Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. You can get the disease, especially in summer, anywhere. But fighting him usually takes a long time. A quarter of the world's population, as the statistician claims, suffers from this scourge. We'll show you how to treat nail fungus at home.
Vinegar for nail fungus
Few people know that vinegar can be used to solve the rather complex medical problem of getting rid of nail fungus. Thanks to the availability of table vinegar (9% acid solution), and even vinegar essence (70% acid solution), which can be purchased at the hardware store or on the market, there are several ways to treat nail fungus with this product. .
It is clear that self-medication with vinegar should only be done if the disease has not worsened and it is advisable to combine it with specially developed medications.
However, when there is an urgent need to treat nail fungus, and there is no money and time to go to the doctor and there is no drug therapy, you can use vinegar yourself, the main thing is to follow the proper safety rules.
Characteristics of using vinegar
The main effect of using vinegar is to create an acidic environment in the area of fungus infection, 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 - like killing bacteria with an antiseptic. But in fact, the fungus turns out to be very tenacious, as its body is not on the surface of the nail or skin, but penetrates deep into the tissue.
In this sense, a positive result from oncomycosis therapy should only be expected in the case of strict regularity of procedures, which will not leave the parasite time for rehabilitation and penetration under the skin.
Before treating nail fungus, make sure that the concentration of acetic acid used is the same as indicated in the recipe.
If the recipe mentions the essence of vinegar, it means a 70% solution, which must be dissolved or applied punctually. Food vinegar or table vinegar, respectively, contains 6 and 9% acid. Disregard for these data can lead to the treatment ending up with a chemical burn.
Beyond that point, there are no special contraindications for vinegar treatment. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is such a common substance that patients are often aware of this characteristic of the body.
A burning sensation may occur during the first few procedures, but this is normal and will go away with time. Otherwise, vinegar, subject to safety rules, does not pose any threat to health.
Vinegar baths
Hot footbath is considered an effective remedy against fungi; regular use allows you to get rid of onychomycosis early without additional medications.
Also, vinegar baths are an excellent prevention of fungal infections. The procedure requires warm water, about 50 degrees, and a glass of vinegar with a concentration of 9%.
The water level in the basin should not be high, just up to the ankles. The feet are dipped in the solution and kept there for 15 minutes.
Before the vinegar bath, it is advisable to perform a complete pedicure procedure, including removal of the affected areas of the nail plate and dead skin layers, calluses and calluses on the feet, but without applying decorative coating to the nails.
If you cut and file your nails yourself, you will need to do this very carefully, as micro-damage to the skin can contribute to the spread of fungal infections.
Immediately after the vinegar bath, dry your feet with a towel and put on cotton socks. Repeat three times a week.
Vinegar lotions
Lotions on places affected by the fungus should be best applied after vinegar baths.
For this, both pharmacy products and 9% pure vinegar are suitable, in which a cotton swab is moistened and applied to the nail for fifteen minutes.
A more complex recipe: a mixture of vodka or medicinal alcohol at forty degrees, 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 cotton socks are put on. The course of treatment is one week, if necessary, you can repeat it after a few days.
Foot fungus ointment
All existing local preparations are based on the following active ingredients:
- bifonazole;
- sertocanazole;
- ketoconazole;
- terbinafine;
- naphthyphine;
- oxiconazole;
- cyclopyroxolamine.
The choice of ointment for nail fungus is made only after scraping 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 ringworm:
- epidermophytes;
- tricotones;
- dermatophytes;
- microspores;
- mold fungi;
- yeast-like mushrooms.
Based on the diagnostic results, you should buy the best ointment that can handle the detected fungus pathogen.
antifungal ointments
All antifungal agents designed to eliminate nail fungus are divided into 2 groups:
- Allylamine. These drugs penetrate deep into the nail plate, completely destroying the fungus colony. After a course of treatment, the accumulated concentration of 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 fungus's synthesis, destroying its cell membrane. The drug accumulation effect on the nail plate leads to complete death of the infection.
If the affected area of the nail is still relatively small, you can eliminate the fungus with a special nail polish.
These foundations are used like a regular pedicure nail polish, applied in a thin layer directly to the affected nail twice a week.
For prophylaxis, healthy nails on neighboring fingers should also be varnished, as mold spores spread very quickly and easily into space.
preparatory procedures
These guidelines will help you use the fungus ointment more effectively.
- If the fungus has infected multiple areas of your body, they must be treated at the same time to prevent the disease from relapse.
- Apply the ointment not only to the affected nail or skin, but also to the areas adjacent to them.
- During the period of application of the ointment, observe strict hygiene, both of the affected area of the skin and of the entire body as a whole.
- Before applying the medicine, clean the affected area well with antibacterial soap under running water. Then take a softening shower. To do this, dilute 1-2 tablets of furacillin or potassium permanganate in 5 liters of warm boiled water. Soak your hands or feet in the solution for 10-15 minutes.
If, after several weeks of using the drug, the first signs of disease remission do not appear, it is necessary to change the ointment and consult a dermatologist.
Naphthyphine ointment
Antifungal cream with the active substance naftifine hydrochloride, which contributes to the disruption of the infection's cell wall structure. Penetrates the deep layers of the skin. It also exists in the form of a solution.
It is used in the treatment of fungus on the feet, nails, various lichens on the body. The agent is applied to the clean affected surface and adjacent areas once a day.
The course lasts from several to eight weeks with skin fungus. In a nail infection, it is applied several times a day for six months.
Contraindicated in hypersensitivity to naftifine. It can sometimes cause redness and burning of the skin, but you should not stop the treatment.
terbinafine ointment
One of the safest and most effective antifungal agents. Perhaps this is due to the active ingredient terbinafine.
The ointment is applied thinly to the base of the nail and adjacent areas of the skin 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 seen, it is recommended to replace the agent with another drug. The drug is allowed for both adults and children over 2 years.
Ketoconazole Ointment
This remedy is most effective for fungal infections, especially on the skin. Ketoconazole - the main active ingredient in the ointment, penetrates the deep layers of the skin and acts directly on the fungus cells, preventing its reproduction and causing death.
Good because it quickly relieves fungus symptoms. It is applied once a day for a month if the lesion is located on the hands and up to two months if it is located on the legs.
Clotrimazole ointment
An effective antifungal is a cream used to treat the nail plate and skin. The main component of the drug is clotrimazole, which destroys the membranes of fungi, and this leads to their death, is applied to diseased nails twice a day.
The duration of treatment depends on the degree of development of the disease. But even after the symptoms disappear, the treatment must be continued for a month.
The ointment is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to its components and liver diseases.
Cheap 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 spread on the affected areas with a thin layer.
In the second case, with the ointment, the compresses are made at night. After these procedures, the skin on the feet will begin to peel heavily. Soap and soda baths help speed up the peeling process.
Sulfur ointment is an ancient and proven medicine against nail fungus. It is applied once a day in the evening for a week, the concentration is prescribed by the doctor individually.
It is a powerful allergen, so before using it, it is necessary to test a healthy area of the skin.
Tea tree oil against fungi
Tea tree oil is an effective remedy against onchomycosis, acting directly on the cause of the disease - the dermatophyte fungi.
Tea tree essential oil contains alpha-terpinene, alpha-fellandrene, limonene, sabinene, cineole, and other substances that provide its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Before using the essential oil, it is necessary to carry out an allergy test - apply some of the product to the skin on the wrist, if no irritation, redness of rashes and other reactions occur within 12 hours then the product can be used for purposes medicinal .
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 up to ankle level, 15-20 drops of essential oil are added and the feet are kept in it for twenty minutes, keeping the water temperature high (45-50 degrees). The course of treatment is two months, it is necessary to bathe daily. During the treatment procedure, it is necessary to remove the affected areas of the nail plate with a file, nail forceps or scissors.
- Apply oil to the nail plate. If you do not have a 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 powdered soap (for better dissolution, it can be grated). The oil is rubbed into the nail plate with a cotton swab twice a day, there is no need to rinse the product.
How to cure nail fungus quickly
The internal and external use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of infectious diseases and other illnesses has been described by Professor Neumyvakin in a book written from 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 spraying the feet in warm water with dissolved soda at the rate of one teaspoon per liter.
When the nail blades become soft, secure a small fragment of the affected area of the nail with a nail clipper and, soaking it in a 3% peroxide solution, apply it to the nail plate.
Leave on for 10-15 minutes on nails or 40 minutes to an hour on feet. Perform the procedure twice a day until symptoms of the fungal infection disappear.
To reduce peroxide evaporation and increase impact intensity, the nail plate with lotion is wrapped in plastic wrap.
After the exposure time has elapsed, rinse your toes and hands well 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 obtained with hand and foot baths (depending on the location of the onychomycosis) with hydrogen peroxide.
Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in water at a temperature of 40-50 degrees at a rate of two tablespoons per liter of water. Procedure time is fifteen minutes, procedure regularity is twice a day for a week.
Other folk remedies
Comprehensive toenail fungus treatment using popular recipes based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and permanently get rid of the unpleasant odor and other symptoms that accompany it.
Two Effective Folk Remedies for Yeast Infections:
- Peroxide Recipe 1. To prepare the mix, you will need unlit soda (0. 5 cups), hot water (4 cups), 3% hydrogen peroxide (0. 25 cups) and half a cup of magnesium sulfate or salts of Epsom. Mix all ingredients well and add another quarter cup of vinegar. Wet a cotton swab with the resulting solution and fix it to the nail plate affected by the fungus with a plaster. The dressing needs to be renewed every ten hours, the course of treatment is one month.
- Peroxide Recipe 2. The procedure for treating fungi according to this recipe consists of three steps. First, it is necessary to prepare a solution for the treatment of the nail and skin surfaces affected by the fungus - mix 3% vinegar and peroxide at a concentration of 3% in a ratio of 1: 1. This mixture is applied to the feet while it sizzles. The second step is to immerse the fungal nail infected fingers for half a minute in a weak solution of bleach in water, after which they are washed well under running water and dry with a towel. In 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 was used to treat nail cancer). The course of treatment is one week.
- Novocaine lotion. A very simple yet effective folk remedy for treating fungus is novocaine lotion. Just soak a piece of cotton with novocaine and apply it to the fungus overnight. Just two of these lotions are enough to get rid of the fungus forever.
- Apricot resin tincture: 1 tablespoon of the 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 a month for the treatment, the affected nails were cut as they peeled, and new, healthy ones were growing. On examination, the doctor confirmed the fact of recovery. I can also recommend using thick old sunflower oil in this case.
- Garlic application: I took a clove of garlic, squeezed it with a garlic maker, applied the mass to the nail, covered it with cellophane and wrapped it with a bandage or applied it to the tip of my finger. I left the dressing until morning, the first few days I felt a throbbing pain, like an abscess, but I had to endure it. The procedures were repeated daily and new nails appeared.
- Strong coffee. Few people know that plain but strong coffee is a very good folk remedy for treating fungus. Make your coffee stronger and just dip your hands or feet into the cup, depending on where the fungus is. This procedure is best done at night, before bed. The fungus completely disappears after several night procedures. At the same time, the skin is smooth and the pain quickly goes away.