Currently, medicine has reached such a level that properly selected drugs can cope with any type of fungus. But many people don't trust science and prefer to treat toenail fungus with home remedies. And they do it badly: treating the illiterate does not eradicate pathogens; At best, it slightly slows down its growth.
If you want to use traditional medicine methods at home, you should use them only as an additional treatment to complex therapy and only after consulting a doctor.
Characteristics 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 live and develop successfully on human skin.Fungal spores are very tenacious, they quickly take root in the epidermis and penetrate into the deep layers of the skin; They can only be destroyed with medications intended for their species.In addition, treatment cannot be stopped until the pathogens are completely destroyed: if even one spore survives, the probability of relapse is high.
Therefore, it is not enough to go to the doctor, it is also necessary 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 foot fungus is detected in time and treatment at home is started immediately: in this case, the fungus can be eradicated in two months. Although the disease develops rapidly, it leaves time to detect it and take countermeasures. Therefore, it is very important to know what symptoms indicating fungal development to pay attention to.
Symptoms of the disease
In the initial stage, when the fungus affects only the feet and fingers, peeling and redness is observed in the places where it has managed to gain a foothold. After a while, these areas begin to itch and sting, and small watery blisters may sometimes appear. These symptoms should not be ignored: you should consult a doctor immediately. With proper treatment, foot fungus can be permanently eliminated within two months using antifungal creams and polishes.
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 gradually begin to change and eventually turn yellow, green or even black, after which it will begin to peel off. crumble and move away from the finger. In this case, simple ointments cannot be used for treatment and time must be spent on treating the nail plate.
This means that it is necessary to cut the nail almost to the root and file the upper layer of the affected plate, after which it will be necessary to apply an antifungal varnish to the nail, which, having penetrated the plate, will begin to destroy the 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 more 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 damage. Traditional methods can be used effectively to prepare the feet for drug treatment. First of all, this applies to baths: before applying ointment or varnish, the skin of the feet should be steamed and peeling scales should be removed as much as possible with the help of pumice stone.
This will allow the therapeutic agents to penetrate the skin better and have a more effective effect on the fungus. To make them disappear more effectively, many reviews recommend 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 the fungal spores and they die. To use this method, according to the recipe, it is necessary 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 dip your feet in the water. Steam for about ten to fifteen minutes and then start treating the skin.
To treat foot fungus at home, you can choose a different sequence: first, simply steam your feet, cut the affected skin as much as possible without damaging it, and only then soak your feet in a vinegar solution. At the end of the procedure, dry your feet 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 and 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 spores of the fungus do not feel "free" and become active again. True, it is not a panacea, so at the first opportunity you should buy the medicine prescribed by your doctor.
To prepare a remedy for the treatment of fungus, you can use the following recipe: mix a teaspoon of vegetable oil with the same amount of vinegar, add the antifungal drug dimethyl ester of orthophthalic acid, mix and apply to the affected skin. After this, wrap your feet in plastic, put on clean socks and finally the product should be absorbed into the skin.
You can also make a compress using another method: mix three egg whites or one tablespoon of glycerin with two large tablespoons of vodka and 70% vinegar in the same amount as the vodka. After steaming and treating your feet, soak a cotton ball in the product, apply it to the affected skin of the feet and wrap it with polyethylene. Leave it on 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 the fungus at home thanks to an alcoholic tincture of propolis, which is considered a natural antibiotic and has fungicidal, bactericidal and bacteriostatic characteristics. Propolis is capable of relieving itching, stopping the inflammatory process and preventing 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 medicinal alcohol and leave for a week. To treat foot fungus with propolis, it is necessary to apply a cotton swab soaked in propolis tincture to the affected skin daily and secure it with a bandage. This should be done several times throughout the day.
Propolis ointment helps eliminate fungi. 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 skin at night, 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 5% iodine solution. It can be used if for some reason an antifungal varnish could not be obtained. It is not an equivalent substitute, but it is capable of stopping and even destroying fungal spores. Therefore, it is better to purchase antifungal varnish as soon as possible (if only because iodine cannot harden and block air access to fungal spores).
To apply iodine, it is necessary to carefully treat the affected nails once a day for two weeks.Before doing this, do not forget to treat the nail surface with a file so that the iodine can 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 fungi. It can be used in different ways: not only applied to the skin externally, but also internally (this helps strengthen the immune system). You can prepare garlic using several recipes.
A pulp compress will help cure foot fungus. To use this method, you need to mince a few cloves of garlic in a garlic press or grate them with a fine grater. After this, spread the paste over the nail, making sure it does not end up on the skin, secure it with a bandage in two or three layers, wrap it in cellophane and put on cotton socks. It is necessary to make a garlic compress at night, remove it in the morning, wash your feet with running water, apply an 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 and cleaning them. Keep it on for 10-15 minutes until dry, do not walk during this time. Use this method two or three times a day.
To treat fungus, you can use garlic tincture with alcohol. To do this, mix medicinal alcohol, squeezed garlic juice and water in equal proportions. Leave it on for at least two days, treat the nails twice a day. The time it will take to cure foot fungus with garlic depends on how timely the treatment was started. Also, do not forget to use antifungal ointments and varnishes.