Treatment of fungus on the big toe nail

Fungus on the thumbnail (onychomycosis) always creeps up unnoticed.First, the infection affects the skin of the toes, then creeps up to the nail, and, if not caught in time, spreads throughout the entire foot.Even in the early stages, treatment can take 2-3 weeks, so it is vital to recognize the insidious fungus as early as possible.Moreover, today the disease can be cured using different methods - both pharmaceutical drugs and proven folk recipes.

Symptoms and stages of big toe fungus

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

Children suffer from onychomycosis least often, and after 60 years, every second person already has the infection.Weak immunity, chronic diseases, endocrine disorders are to blame...

Fungal infection is a disease with many faces.There are several types of fungi, and each pathogen causes different symptoms.To understand whether you have become a victim of 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 on the legs becomes dry and cracks;
• small bubbles filled with ichor appear between the fingers;
• thickening of the nail plate began;
• the nail has become brittle, crumbles and breaks;
• nails have lost their shine, their usual shade, and become uneven;
• yellow spots and stripes appear on the nail plate (these are dermophyte 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 fungi);
• 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 itself at all.Sometimes the skin of the feet itches and begins to crack, and barely noticeable spots and stripes appear on the big toe nail.
2. Second stage.The nail loses its healthy pink color, and the plate begins to deform (on the sides and edge).
3. Advanced stage.The nail plate finally changes color, becomes thick and loose, and sometimes falls off.The skin of the toes and between the toes is affected.At this stage, the pathogen penetrates the body, so symptoms of intoxication appear.These are weakness, drowsiness, dysbacteriosis, 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 drug you choose may not be effective against your particular type of fungus.Therefore, it is recommended to go to a doctor who will prescribe tests and select an individual treatment course.

Before treating a disease with traditional medicines, it is necessary to destroy all escape routes for the pathogen.And for 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 will also prevent you from infecting family members.

It will take 1-2 months to eliminate a fungal infection at an early stage.In advanced cases, treatment continues for up to a year or even more.

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

• antimycotic varnishes;
• local preparations: ointment, cream, spray;
• medications for oral administration.

Antimycotic varnishes for the treatment of fungus

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

The main advantage of medicinal varnishes is versatility.They can be used for prevention, treat existing fungus, and even be used to remove the diseased part of the nail.Some drugs can be applied not only to the nail, but also to the sore skin of the feet.The only disadvantage of these funds is their high price.

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

Creams and ointments for treating fungus

Using ointments and creams for onychomycosis is the most effective and simplest way.To get rid of the infection completely at home, it will take up to a year (depending on the stage of the disease).Doctors recommend changing the ointment (or alternating) every 14 days, otherwise the fungus will get used to the medicine and there will be no effect.When all symptoms disappear, you need to 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 pointless to treat the disease with ointments and varnishes alone - the fungus has already penetrated the blood.In this case, the doctor prescribes antifungal drugs and immunomodulators.

Treatment with home remedies

You can cope with big toe fungus at home not only with pharmaceutical varnishes and ointments.In the early stages, folk, “grandmother’s” methods will be quite 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 method of treatment at home is cauterization with iodine.You just need to apply iodine to the nail plate and surrounding skin with a cotton swab 2 times a day (in the morning and before bed).Don't forget: iodine dries out 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 army method - laundry soap.We just grate a regular bar of 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 great in 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 top.Do it 2 times a week at night, antifungal course – six months.The second recipe is 2 crushed cloves of garlic per 100 grams of soft butter.Use in a similar way, but every evening, after washing.Use for 1-2 months.
• Treatment of mycosis of the big toe with folk remedies is impossible without potato peelings.We take fresh peelings, boil them, drain the water and knead them manually right in the saucepan.Then we transfer the fungus-damaged legs into a basin and steam them in the cleaning.After 15-20 minutes, wash off the remaining peelings 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, full treatment must necessarily include removal of the nail.You can remove the entire nail plate or just a part, and the new nail will grow 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 act in a similar way - they soften the nail plate infected with fungus, and it can be removed.The most popular recipes at home are soap and soda baths and birch tar compresses.

Nail removal is possible in different ways: at home, in hospitals or beauty salons.If you decide to carry out such a responsible procedure yourself, there are four options:

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

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

Don't forget: nail removal is not the whole treatment.The fungus itself lives and multiplies on the nail bed, so 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 fungus than to prevent it, so prevention of fungal infection must be carried out constantly.To do this, you need to 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 pool, sauna and bathhouse, and disinfect them regularly.Regardless of what you are wearing - shoes, boots, sneakers - the shoes should be comfortable, breathable, ideally made from natural materials.

It is also necessary to take care of your feet: cut your nails on time, prevent the nail from growing into the skin, and heal all cracks and small wounds in a timely manner.Also, regularly examine your fingers for any suspicious symptoms.