Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. You can get the disease, especially in summer, anywhere. But fighting him often takes a long 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 complex medical problem of removing 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 on the market, there are many ways to treat fungi in the toenails with 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 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 safety rules adequate.
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.
Little by little, the fungus, which is left without access to new sources of nutrients, dies, and the absence of much more resistant 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 penetrates the thickness of the tissues.
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 the concentration of acetic acid used is the same as the one 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 promptly. Food vinegar or table vinegar, respectively, contain 6% and 9% acid. Neglecting these data can lead to the fact that the treatment will end with a chemical burn.
Besides this point, there are no special contraindications to vinegar treatment. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is such a common substance that patients are generally aware of this characteristic of the body.
A burning sensation may occur during the first few procedures, but this is normal and will go away with time. Otherwise, vinegar, subject to safety regulations, does not pose any threat to health.
Vinegar baths
Warm foot baths are considered an effective remedy against fungi; regular use allows you to get rid of onychomycosis at an early stage without additional drugs.
Also, vinegar baths are an excellent prevention of yeast infections. The procedure requires warm water, about 50 degrees, and a glass of vinegar at 9% concentration.
The water level in the basin should not be high, but only up to the ankles. The feet are soaked in the solution and held there for 15 minutes.
Before the vinegar bath, it is advisable to perform a complete pedicure procedure, which includes removing the affected areas of the nail plate and the layers of dead skin, calluses and calluses of the feet, but without applying a decorative layer on the nails. .
If you cut and file your nails yourself, you should do it very carefully, as micro-damage to the skin can contribute to the spread of the fungal infection.
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 the places affected by the fungus are best applied after vinegar baths.
For this, both pharmacy products and 9% pure vinegar are suitable, in which a cotton ball 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 70% acetic acid in equal proportions, mix until smooth.
A cotton swab, moistened with a solution, is kept for fifteen minutes on 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 foot fungus.
All existing local preparations are based on the following active ingredients:
- bifonazole;
- sertocanazole;
- ketoconazole;
- terbinafine;
- naphthyphin;
- oxiconazole;
- cyclopyroxolamine.
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 microorganisms is the causative agent of mycosis:
- epidermophytes;
- tricotones;
- dermatophytes;
- microspores;
- mold fungi;
- yeast-like fungi.
Based on the results of the diagnosis, you need to buy 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 instead 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 on 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 of neighboring fingers must also be varnished, since fungal spores spread very quickly and easily in space.
Preparatory procedures
These guidelines will help you use your fungus ointment more effectively.
- If the fungus has infected multiple areas of your body, then they must be treated at the same time to avoid a relapse of the disease.
- Apply the ointment not only on the affected nail or skin, but also on the areas adjacent to them.
- During the period of application of the ointment, observe strict hygiene, both of the affected area of the skin and of the whole body as a whole.
- Before applying the medicine, thoroughly clean the affected area with antibacterial soap under running water. Then take a soothing 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 regression of the disease do not appear, it is necessary to change the ointment and consult a dermatologist.
Naftifine ointment
Antifungal cream with the active ingredient naftifine hydrochloride, which contributes to the alteration of the structure of the cell wall of the infection. It penetrates the deep layers of the skin. It also exists in solution form.
It is used in the treatment of fungus on the feet, nails, various lichens of 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 skin fungus. With a nail infection, it is applied several times a day for six months.
Contraindicated in hypersensitivity to naftifine. It can sometimes cause redness and burning of the skin, but you should not stop 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 to the base of the nail and adjacent areas of the skin 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, it is recommended to replace the agent with another drug. The drug is allowed for both adults and children from 2 years of age.
Ketoconazole ointment
This remedy is most effective for yeast infections, especially on the skin. Ketoconazole, the main active ingredient in the ointment, penetrates the deep layers of the skin and acts directly on the cells of the fungus, preventing their reproduction and causing death.
Good because it quickly relieves fungal symptoms. It is applied once a day for a month if the lesion is located on the hands, and up to two months if it is located on the legs.
Clotrimazole ointment
An effective antifungal drug is a cream that is used to treat nail plate and skin. The main component of the drug is clotrimazole, which destroys the membranes of fungi and this leads to their death, it is applied to diseased nails twice a day.
The duration of treatment depends on the degree of development of the disease. But even after your symptoms disappear, 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. Soda and soda baths will help speed up the peeling 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 carry out a test on a healthy area of the skin.
Tea tree oil against fungi
Tea tree oil is an effective remedy against oncomycosis, which acts 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 their antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Before using the essential oil, it is necessary to conduct an allergy test: apply a little product to the skin of the wrist, if irritation, redness of rashes and other reactions does not occur within 12 hours, then the product can be used for medicinal purposes.
If not, 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 up to ankle level, 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, it is necessary to bathe daily. During the treatment procedure, it is necessary to remove the affected areas of the nail plate with a file, nail tweezers or scissors.
- Apply oil on the nail plate. If you do not have a reaction to undiluted tea tree oil, 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 a better dissolution, it can be grated). The oil is rubbed on the nail plate with a cotton swab twice a day, it is not necessary to wash 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 moistening the feet in warm water with dissolved soda at the rate of one teaspoon per liter.
When the nail plates soften, pinch a small piece of the affected area of the nail with a nail clipper and, soaking it with a 3% peroxide solution, apply it to the nail plate.
Leave to act for 10 to 15 minutes on the nails or 40 minutes to an hour on the feet. Perform the procedure twice a day until the yeast infection symptoms 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 fingers and toes thoroughly under running water.
For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, it is recommended to instill hydrogen peroxide into the nail cavity three times a day.
Hand and foot baths work well (depending on the location of the onychomycosis) with hydrogen peroxide.
Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in water at a temperature of 40 to 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 home remedies
Comprehensive treatment of toenail fungus with folk recipes based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and permanently get rid of the unpleasant smell and other accompanying symptoms.
Two effective home remedies for yeast infections:
- Peroxide Recipe 1. To make the mixture, you will need flat 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 well 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 must be renewed every ten hours, the course of treatment is one 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 to treat the nail and skin surfaces affected by the fungus: mix 3% vinegar and peroxide in a concentration of 3% in a 1: 1 ratio. This mixture is applied to the feet while sizzling. The second stage is to soak the fingers with a fungal infection on the nail for half a minute in a weak solution of bleach in water, after which they are thoroughly rinsed under running water and dried with a towel. At the end, tea tree oil mixed with petroleum jelly is applied in equal proportions on the nail plate. Wear warm socks or gloves (if this technique was 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 with novocaine and apply it on the fungus overnight. Just two of those lotions are enough to get rid of the fungus for good.
- Apricot resin tincture: 1 tablespoon of the resin extracted from the tree, pour a glass of vodka, leave it 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 the treatment, the affected nails were trimmed as they peeled off, new and 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 garlic clove, squeezed it with a squeegee, applied the mass on the nail, covered it with cellophane and wrapped it in a bandage or put it on a fingertip. I left the bandage on until the morning, the first few days I felt a stabbing 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 in the mug, depending on where you have the mushroom. This procedure is best done at night, before going to bed. The fungus completely disappears after several of these nightly procedures. At the same time, the skin becomes smooth, and the pains pass quickly.