For the treatment of onychomycosis, doctors prescribe severe local and systemic chemicals. They can cause allergies and side effects. An alternative to pharmacy drugs are homemade formulations with antifungal action. The effectiveness of traditional methods has not been clinically confirmed. The benefits of treatment with homemade products lie in their availability and positive experiences with others.
When you can do without a doctor and chemistry
Dermatologists focus the attention of patients - neglected onychomycosis can be treated exclusively under the supervision of a doctor. Long-term complex therapy will be required, with the appointment of pills and external agents. Self-medication is allowed only in the early stages of nail fungus development. It is possible to distinguish progressive from new-onset ringworm by the symptoms:
- color - after infection with a fungus, the plaque at the end turns dark, whitish or slightly yellowish, spots may appear; in advanced cases, the entire nail turns greyish-yellow, greenish, or brown;
- structure - in the early stages of onychomycosis, the structure of the nail plate does not change significantly, as the nail progresses, it strongly thickens, stratifies, becomes loose, crumbles;
- the condition of the surrounding skin - at the beginning of the disease does not change, in the later stages dryness, pain, cracks, burrs appear;
- sensations - absent, if the skin is damaged, itching, pain, general discomfort appear.
Home remedies can only be used in the early stages of onychomycosis. You can recover on your own if no more than 3 nails are affected, in less than 2/3 of the area, there is no severe hyperkeratosis, and the skin is not involved in the pathological process. With extensive changes to the nail plates, a course of complex therapy lasting 3 to 12 months will be required.
There is no food that can kill fungi from within the body. Homemade mixtures have a fungistatic effect - they slow down the growth and reproduction of fungal microorganisms. They prevent the infection from spreading to the growing nail.
Why home remedies are better than drugstores
Traditional methods of treating onychomycosis are based on the use of:
- available foods (garlic, onion, honey);
- popular chemical compounds for household use (vinegar, soda);
- cheap local antiseptics from the pharmacy (peroxide, iodine, alcohol);
- herbal extracts (infusions, essential oils).
All these substances have a high level of safety and are well tolerated when used externally. However, a small risk of individual sensitivity remains. The presence of an allergic reaction is easy to check if you smear a small area of skin with a prepared nail preparation. In case of itching, burning or swelling, you should stop using the mixture regularly.
Natural home remedies have another specific property - they nourish the nail plate and accelerate its growth. This contributes to the faster growth of the nail and the removal of the affected part of it.
The indisputable advantage of popular methods is their low cost. Most products and substances are in every home. In the absence of them, you can buy them in any store, with minimal financial investment.
The disadvantages of home remedies for onychomycosis are negligible - an unpleasant odor, stains on the nails, time spent on the preparation and processing of limbs. Considering that at the end of the treatment the patient will be fully recovered, the imperfections of the traditional methods can be supported.
How to choose an effective recipe
Common sense should be used when familiarizing yourself with existing treatments for nail fungus. Nobody applies completely indifferent substances to horn plates, like rice porridge or pancakes. Of course, sour cream, milk, raw dough will also be completely ineffective. Traditional medicine recommends mixtures that affect the acidity of the environment (soda, vinegar), vitamins and essential oil products. Such preparations can be really useful, as they create unfavorable living conditions for the fungus, encourage exfoliation of the damaged part of the plaque and accelerate nail growth.
Recommendations for applying motor oil, formaldehyde, diluted aggressive acids to fungal-affected nails are inventions of irresponsible "healers". Any methods that could damage healthy skin should be discarded immediately.
If the fungus only affects a small part of the nail, products rich in vitamins and minerals are sufficient. If several nails are affected at once, but the plaque damage area does not reach ½ of the area of each plaque, you can opt for herbal medicines. If your nails are half damaged, you can stop at recipes with baking soda, vinegar, or antiseptic medication. With more extensive mycoses, you should immediately consult a doctor. Excess risk is fraught with onycholysis - the process of destroying and rejecting nails on all fingers of a member.
List of the best home remedies
The most effective are substances that can have a harmful effect on the fungus. These include vinegar. At home, you can use regular table acid. For a smoother effect, you should opt for wine, apple cider, rice vinegar. Basic methods of home use.
- Cotton pads are impregnated with acid, applied to damaged nail plates, glued with plaster or wrapped with a bandage. Let it act for 3 hours, repeat the procedure 2 times a day.
- The principle is the same as the first method, but the compress is left overnight. The method is only suitable if it is well tolerated and there is no skin irritation around the plaque.
- 9% table vinegar in equal proportions is mixed with glycerin, applied to nails with cotton swabs, for 15 minutes. Processing is repeated three times a day.
- A glass of table vinegar is poured into a basin filled with ankle-deep hot water. The legs rise for 15 minutes, after which they simply wipe away the moisture with a towel. Repeat the procedure 3 times a week.
Baking soda can be used as a paste or as a foot bath. Solutions with it effectively prepare the nail plate for exposure to other drugs.
- The required amount of finely ground soda is diluted with water to the consistency of a thick paste. The tool is used to treat nail plates by applying the paste in a thick layer. Cover with a plaster or bandage. Wait 15 minutes. Then they are washed with water, the nails are wiped with a cloth. Processing is carried out daily, up to 3 times a day.
- To prepare a medicinal soda foot bath, you need to heat 3 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of baking soda and 3 tablespoons of iodinol solution. The feet rise for 20 minutes, wash with clean running water and dry. The procedure is repeated daily, twice a day.
- A tar bath is prepared as follows: heat 3 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of soda, 3 tablespoons of iodine solution, 3 tablespoons of tar soap crushed on a grater. The solution is stirred until a foam forms. Immerse your feet, hold until the water cools down completely. Processing is carried out 3 times a week.
Using these methods, you should carefully monitor the skin reaction. When burning, redness, swelling, dryness, itching appear, the onychomycosis treatment method should be replaced with a milder one.
food
Certain vegetables, juices and root vegetables have antifungal properties. They are most pronounced in essential oil plants - with a strong pronounced aroma, specific taste. Proven treatments for onychomycosis involve regular application of vegetable porridge or juices.
- The garlic is passed through a press until a homogeneous substance is obtained. The same amount of regular table salt is added. Mix the composition well until the crystals are completely dissolved. Apply the product on cotton swabs, apply to damaged nails, leave under a bandage overnight.
- Garlic juice, water and glycerin are mixed in equal amounts. The solution is stored in the refrigerator, used for regular brush nail treatments, three times a day.
- Onion juice is mixed with aloe juice. The resulting substance is used to lubricate damaged nails 3 times a day.
- In the evening, a compress made from horseradish root, rubbed into a homogeneous porridge, is tied to the nails. Before grinding, the roots are peeled from the skin.
By using natural remedies, the likelihood of allergies or irritation is reduced. Redness, burning, itching - reasons to halve the time of exposure to compresses, wash off the remains of solutions from the nails 2 hours after treatment.
beekeeping products
Bee gifts have always been considered a storehouse of minerals, vitamins and biologically active substances. Among them there are components with a broad spectrum of antifungal action. Wax, honey, bee bread, propolis, pollen - all apiary products can improve health when used internally and externally. For the treatment of fungal diseases of the nails, they must be used according to special recipes.
- Propolis is used as a tincture. You can buy the ready-made product at the pharmacy. To prepare the extract at home, you will need to pour 10 g of crushed propolis on a grater with 100 ml of vodka or alcohol. After 14 days of infusion, the product is filtered into a bottle for storage. The tincture is used to treat nails damaged by the fungus 3 times a day. To enhance the effect, the product is applied in 3 layers.
- Propolis ointment. Any fat (100 g) is heated in a water bath. Propolis (10 g) is frozen, crushed with a roller into a fine powder. It is introduced into heated oil, actively stirred until a homogeneous substance is obtained. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until completely solidified. The ointment is rubbed into the nails 2 times a day. After application, it is advisable to wear cotton socks.
- Equal amounts of honey and onion juice are mixed until smooth. The tool is used to lubricate nails 3 times a day.
You can use bee gifts on one condition - if they are well tolerated. If you are allergic to honey, it is better to choose other onychomycosis treatment methods.
Medicinal plants
Among herbal remedies, the most popular are herbal raw materials with tannins and essential oils in the composition. In the treatment of onychomycosis, the use of pure essential oils is allowed, provided they are applied exclusively to the nail plates.
- 50 crushed marigold flowers are brewed in a large cup of boiling water. After complete cooling, the product is filtered into a bowl of hot water (3 liters). The legs rise for 10-15 minutes.
- 6 tablespoons of oak bark pour 1. 5 liters of boiling water. They put on a slow fire, cook for half an hour. After complete cooling, the hood is mixed with 1. 5 liters of clean hot water. Take a shower for 20 minutes.
- 10 drops of tea tree, lavender, ylang-ylang or rosemary essential oil are diluted in 3 liters of hot water. Soak your feet in the mixture for 20 minutes. After that, the feet are wrapped in a towel for 10 minutes. The procedure is performed every day.
- Tea tree oil is mixed with some hot water. The resulting mixture is impregnated with a cotton swab, tied for an hour to the affected nail plate. The manipulation is repeated twice a day.
When using herbal remedies, one should not expect a quick effect. However, regular use of these recipes not only eliminates the fungus, but also strengthens the nails, improves local blood circulation and heals the skin of the feet.
Chemical compounds
For the treatment of the fungus, people recommend using washing powder (brown, 72% inscription, fragrance-free). Wet feet together with nails are well soaped. The bar can be used to pass directly over the nail plates so that the foam enters the area under the rollers and under the free edge of the nail. In a soapy state, wait 20 minutes. After that, the foam is thoroughly washed off with a stiff brush. Processing is daily.
Damaged nails can be treated with 5% pure iodine alcohol solution. The downside of this therapy is that the plaques are stained brown.
Using a pure solution of hydrogen peroxide, antifungal nail compresses are done twice a day. Cotton swabs dipped in hydrogen peroxide are applied to pre-steamed nails. After 15-40 minutes, the compress is removed.
It is very simple to assess the effectiveness of alternative treatment methods - if a healthy nail grows at the base and the damaged surface diminishes after each pedicure, the method helps. If the condition worsens. And the nail turns yellow, thickens - which means that the tool is ineffective. In order for popular drugs to work better, you should cut the damaged area of the nail every week, treat shoes with antifungal agents.