Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. You can get the disease, especially in summer, anywhere. But fighting it often takes a long time. A quarter of the world's population, according to the statistician, suffers from this plague. We will show you how to treat nail fungus at home.
Vinegar for nail fungus
Few people know that vinegar can be used to solve a 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 bought in stores or on the market, there are many ways to treat toenail fungus with this product.
Of course, self-medication with vinegar should be carried out only if the disease has not passed into a neglected form, and it is advisable to combine it with specially developed drugs.
However, 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 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 fungal infection, which prevents the growth of hyphae and the spread of spores.
Gradually, the fungus, which has been left without access to new sources of nutrients, dies, and the absence of much more resistant spores prevents the possibility of recurrence 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 durable, because its body is not on the surface of the nail or skin, but goes into the thickness of the tissue.
In this regard, a positive result of oncomycosis therapy should be expected only 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 stated in the recipe.
If vinegar essence is mentioned in the recipe, then it is a 70% solution, which must be dissolved or applied to the point. Food vinegar, ie table vinegar, contains 6 and 9% acid. Ignoring these data can lead to the fact that the treatment will end in a chemical burn.
Apart from this point, there are no special contraindications for the treatment with vinegar. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is such a common substance that patients are usually aware of this characteristic of the body.
The burning sensation may appear during the first procedures, but this is normal and will pass over time. Otherwise, vinegar, subject to safety rules, does not pose any health hazard.
Vinegar baths
Warm foot baths are considered an effective remedy against fungus, and 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 pool 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 recommended to perform a complete pedicure procedure, including removing the affected areas of the nail plate and dead layers of skin, calluses and corns on the feet, but without applying a decorative coating on the nails.
If you cut and file your nails yourself, you must do it very carefully, because 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 in places affected by fungi are best done after a bath with vinegar.
Pharmaceutical products and pure 9% vinegar are also suitable for this, in which a cotton pad is moistened and applied to the nail for fifteen minutes.
More complex recipe: a mixture of vodka or forty-degree medical alcohol, glycerin and acetic acid 70% in equal proportions, stir until smooth.
A cotton swab, moistened with the solution, is held for fifteen minutes in the affected areas, after which socks made of cotton material are put on. 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 topical preparations are based on the following active ingredients:
- bifonazole;
- sertokanazole;
- ketoconazole;
- terbinafine;
- naftifine;
- oxyconazole;
- cyclopyroxolamine.
The choice of ointment for toenail fungus is made only after scraping the skin or upper part of the nail. Based on the results of the analysis, it becomes clear which of the types of pathogenic microorganisms is the cause of mycosis:
- epidermophytes;
- trichotons;
- dermatophytes;
- microspores;
- mold;
- yeast-like fungi.
Based on the results of the diagnosis, you should buy the best ointment that can deal with the detected fungal pathogen.
Antifungal ointments
All antifungal agents designed to get rid of nail fungus are divided into 2 groups:
- Alilamin. These drugs penetrate deep into the nail plate, completely destroying the fungal colony. After treatment, the concentration of the accumulated active substance helps to resist recurrence for a long time, at the site of the nail affected by the fungus grows a healthy nail.
- Azoles. They interfere with the synthesis of the fungus by destroying its cell membrane. The effect of drug accumulation in the nail plate leads to 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 products are used as an ordinary pedicure varnish, which is applied in a thin layer directly on the affected nail twice a week.
For prophylaxis, healthy nails on adjacent fingers should also be varnished, because fungal spores spread very quickly and easily in space.
Preparatory procedures
These guidelines will help you use anti-fungal ointment more effectively.
- If the fungus has infected several areas on your body, then they should be treated at the same time to avoid recurrence of the disease.
- Apply the ointment not only on the affected nail or skin, but also on the adjacent areas.
- During the period of applying the ointment, strictly adhere to the hygiene of both the affected area of the skin and the whole body as a whole.
- Before applying the medicine, thoroughly clean the affected area with antibacterial soap under running water. Then take a bath in a softening bath. 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 a few weeks of using the medicine, the first signs of withdrawal 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. It penetrates 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 product is applied to the affected, cleaned area and adjacent areas once a day.
The duration of the course is from several to eight weeks with fungi on the skin. For nail infections, it is applied several times a day for six months.
Contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to naftifine. It can sometimes cause redness and burning of the skin, but treatment should not be interrupted.
Terbinafine ointment
One of the safest and most effective antifungal agents. This may be due to the active ingredient terbinafine.
The ointment is applied in a thin layer on the base of the nail and on adjacent parts of the skin and rubbed. The procedure 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, it is recommended to replace the drug with another drug. The drug is allowed for both adults and children from 2 years.
Ketoconazole ointment
This medicine is most effective for fungal infections, especially on the skin. Ketoconazole - the main active ingredient in fats, penetrates deep into the skin and acts directly on fungal cells, 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 remedy is a cream used to treat nail and skin plaques. 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 stage of development of the disease. But even after the disappearance of his symptoms, treatment should continue for a month.
Fat is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to its components and liver disease.
Cheap fats: salicylic, zinc and sulfur
Salicylic ointment can be used to successfully treat toenail fungus. It is used in two ways. In the first case, a thin layer is spread on the affected areas.
In the second case, using ointment, compresses are made at night. After such procedures, the skin on the feet will begin to peel strongly. Baths with soap and soda will help speed up the peeling process.
Sulfur ointment is an old proven remedy 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 strong allergen, so it is necessary to test on a healthy part of the skin before use.
Tea tree oil against fungi
Tea tree oil is an effective remedy against onchomycosis, it acts directly on the cause of the disease - dermatophyte fungi.
Tea tree essential oil contains alpha-terpinene, alpha-phelandrene, limonene, sabinen, cineole and other substances that provide its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Before using the essential oil, it is necessary to do an allergy test - apply a little product on the skin of the wrist, if there is no irritation, red rash and other reactions within 12 hours, then the product can be used for medical purposes.
Otherwise, it must be diluted to a safe concentration, or this technique must be abandoned altogether.
Ways to use tea tree oil:
- Foot bath in tea tree oil. Warm water is poured into the 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, bathing is required daily. During the treatment, it is necessary to remove the affected areas of the nail plate with a file, nail clippers or scissors.
- Applying oil on the nail plate. If you do not have a reaction to undiluted tea tree oil, then it is applied in pure form to the affected areas of the nail in order to increase the effectiveness of the effect. The feet are pre-steamed in warm water with the addition of laundry soap (it can be rubbed for better dissolution). 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 quickly cure nail fungus
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.
Hydrogen peroxide is mentioned as a prophylactic agent with antibacterial properties.
External use of hydrogen peroxide to treat fungal infection is carried out after steaming the feet in warm water with dissolved soda in the amount of one teaspoon per liter.
When the nail plates become soft, cut off a small fragment of the affected nail area with nail scissors and soak it in 3% peroxide solution and apply to the nail plate.
Leave on for 10-15 minutes on the nails or 40 minutes to an hour on the feet. Perform the procedure twice a day until the symptoms of the fungal infection disappear.
To reduce peroxide evaporation and increase the intensity of the impact, the nail plate with lotion is wrapped in plastic wrap.
After the exposure time, wash your toes and hands thoroughly under running water.
For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, it is recommended to instill hydrogen peroxide in the nail cavity three times a day.
Hand and foot baths (depending on the localization of onychomycosis) with hydrogen peroxide give good results.
Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in water at a temperature of 40-50 degrees at the rate of two tablespoons per liter of water. The duration of the procedure is fifteen minutes, the regularity of the procedure is twice a day for one week.
Other folk remedies
Comprehensive treatment of toenail fungus with the help of folk recipes based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and permanently get rid of unpleasant odors and other accompanying symptoms.
Two effective folk remedies for fungal infections:
- Recipe with peroxide 1. To prepare the mixture you will need baking soda (0, 5 cups), hot water (4 cups), 3% hydrogen peroxide (0, 25 cups) and half a cup of magnesium sulfate or Epsom salt. Mix all the ingredients well and add another quarter cup of vinegar. Soak a cotton swab in the resulting solution and apply it with a band-aid to the nail plate affected by the fungus. The bandage 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 stages. First you need to prepare a solution for the treatment of fungal surfaces of nails and skin - mix 3% vinegar and peroxide in 3% concentration in a ratio of 1: 1. This mixture is applied to the feet while sizzling. The second phase is dipping your fingers with a fungal nail infection for half a minute in a weak solution of bleach in water, after which they are thoroughly washed under running water and wiped with a towel. Finally, tea tree oil mixed with Vaseline is applied to the nail plate in equal proportions. Wear warm socks or gloves (if this technique has been used to treat nail cancer). The course of treatment is one week.
- Novocaine lotion. A very simple but effective folk remedy in treating 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.
- Apricot resin tincture: 1 tablespoon of resin removed from the tree, pour a glass of vodka, leave for three days. Apply this solution to the skin of the feet and nails. Shake well before each use. It took us a month to heal, the diseased nails were cut off as they peeled off, new healthy ones grew. At the examination, the doctor confirmed the fact of recovery. I can also recommend the use of old, thickened sunflower oil in this case.
- Application of garlic: I took garlic cloves, squeezed it with garlic, applied the mass on the nail, covered with cellophane and wrapped in a bandage or put on the tip of my finger. I left the bandage until the morning, the first few 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 ordinary, but strong coffee is a very good folk remedy for treating fungus. Strengthen your coffee and just dip your hands or feet in the cup, depending on where you have the fungus. This procedure is best done in the evening, before bedtime. The fungus completely disappears after several such evening procedures. At the same time, the skin becomes smooth and the pain passes quickly.