Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. You can catch the disease, especially in the summer, anywhere. But the fight against him often takes a lot of time. A quarter of the world's population, as the statistician says, suffers from this scourge. We will show you how to treat toenail fungus at home.
Vinegar for nail fungus
Few people know that vinegar can be used to solve the rather complex medical problem of eliminating 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 in the market, there are many ways to treat toenail 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 medications.
Nevertheless, when there is an urgent need to treat nail fungus, and there is no money and time to visit a doctor, and there is no drug therapy, you can use vinegar yourself, the main thing is to adhere to 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 by 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 hardy 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 tenacious, since its body is not located on the surface of the nail or skin, but goes into the thickness of the tissues.
In this regard, a positive result from the therapy of oncomycosis should be expected only in the case of strict regularity of the 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 contains a mention of vinegar essence, then it means a 70% solution, which must be dissolved or applied pointwise. Food vinegar or table vinegar, respectively, contains 6 and 9% acid. Neglect of these data can lead to the fact that the treatment will end with a chemical burn.
In addition to this point, there are no special contraindications to treatment with vinegar. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is such a common substance that usually patients are aware of this feature of the body.
A burning sensation may well occur during the first procedures, but this is normal and will pass over time. Otherwise, vinegar, subject to safety rules, does not pose any threat to health.
Vinegar baths
Warm foot baths are considered an effective remedy against fungus; regular use allows you to get rid of onychomycosis at an early stage without additional medications.
Also, vinegar baths are an excellent prevention of fungal infections. The procedure requires warm, about 50 degrees, water and a glass of vinegar of 9% concentration.
The water level in the basin should not be high, but only 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 carry out a full pedicure procedure, including the removal of the affected areas of the nail plate and dead skin layers, calluses and corns on the feet, but without applying a decorative coating to the nails.
If you cut and file your nails yourself, then you need to do it very carefully, as micro-damage to the skin can contribute to the spread of fungal infection.
Immediately after the vinegar bath, wipe your feet dry with a towel and put on cotton socks. Repeat three times a week.
Vinegar lotions
Lotions on places affected by the fungus are best done after vinegar baths.
For this, both pharmacy products and pure 9% vinegar are suitable, in which a cotton pad 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 acetic acid 70% 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 socks made of cotton material. 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 toenail fungus is carried out 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 microorganism is the causative agent of mycosis:
- epidermophytes;
- trichotones;
- dermatophytes;
- microspores;
- mold fungi;
- yeast-like mushrooms.
Based on the results of the diagnosis, you should purchase the best ointment that can 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 a course of 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 drug accumulation 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 a regular pedicure varnish, applied in a thin layer directly to the affected nail twice a week.
For prophylaxis, healthy nails on 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 several areas on your body, then they should 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 areas adjacent to them.
- During the period of applying the ointment, observe strict hygiene, both of the affected area of the skin and the whole body as a whole.
- Before applying the medication, thoroughly clean the affected area with antibacterial soap under running water. Then take a softening 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 10-15 minutes.
If, after several weeks of using the drug, the first signs of a retreat of the disease do not appear, it is necessary to change the ointment and consult a dermatologist.
Ointment with naftifine
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 in the form of a solution.
It is used in the treatment of fungi of the feet, nails, various lichens on the body. The agent is applied to the affected, cleaned surface and adjacent areas once a day.
The duration of the course is from several to eight weeks with fungi on the skin. With a nail infection, it is applied several times a day for six months.
Contraindicated in hypersensitivity to naftifine. Sometimes it can cause redness and burning of the skin, but you should not interrupt 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 in a thin layer on the base of the nail and on the adjacent skin areas and rubbed in. 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 medicine is allowed for both 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 of the ointment, penetrates into 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 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 drug is a cream that is 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 disappearance of his symptoms, treatment should 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 toenail 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, using the ointment, compresses are made at night. After such procedures, the skin on the feet will begin to peel off strongly. Soap and soda baths will help speed up the flaking process.
Sulfur ointment is an old proven drug against nail fungus. It is applied once a day at night for a week, the concentration is prescribed by the doctor individually.
It is a powerful allergen, therefore, before use, it is necessary to test on a healthy area of the skin.
Tea tree oil against fungus
Tea tree oil is an effective remedy against 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 provide its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Before using the essential oil, it is necessary to conduct an allergy test - apply a little product on the skin of the wrist, if no irritation, reddening 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:
- Tea tree oil foot bath. Warm water is poured into a basin to the level of the ankles, 15-20 drops of essential oil are added and the feet are kept in it 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 using a file, nail tongs or scissors.
- Applying oil to the nail plate. If you do not have a reaction to undiluted tea tree oil, then 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, there is no need to wash off the product.
How to cure toenail fungus quickly
The internal and external use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of infectious and other diseases was 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 infection 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 off a small fragment of the affected area of the nail using nail clippers and, soaking it with a 3% peroxide solution, apply it to the nail plate.
Leave to act for 10-15 minutes on fingernails or from 40 minutes to an hour on the feet. Carry out the procedure twice a day until the symptoms of the fungal infection disappear.
To reduce the evaporation of peroxide and increase the intensity of the impact, the nail plate with a 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 the nail cavity with hydrogen peroxide three times a day.
Good results are given by baths for 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 procedure time is fifteen minutes, the regularity of the procedure is twice a day for a week.
Other folk remedies
Comprehensive treatment of toenail fungus using folk recipes based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and permanently get rid of the unpleasant odor and other accompanying symptoms.
Two effective folk remedies for fungal infections:
- Recipe with Peroxide 1. To prepare the mixture, you will need slaked soda (0. 5 cups), hot water (4 cups), 3% hydrogen peroxide (0. 25 cups), and half a cup of magnesium sulfate or Epsom salts. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and add another quarter cup of vinegar. Soak a cotton swab with the resulting solution and fix it on the nail plate affected by the fungus with a plaster. The bandage needs to be renewed every ten hours, the course of treatment is a month.
- Peroxide recipe 2. The procedure for treating fungus according to this recipe consists of three stages. First, 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 in 3% concentration in a 1: 1 ratio. This mixture is applied to the feet while it sizzles. The second stage is to immerse fingers with a fungal infection of the nail for half a minute in a weak solution of bleach in water, after which they are thoroughly rinsed under running water and wiped dry with a towel. Finally, 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 fingernail cancer). The course of treatment is a week.
- Novocaine lotion. A very simple but effective folk remedy in the treatment of fungus is novocaine lotion. Just soak a piece of cotton wool with novocaine and apply it to the fungus overnight. Just two such lotions are enough to get rid of the fungus forever.
- Tincture of apricot resin: 1 tablespoon of the resin removed 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 treatment, the affected nails were cut off as they peeled off, new, healthy ones grew. On examination, the doctor confirmed the fact of recovery. I can also recommend using old, thickened sunflower oil in this case.
- Garlic applications: I took a clove of garlic, squeezed it out with a garlic maker, applied the mass on the nail, covered it with cellophane and wrapped it in a bandage or put on a fingertip. I left the bandage on until the morning, the first days I felt a throbbing pain, like an abscess, but I had to endure. The procedures were repeated daily and new nails grew.
- Strong coffee. Few people know that regular, 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 you have the fungus. This procedure is best done in the evening, before bed. The fungus completely disappears after several such evening procedures. At the same time, the skin becomes smooth, and pains pass quickly.