For the treatment of onychomycosis, doctors prescribe serious local and systemic chemicals. They can cause allergies and side effects. An alternative to pharmacy drugs are homemade formulations with antifungal action. The effectiveness of traditional methods has not been clinically confirmed. The benefits of treatment with homemade products lie in their availability and positive experiences with others.
When you can do without a doctor and chemistry
Dermatologists focus the attention of patients: Neglected onychomycosis can be treated exclusively under the supervision of a doctor. Long-term complex therapy will be required, with the appointment of pills and external agents. Self-medication is only allowed in the early stages of nail fungus development. Progressive mycosis can be distinguished from new-onset by symptoms:
- color - after infection with a fungus, the plaque eventually becomes unclear, whitish or slightly yellowish, spots may appear; in advanced cases, the entire nail turns grayish-yellow, greenish or brownish;
- structure - in the early stages of onychomycosis, the structure of the nail plate does not change significantly, as the nail progresses, it strongly thickens, stratifies, loosens, crumbles;
- the condition of the skin around - at the beginning of the disease does not change, in the later stages dryness, pain, cracks, burrs appear;
- sensations: absent, if the skin is damaged, itching, pain, general malaise appears.
Home remedies can only be used in the early stages of onychomycosis. It can recover on its own if there are no more than 3 affected nails, in less than 2/3 of the area, there is no severe hyperkeratosis, and the skin is not involved in the pathological process. With extensive changes in the nail plates, a complex course of therapy will be required, which will last 3-12 months.
There is no food that can kill fungus inside the body. Homemade mixtures have a fungistatic effect: they slow down the growth and reproduction of fungal microorganisms. They prevent the infection from spreading to the growing nail.
Why Home Remedies Are Better Than Pharmacy Remedies
Traditional methods of treating onychomycosis are based on the use of:
- available foods (garlic, onion, honey);
- popular chemical compounds for household use (vinegar, soft drinks);
- cheap local antiseptics from the pharmacy (peroxide, iodine, alcohol);
- herbal extracts (infusions, essential oils).
All of these substances have a high level of safety and are well tolerated when used externally. However, there is still a small risk of individual sensitivity. The presence of an allergic reaction is easy to check if you rub a small area of the skin with a prepared nail preparation. In case of itching, burning or swelling, you should stop using the mixture regularly.
Homemade natural medicines have another specific property: they nourish the surface of the nail and accelerate its growth. This contributes to the faster growth of the nail and the removal of the affected part.
The indisputable advantage of popular methods is their low cost. Most of the products and substances are in every home. In the absence of them, you can buy them in any store, with a minimum economic investment.
The disadvantages of home remedies for onychomycosis are insignificant: an unpleasant smell, stains on the nails, time spent on the preparation and processing of the limbs. Considering that at the end of the treatment, the patient will make a full recovery, the imperfections of traditional methods can be supported.
How to choose an effective recipe
Common sense should be used when familiarizing yourself with existing treatments for nail fungus. No one applies completely indifferent substances to horn plates, such as rice porridge or pancakes. Naturally, sour cream, milk, and raw dough will also be completely ineffective. Traditional medicine recommends mixtures that affect the acidity of the environment (soda, vinegar), vitamins and essential oil products. Such preparations can be really useful, as they create unfavorable living conditions for the fungus, stimulate exfoliation of the damaged part of the plaque, and accelerate the growth of nails.
The recommendations for applying motor oil, formaldehyde, diluted aggressive acids to fungal nails are the inventions of irresponsible "healers". Any method that can harm healthy skin should be discarded immediately.
If the fungus affects only a small part of the nail, products rich in vitamins and minerals are sufficient. If several nails are affected at once, but the area of plaque damage does not reach the middle of the area of each plaque, you can choose herbal drugs. If your nails are half damaged, you can stop at recipes with baking soda, vinegar, or antiseptic drugs. With more extensive mycoses, you should immediately consult a doctor. Excess risk is fraught with onycholysis, the process of destruction and rejection of the nails on all the fingers of a limb.
List of the best home remedies
The most effective are substances that can have a detrimental effect on the fungus. These include vinegar. At home, you can use ordinary table acid. For a softer effect, you should opt for wine, apple cider, rice vinegar. Basic methods of domestic use.
- Cotton pieces are impregnated with acid, applied to damaged nail plates, glued with a plaster or wrapped with a bandage. Leave on for 3 hours, repeat the procedure 2 times a day.
- The principle is the same as in the first method, but the compress is left on overnight. The method is suitable only if it is well tolerated and there is no skin irritation around the plaque.
- 9% table vinegar in equal proportions is mixed with glycerin, applied to the nails with cotton swabs, for 15 minutes. Processing is repeated three times a day.
- A glass of table vinegar is poured into a container filled to the ankles with hot water. The legs are raised for 15 minutes, after which they are simply wiped off the moisture with a towel. Repeat the procedure 3 times a week.
Baking soda can be used as a paste or as a foot bath. The solutions they contain effectively prepare the nail plate for exposure to other drugs.
- The required amount of finely ground soda is diluted with water to the consistency of a thick paste. The tool is used to treat the nail plates, applying the paste in a thick layer. Cover with a cast or bandage. Let stand for 15 minutes. Then they are washed with water, the nails are wiped with a wipe. Processing is carried out daily, up to 3 times a day.
- To prepare a baking soda bath for feet, it is necessary to heat 3 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of baking soda and 3 tablespoons of Iodinol solution. The feet are elevated for 20 minutes, rinse under clean running water and pat dry. The procedure is repeated daily, twice a day.
- The tar bath is prepared as follows: heat 3 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of soda, 3 tablespoons of iodine solution, 3 tablespoons of crushed tar soap on a grater. The solution is stirred until a foam forms. Dip your feet, hold until the water cools completely. Processing takes place 3 times a week.
Using these methods, you need to carefully monitor the skin reaction. When burning, redness, swelling, dryness, itching appear, the onychomycosis treatment method should be replaced with a gentler one.
Meal
Certain vegetables, juices, and tubers have antifungal properties. They are most pronounced in essential oil plants, with a pronounced strong aroma, specific flavor. Proven treatments for onychomycosis involve the regular application of vegetable mush or juice.
- The garlic is passed through a press until a homogeneous substance is obtained. The same amount of common table salt is added. Mix the composition well until the crystals are completely dissolved. Apply the product on cotton buds, apply on damaged nails, leave it under a bandage overnight.
- Garlic juice, water, and glycerin are mixed in equal amounts. The solution is stored in the refrigerator, used for regular nail treatments with a brush, three times a day.
- Onion juice is mixed with aloe juice. The resulting substance is used to lubricate damaged nails 3 times a day.
- In the evening, a compress made of horseradish root, rubbed into a homogeneous porridge, is tied to the nails. Before grinding, the roots are peeled from the skin.
By using natural remedies, the likelihood of allergies or irritation is reduced. Redness, burning, itching - reasons to cut the time of exposure to compresses in half, wash the remnants of solutions from the nails 2 hours after treatment.
Bee products
Gifts from bees have always been considered a repository of minerals, vitamins and biologically active substances. Among them there are components with a wide spectrum of antifungal action. Wax, honey, bee bread, propolis, pollen - all apiary products can improve health when used internally and externally. For the treatment of fungal nail diseases, they should be used according to special recipes.
- Propolis is used as a tincture. You can buy ready-made products at the pharmacy. To prepare the extract at home, you will need to pour 10 g of crushed propolis on a grater with 100 ml of vodka or alcohol. After 14 days of infusion, the product is filtered into a bottle for storage. The tincture is used to treat nails damaged by the fungus 3 times a day. To enhance the effect, the product is applied in 3 layers.
- Propolis ointment. Any fat (100 g) is heated in a water bath. The propolis (10 g) is frozen, crushed with a roller to a fine powder. It is introduced into heated oil, it is actively stirred until a homogeneous substance is obtained. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until completely solid. The ointment is rubbed on the nails 2 times a day. After application, it is recommended to wear cotton socks.
- Mix equal amounts of honey and onion juice until smooth. The tool is used to lubricate the nails 3 times a day.
You can use the gifts of bees on one condition: if they are well tolerated. If you are allergic to honey, it is better to choose other methods of treating onychomycosis.
Medicinal plants
Among the herbal remedies, the most popular are herbal raw materials with tannins and essential oils in the composition. In the treatment of onychomycosis, the use of pure essential oils is allowed, provided that they are applied exclusively on the nail plates.
- Prepare 50 marigold flowers, crushed in a large cup of boiling water. After complete cooling, the product is filtered into a container with hot water (3 liters). The legs are raised for 10-15 minutes.
- 6 tablespoons of oak bark pour 1, 5 liters of boiling water. They are put on a low heat, simmer for half an hour. After complete cooling, the hood is mixed with 1. 5 liters of clean hot water. Take a bath for 20 minutes.
- 10 drops of essential oil of tea tree, lavender, ylang-ylang or rosemary are diluted in 3 liters of hot water. Dip your feet in the mixture for 20 minutes. After that, the feet are wrapped in a towel for 10 minutes. The procedure is carried out every day.
- The tea tree oil is mixed with a little hot water. The resulting mixture is impregnated with a cotton swab, tied for an hour to the affected nail plate. The manipulation is repeated twice a day.
When using herbal remedies, a quick effect should not be expected. However, the regular use of these recipes will not only eliminate the fungus, but also strengthen the nails, improve local blood circulation and heal the skin of the feet.
Chemical compounds
For the treatment of the fungus, people recommend using laundry soap (brown, with an inscription of 72%, fragrance-free). Wet feet along with nails are well lathered. The bar can be used to walk directly on the nail plates so that the foam enters the area under the rollers and under the free edge of the nail. In the soapy state, rest for 20 minutes. After that, the foam is thoroughly washed with a stiff brush. Processing is daily.
Damaged nails can be treated with a 5% pure iodine alcohol solution. The disadvantage of this therapy is that the plaques stain brown.
Using a pure solution of hydrogen peroxide, antifungal nail compresses are made twice a day. Hydrogen peroxide-soaked cotton swabs are applied to previously steamed nails. After 15-40 minutes, the compress is removed.
It is very simple to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative methods of treatment: if a healthy nail grows at the base, and the damaged surface decreases after each pedicure, then the method helps. If the condition worsens. And the nail turns yellowish, thickens, which means that the tool is not effective. In order for popular drugs to work better, you need to cut the damaged area of the nail every week and treat the shoes with antifungal agents.