Currently, medicine has reached such a level that properly selected medications can cope with any type of fungus. But many people do not trust science and prefer to treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. And they do it wrong: illiterate treatment does not eradicate pathogens; at best, it slightly slows down their growth.
If you want to use traditional medicine methods at home, they should be used only as an additional treatment to complex therapy, and only after consulting a doctor.
Features of the fungus
The difficulty in treating foot fungus is that there are several thousand species of these pathogenic organisms in the world, many of which can successfully live and develop on human skin.Fungal spores are very tenacious, quickly take root in the epidermis, penetrating into the deep layers of the skin; they can only be destroyed with medications intended for their species.Moreover, treatment cannot be interrupted until the pathogens are completely destroyed: if even one spore survives, the likelihood of relapse is high.
Therefore, it is not enough to see a doctor; you also need to undergo tests that will determine the type of foot fungus. Only in this case can the doctor prescribe the correct treatment: even effective medications for foot fungus will be ineffective if they are intended to eradicate another type of pathogen, and the fight will last for many years.
These times can be significantly reduced if you detect foot fungus in time and immediately begin treating foot fungus at home: in this case, the fungus can be eradicated within two months. Although the disease develops quickly, it leaves time to detect and take countermeasures. Therefore, it is very important to know what symptoms that signal the development of fungus you need to pay attention to.
Symptoms of the disease
At the initial stage, when the fungus only affects the feet and toes, peeling and redness are observed in the places where it has managed to gain a foothold. After some time, these areas begin to itch and itch, and sometimes small watery blisters may appear. These symptoms should not be ignored: you should see a doctor immediately. With proper treatment, foot fungus can be eliminated permanently within two months using antifungal creams and anti-fungal polish.
If the moment is missed and the disease is not treated, the next stage will be damage to the nail, the color of which will begin to gradually change, and eventually become yellow, green or even black, after which it will begin to peel, crumble and move away from the finger. In this case, simple ointments cannot be used for treatment, and time must be devoted to treating the nail plate.
This means that the nail needs to be cut off almost to the root, and the top layer of the affected plate must be filed off, after which it will be necessary to apply an antifungal varnish to the nail, which, having penetrated the plate, will begin to destroy fungal spores. When this varnish dries, it blocks air access to the fungus, which pathogens need for normal development.
If you miss this moment and do not start treating foot fungus in time, longitudinal or wavy lines appear on the nail plate, the nail bends and changes shape. At this stage, it is most difficult to treat the fungus, and therefore it is necessary not only to apply cream and varnish to the skin, but also to take pills that can cause problems in the digestive system.
Such treatment is necessary because the fungus tends not only to spread over the skin of the legs, capturing more and more new areas, but also its toxins, entering the bloodstream, negatively affect the functioning of many organs and systems.
Vinegar baths
Traditional medicine can also help in the fight against the disease. But they must be used wisely, otherwise they can cause harm. Traditional methods can be used effectively when preparing feet for treatment with medications. First of all, this applies to baths: before applying ointment or varnish, the skin of the feet must be steamed and flaking scales must be removed as much as possible using pumice.
This will allow the therapeutic agents to better penetrate the skin and have a more effective effect on the fungus. To make them go away more effectively, many reviews advise applying salicylic petroleum jelly to the affected areas twice a day.
The simplest, but according to reviews, very effective folk method is a vinegar bath: the acidic environment negatively affects fungal spores, and they die. To use this method, according to the recipe, you need to mix a 9% vinegar solution with very warm water in proportions of one to eight (for men who have rougher skin on their feet and thicker nails, you can use three to eight), then immerse your feet in the water. Steam for about ten to fifteen minutes, then begin treating the skin.
To treat foot fungus at home, you can choose a different sequence: first, simply steam your feet, trim off the affected skin as much as possible without injuring it, and only then dip your feet in a vinegar solution. At the end of the procedure, wipe your feet dry and apply the medicine (ointment and varnish).
For a more effective result, you can make a bath with vinegar and celandine. To do this, pour two tablespoons of celandine with water, boil for about 15 minutes, let it brew, add vinegar before steaming your feet.
Other uses of vinegar
You can use vinegar to treat foot fungus at home using another method. If it suddenly turns out that the ointment for the fungus has suddenly run out, and there is no way to get it, you can prepare a remedy based on it. This is necessary so that the fungal spores do not feel "free" and become active again. True, it is not a panacea, so at the first opportunity you need to purchase the drug prescribed by your doctor.
To prepare a remedy for treating fungus, you can use the following recipe: mix a teaspoon of vegetable oil with the same amount of vinegar, add the anti-fungal drug dimethyl ester of ortho-phthalic acid, mix and apply to the affected skin. After this, wrap your feet in plastic, put on clean socks, and eventually the product should be absorbed into the skin.
You can also make a compress using another method: mix three whites or a tablespoon of glycerin with two large spoons of vodka and 70% vinegar in the same amount as vodka. After steaming and treating your feet, soak cotton wool in the product, apply to the affected skin of your feet and wrap with polyethylene. Leave for no more than half an hour, since the product is very concentrated. For the same reason, the method cannot be used in the presence of small cracks.
Benefits of propolis
Many claim that they managed to get rid of fungus at home thanks to an alcohol tincture of propolis, which is considered a natural antibiotic and has fungicidal, bactericidal and bacteriostatic characteristics. Propolis is able to relieve itching, stop the inflammatory process and prevent the fungus from infecting healthy areas of the skin.
To prepare an alcohol tincture yourself, you need to mix 20 g of propolis with 80 ml of medical alcohol and let it brew for a week. To treat foot fungus with propolis, you need to apply a cotton swab soaked in propolis tincture to the affected skin every day, securing it with a bandage. This should be done several times throughout the day.
Propolis ointment helps get rid of fungus. To do this, melt 100 g of any fat (butter, vaseline, pork or fish oil) in a water bath, add 30 g of crushed propolis and cook over low heat, stirring for about half an hour. Strain and apply to the skin in the evening, after steaming your feet (more often if desired). Keep refrigerated.
Iodine and garlic
Another effective way that helps cure foot fungus at home is a solution of 5% iodine. It can be used if for some reason antifungal varnish could not be obtained. It is not an equivalent replacement, but it is capable of stopping and even destroying fungal spores. Therefore, it is better to purchase anti-fungal varnish at the first opportunity (if only because iodine is unable to harden and block air access to fungal spores).
To apply iodine, you need to carefully treat the affected nails once a day for two weeks.Before doing this, do not forget to treat the surface of the nail with a nail file so that the iodine has the opportunity to penetrate deeper into the plate. When using this method, it is necessary to take into account that a burning sensation is possible during the procedure.
Garlic is good against fungus. It can be used in different ways: not only applied to the skin externally, but also taken internally (this helps strengthen the immune system). You can prepare garlic using various recipes.
A compress of pulp will help cure foot fungus. To use this method, you need to chop a few cloves of garlic in a garlic press or grate them on a fine grater. After this, spread the paste over the nail, making sure that it does not end up on the skin, secure with a bandage in two or three layers, wrap in cellophane, and put on cotton socks. You need to make a compress of garlic at night, remove it in the morning, wash your feet under running water, apply antifungal cream, and, if necessary, varnish.
If you don’t want to make a compress against fungus at night, you can apply the paste to your nails, after steaming them and cleaning them. Keep it on for 10-15 minutes until it dries, do not walk during this time. Use this method two to three times a day.
To treat fungus, you can use garlic tincture with alcohol. To do this, mix medical alcohol, squeezed garlic juice, and water in equal proportions. Leave for at least two days, treat nails twice a day. How long it will take to cure foot fungus with garlic depends on how timely treatment was started. Also, do not forget to use antifungal ointments and varnish.