Treating the skin with iodine solution can cause irritation and allergic reactions.
reaction. Therefore, before you start using it, examine the skin's reaction by rubbing an iodine solution into the elbow crease area. - Regular use of iodine solution strongly pigments the nail with a yellow color, which can only be eliminated by growing a new nail.
- If used incorrectly or if the permitted dosage is exceeded, a chemical burn or inflammatory skin lesion (dermatitis) may occur.
- Only the affected nails and skin areas should be treated and only at the primary symptom stage.
Recipes based on iodine solution
- Recipe 1. An alcoholic solution of iodine (5%) is applied one drop to each affected nail twice a day, in the morning and before bed, using a cotton swab for convenience. To prevent the disease, as well as for additional strengthening, the same solution, but in a smaller dosage, can be lubricated on healthy nail plates.
- Recipe 2. The six-week course of treatment is divided into three stages of fourteen days each. During the course, the infected areas of the skin and nails are treated alternately: Castellani liquid in the first two weeks, iodine solution in the second stage, vinegar solution (9%) in the last two weeks.
- Recipe 3. First, a solution composed of the following components is prepared: iodine, chloronitrophenol, vinegar essence, garlic juice, in equal parts, one teaspoon of each component. This solution should be used to treat the infected nail every day before bed. The nail must first be steamed and the softened part removed. Before use, the medicinal mixture must be shaken.
When treating your nails with any manicure accessory, remember: to avoid infection of healthy nails, the affected areas must be treated with separate tools.
Copper sulfate treatment
Copper sulfate, or copper sulfate among the people, is most often used to accompany traditional treatment of fungal infections. It occurs in the form of crystals, dissolves easily in water and is non-toxic. Two ways are applicable for treatment.
- Copper sulfate solution. It can be done at home. A teaspoon of copper sulfate crystals is dissolved in 1 liter of boiled water. The resulting solution is very concentrated, therefore it must be used in diluted form for treatment: 1 tablespoon. I. solution per 1. 5 liters of water. Using this solution, take ten-minute foot baths before treating the affected areas of skin and nails with medications recommended by your doctor.
- Copper sulfate ointment. Copper sulfate crystals are calcined on a hot surface until the color changes to gray or white. Then mix with other ingredients: yellow sulfur, tar or goose fat, one teaspoon each. The resulting ointment is used to treat sore nails daily until complete recovery.
Sea and table salt for treating fungal infections
Sea salt and common salt can be added to therapeutic foot baths. At the same time, the affected areas of the skin on the feet and nails are disinfected. As a rule, these antiseptic procedures target infections living on the skin and are necessary to prepare the nails for the subsequent application of medicinal ointments.
Salt alone is not able to cure fungus, but it is often used as an integral part of medicinal ointments and mixtures made according to folk recipes.
For example, garlic water is suitable against advanced fungal infections; is used to treat affected feet and nails twice a day. This water is easy to prepare at home. The ground garlic clove is mixed with salt until a paste is obtained. The resulting mixture is dissolved in 200 ml of water. After final cooling, dissolve another 4 tbsp. I. salt.
Unusual Uses of Common Soda
Ordinary soda can be a good helper in the treatment of another type of fungus - yeast. These fungi also affect the feet, parasitizing the skin and nails. It is recommended to use sodium bicarbonate in several very effective recipes.
- Recipe 1. Daily use of soap and soda baths will contribute to better penetration of the medicinal components contained in medicines directly into the lesions. This can often be difficult, as the affected nail is quite thick, grows quickly and acts against penetration, and soap and soda baths soften the nail plate. Mix 3 cups of soda and 3 tbsp. I. grated soap and dissolve the resulting mixture in 7–10 liters of water. Feet rise for 20 minutes a day for 4–5 days.
- Recipe 2. A certain amount of soda is diluted in water to form a paste, which is used to cover the infected nail. A few minutes after applying the soda paste to the nail, add a little lemon juice. Then the mixture is removed, the nail is washed with soap and treated with antifungal agents. This remedy is also only used as a concomitant treatment.
Birch tar treatment process
Birch tar is a powerful remedy for treating all types of skin diseases. Therefore, you can treat your feet with natural birch tar. However, the feet are pre-prepared. The feet, steamed in hot soapy water, undergo further treatment: the rough, affected skin on the feet is exfoliated and the infected nails are trimmed. Then the already dry skin of the feet is lubricated with birch tar applied to a cotton swab with rubbing movements. You should not wear socks or shoes for the next hour and a half. Give the tar time to absorb into the skin.
Tar is no less effective as a treatment in ointments or mixtures. You can prepare your own tar ointment, with a tar content of 5 to 10% in the early stages. You will need a rich, nourishing cream or some type of fat. Natural tar is added to the cream and mixed well. The ointment is ready to use.
Another effective option for treating fungus is sulfur tar ointment, consisting of tar, powdered sulfur, base in the form of a cream or fat - in the proportion: 3: 2: 10, respectively. Apply a thin layer of ointment to the affected areas, let it dry and place a patch on top.
The use of tar soap is useful in preventing any skin diseases as it contains up to 12% pure tar and has antiseptic properties. You should opt for artisanal tar soap, whose usefulness in the composition will be indisputable.
Celandine for clean skin
Celandine is a poisonous plant whose juice is successfully used against fungus and other skin diseases.
- Celandine juice. Celandine juice is used to treat diseased skin and nail surfaces. Freshly squeezed juice is mixed with alcohol (70%) in a 1: 1 ratio and infused over the next 24 hours. The treatment process lasts about a week, treatments are carried out regularly 3-4 times a day on previously prepared nails and feet.
- Celandine infusion. Add 100 g of dry celandine leaves to 1 liter of boiling water. After half an hour, the resulting infusion is added to the foot bath and the feet are steamed for 20 minutes daily.
- Ointment. Celandine is part of a medicinal herbal ointment to combat fungal infections. Add 5 drops of fresh celandine juice, 2 drops of oregano and 2 drops of pre-prepared calendula tincture to cooled boiled water (4 tablespoons). Treatment with this ointment will take about 10 days, but the damaged areas must be treated at least three times a day.
- celandine oil. You can use celandine oil, which is sold in any pharmacy, or prepare it yourself at home, although this process is quite laborious.
It is still better to use folk remedies for nail fungus in combination with traditional medicine - the effect will be stronger and the treatment time until complete recovery will be significantly reduced.