Fungal diseases can easily spread throughout the body, but a person's nails and feet are the easiest places to locate. The virus spreads and spreads easily, and treatment requires a comprehensive approach.
There are many pills and medicines available to get rid of fungal infections. But at the same time, the demand for folk remedies against toenail fungus remains high.
What are fungi?
In nature, there are many types of fungal pathogens that affect the human body. Fungus is always unpleasant and painful. It spreads from sick to healthy people in a number of ways: in public places, by sharing shoes, and through direct contact.
The most common sites of localization are the legs, ie feet and nails. There are several reasons for this location:
- Increased sweating in the legs caused by personal characteristics;
- tight, uncomfortable synthetic shoes;
- Permanent leg damage, microcracks, scratches, corns;
- pressure;
- Intoxication caused by alcohol and smoking;
- Permanent leg hypothermia.
It is impossible to identify the disease immediately, with few symptoms in the first stage. Then unpleasant symptoms start to appear actively:
- Foot has an unpleasant pungent odor;
- whitening of the nail plate and possible delamination;
- itching and sometimes a burning sensation;
- A wound forms on the skin around the nail, and erosions appear.
Treatment depends on the stage of the nail fungus, and the earlier the problem is detected, the easier it is to fix. But it should be understood that fighting the disease is quite difficult and it can last for months or even years. The disappearance of the signs does not mean the complete elimination of the virus spores in the body. This can only mean less activity, but in some cases the virus will come back again.
Why choose folk remedies?
The treatment process for fungal infections can last for several months. Mycologists recommend a number of medicinal products to prevent the formation of new fungal spores. But none of them offer a 100% guarantee.
Therefore, experts recommend various methods of treating nail fungus, combining traditional and folk methods.
Benefits of Alternative Medicine:
- Much cheaper than pharmaceutical preparations;
- Few contraindications and side effects;
- When used correctly, fully confirm its effectiveness.
Experts can recommend the most popular ways to get rid of the fungus. The most important thing is to use new tools very carefully. Also, don't forget the patient's age, untested products are not recommended for children. Patients under the age of 16 are consulted at an appointment with a mycologist, but those over the age of 35 are at risk.
Iodine - A Proven Remedy
To date, iodine remains an effective treatment for nail fungus and can be used in the early stages of the disease. It is important to remember that iodine overdose can cause burns, so the dosage must be strictly adhered to when using it.
This method is very effective if used from the very beginning of the disease, when the first symptoms appear. In order not to damage the nail plate and skin during the treatment, you should follow these instructions:
- Buy iodine at a pharmacy and check its expiration date.
- Thoroughly wash feet and pat dry. It is very important that patients only use their own towels to reduce the risk of infection spreading.
- On each affected nail and the nail next to it, put a drop of iodine and rub well.
- Let the iodine dry out a bit, then don't wear socks for a while, repeat twice a day.
The entire course of treatment lasts about one month. It has such a method and some side effects. The skin around the fingers turns yellow, causing aesthetic discomfort. Additionally, dryness and hypersensitivity may be observed, with some people noticing pain and burning when rubbing. Unfortunately, the advanced stages of the disease cannot be cured with iodine.
Vinegar fights fungal diseases
Acetate compresses are another popular way to get rid of mycosis at home. To do this, use your usual 9% vinegar and prepare your body wash with it.
The method is very simple: mix vinegar and cold water in a ratio of 1: 8 and mix thoroughly. If the condition has reached an advanced stage, then we can talk about increasing the concentration, the maximum ratio of vinegar for bathing is 2: 1.
The water must be cold or the vinegar will lose its properties. Also, you need to prepare a hot bath to put your legs in for the steam. When the nails are soft, put the feet in the vinegar bath. The procedure can be performed every two days for a total course of 3 weeks.
Propolis
This folk remedy has strong anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, so it can be used against bacteria and fungal spores. You can buy pure propolis at a pharmacy, but it needs to be diluted in a water bath before use. Also, some experts recommend infusing propolis in alcohol, but still don't want to use it for fungal diseases.
To combat this unpleasant disease, two methods are used:
- Wet a cotton pad with propolis and treat the affected area twice a day;
- At night, place a slightly melted piece of the substance on the affected nail, but such a dressing can be left on for no more than 2 hours.
This is an effective treatment for nail fungus, but use it with care.
tea mushroom
Kombucha is a controversial treatment, with some experts claiming it can cause activation of the process, while others claim it can completely get rid of fungal diseases and related problems.
First, you need to prepare a medicinal liquid, for which you will steep the mushrooms in sweet tea for a week. The solution should acquire a brown color and a specific aroma, then it can be considered ready. The main properties of kombucha are antibacterial and antifungal effects.
It is also used in two ways:
- Peel a slice of mushroom, squeeze slightly to remove excess liquid, and rub lightly on damaged nail plate. It is worth repeating the process 2-3 times a day.
- Compress and do it before bed. Feet should be washed and dry. Then take a piece of mushroom and cut lengthwise. Dip one part in warm water and return the other part to the syrup. Remove the mushroom from the water, stick it to your nail, stick the cellophane to it, and put on one or two tight socks. Compression causes tingling, mild pain, mild burning - symptoms that are thought to be very plausible and only confirmed the effect of the fungus.
tar
This odorless substance is known to be anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, so it is recommended to use it at home to get rid of nail fungus quickly. Actively used is birch tar, a birch bark processed product. It can be bought in specialized pharmacies.
Birch tar often becomes the base for ointments, but in the case of fungal diseases, the product is used in its natural form.
In fact, this product is very popular in the beauty world. Cosmetics of all kinds (tar soap, tar body wash, and tar shampoo) are popular for their efficacy.
First you need to steam your legs. This is best done in soapy water. After that, trim the dead ends of the nails, apply tar on the fresh area, and rub well. Then you shouldn't wear it for hours, the tar will absorb better when exposed to air. After that, it is not recommended to wash your feet for at least a day; after this time, you can give your feet a cold shower. To maximize the effect of the treatment, you should wear socks made from natural fabrics and treat your shoes with a light tar solution.
Foot baths using tar soap are also actively used. To prepare, you need to take half a bar of soap, grind it and dilute it in warm water (2 l). You can add some soda. Perform this procedure for no more than 20 minutes, then clean rough tissue and allow feet to dry.
herbal soup
It is well known that there are many herbs that are actively used in traditional medicine due to their antiseptic properties. To treat fungal diseases, decoctions from these plants are used:
- celandine;
- nettle;
- burdock root;
- banana;
- sage;
- Calendula;
- St. John's wort;
- Chamomile.
For the preparation of the decoction, dried flowers of these plants were used. It's important to respect the proportions and keep enough time for a couple. For the treatment of fungi, only decoctions can be used, alcohol, milk and other alkalis are prohibited.
Decoction specialists recommend only as an adjunct, they enhance the process but do not deal with the advanced stages. Additionally, some of the displayed plants can cause allergic reactions.
You can get rid of nail fungus quickly with folk remedies, but you need to be patient. To get the full effect, sometimes you need to use more than one recipe. The entire treatment process can take years. It is best to consult a specialist before choosing a treatment. And under no circumstances should you start the process, the severe stages are very difficult to treat.