How to cure nail fungus at home

Fungal diseases of the toenails (onychomycosis) are quite common. This disease has an infectious nature and is caused by pathogenic bacteria (epidermophytes). Almost from the moment of infection, a person begins to feel a strong itching in the area of the fingers, which even proven methods do not help to cope with. The disease is difficult to treat, so you need to be patient and decidehow to properly treat toenail fungus

Every fifth person in the world gets sick at least once from the fungus, so it is not difficult to determine its presence by external signs.

Why are fungi dangerous?

Nail fungus cannot be ignored, as this disease is contagious and can ruin the life of the patient and those around him.

In addition to the constant desire to scratch the affected area, the nail plates begin to change their structure, peel off, infecting the entire surrounding area with fungus. It's unpleasant to look at, so you can't ignore the wound. In addition, it will not be possible to forget about him, since he will constantly remind you of himself with an itch.

Currently, people are very reluctant to go to the clinic, so the question always remains relevant: how to cure nail fungus at home?

Treatment of toenail fungus with folk remedies is becoming commonplace. How to treat nail fungus at home?

People are used to thinking that fungus is not a serious disease and you can get rid of it yourself. Only when they struggle unsuccessfully with a problem for several weeks and see no result do they turn to professionals for help.

During this time, the disease moves to the next stage, when the desire to scratch the leg becomes irresistible, causing a state of panic and stress.

You should know that nail fungus visually affects only a separate area of the human body, although in fact it changes the functioning of the whole body for the worse. Toxins that arise during the growth and reproduction of pathogenic fungi settle in it.

Blood flow promotes their distribution in the body, which leads to disruption of metabolic functions, increases sensitivity to many negative factors, causing all kinds of complications.

Externally, the affected nail is painted in different colors. It depends on the pathogen, as the fungus can be mold, yeast or dermatophytes.

Over time, nail keratinization leads to the fact that even cutting them becomes a problem, and how to cure nail fungus at home in this case? Traditional methods of treating toenail fungus are the first thing victims turn to.

Reasons for the appearance of fungus:

• open wounds on the legs (scratches, ulcers, abrasions, calluses);
• violation of hygiene rules;
• weak immunity;
• antibiotics or other drugs used to treat any illness;
• excessive sweating of the feet.

But all these reasons are secondary, since the main thing is still the infection caught by a sick person. About a third of the patients get a fungal infection while visiting saunas, swimming pools, nail salons and other crowded places.

The presence of moisture only activates the infectious process and creates favorable conditions for the spread of bacteria. It is enough to walk barefoot through the public shower or use someone else's flip flops for the patient's skin scales to have an effect on your skin.

You can often get infected from using towels, carpets and other similar items. But even at home, no one is immune to a fungal infection.

It is enough for one of the family members to go to the beach or to the pool and he can become a carrier of bacteria, and if he shares slippers or a sponge with him, the whole family can become infected.

The lack of humidity also does not interfere with the functioning of the fungus. For example, visiting a fitting room in a store can become a site of infection. People in fitting rooms often take off their shoes and stand on the same mat.

Shoe stores, where people try on shoes without socks, are a real breeding ground for many diseases, including fungal diseases.

Fungal spores are able to withstand low and high temperatures, which extends their life by several months, so even on the beach in the most extreme heat they live quietly in the sand.

Since the sand or pebbles on the beach are a natural scrub for the feet, the infected skin particles are there in large numbers and adhere to those who have open sores on the feet.

Another carrier of fungal spores is second-hand shoes. Of course, stores selling such goods are obliged to put them on sale only after appropriate chemical treatment, but this is not always done.

The first manifestations of fungi

Fungi manifest themselves in different ways all the time. If a person is healthy and there is no damage to the legs, it can manifest itself in the form of peeling. If there is damage between the toes or the heel, symptoms may be more severe.

The disease begins with peeling of the skin near the nails, slight redness and itching. This may not be given any importance, as the cause may be uncomfortable or poorly breathable shoes. In addition, redness between the fingers is quite difficult to notice immediately.

Clear signs of fungus are more visible in areas where the skin of the feet sweats. Diaper rash appears there, and blisters appear in the later stages.

The color of the nails changes from transparent to yellowish, the plate becomes cloudy and lumpy. As bacteria begin to attack the nail, streaks, yellowish spots will appear and the nail will begin to crack and peel.

The under-nail space will be filled with a crumb mixture and alternate with empty pits. But the most trouble will be the increasing itching and the putrid smell from the feet, which will increase if the foot sweats.

The advanced stage may be accompanied by fever and movement problems. Treatment of toe fungus in this case will require urgent medical intervention. He will determine which species caused the disease and what measures should be taken to combat it.

At the initial stage, you can treat toenail fungus with folk remedies or with the help of pharmaceutical antifungal ointments and gels.

Options for traditional methods of treating foot fungus

1. Using washing powder has always been considered effective because it contains alkali that can kill any type of fungus. Half a cup of powder should be poured into a hot bath and your feet should be immersed in it. You should not sit for more than 15 minutes. The procedure should be repeated for 10 days.
2. Everyone knows that garlic kills bacteria. In the fight against fungi, it is used in its pure form, cutting the cloves in half and dipping them in salt. Garlic should not be eaten, it should be rubbed into the area of the foot damaged by the fungus. Garlic can cause even more irritation and redness, so it should not be applied for long periods of time. 5-7 minutes is enough.
3. Compress with ammonia at night is also a method of treating foot fungus with folk remedies. Add one spoon of ammonia to 250 mg of water, soak a natural fabric that will hold moisture well in the solution, and wrap the leg.
4. Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the foot for 20 minutes. This will stop the spread of bacteria.
5. Sprinkle the steamed feet with boric acid powder and put on socks.
6. Does iodine cure nail fungus? Treatment of toenail fungus with iodine is not limited to the usual smearing of the affected areas. A product of iodine, vinegar essence, glycerin and water in a ratio of 1: 2 (2 parts water) helps if it is applied to the affected areas at night. Before that, they should be steamed so that the pores open and the medicine penetrates better.
7. The simplest method, which can be used only in the first stage of the disease, is to put alcohol-soaked swabs between your fingers. You can do this overnight or until the alcohol dries completely.
8. Grated onion gruel will also help stop the spread of the infection, for which it should be applied for a few hours.
9. How to treat foot and nail fungus with herbs? Dry chamomile, mint, sage and nettle are suitable for this purpose. They can be broken into equal parts, poured into a sock and placed at night. The same powder cannot be used a second time, just like a sock. In summer, it is possible to use fresh inflorescences.
10. Treating foot fungus with vinegar is very effective. How to treat nail fungus with vinegar? To do this, you need to make baths with a solution of 9% vinegar. First you need to steam your feet, then pour vinegar into warm water, lower your feet there for 15 minutes so that the soles of the feet do not touch the bottom. After the procedure, let your feet dry naturally without rinsing them with clean water.
11. We treat nail fungus with hydrogen peroxide. The application process is the same as in the case of vinegar, only 3% peroxide is used instead.
12. Cut the lemon into slices and apply on the affected nail. Cover with gauze on top and wrap with cling film overnight.

Prevention

To effectively treat toenail fungus, it's best to prevent the infection in the first place. To get rid of an unpleasant disease, you should follow the recommendations:

• do not walk barefoot in public places;
• when visiting a gym, swimming pool, water park, wear rubber slippers;
• use an antifungal varnish that has a fungicidal effect;
• buy comfortable types of shoes made of fabric or leather;
• make sure that in nail salons they work with you only with tools that have undergone heat treatment;
• do not use unfamiliar slippers, towel or socks;
• don't wear the same socks every day;
• wash your feet morning and night;
• take vitamins;
• At the first signs of a fungal disease, use a gel that relieves itching, peeling and erosion.

What is dangerous and how to treat advanced nail fungus at home

The old fungus can cause complications of diseases such as diabetes, bronchial asthma or allergies. It becomes a conduit for other infections that can affect the internal organs.

The increased amount of toxins in the body leads to intoxication.

The old fungus cannot be cured by folk remedies alone. How to treat advanced toenail fungus? This will require a course of treatment under the supervision of a dermatologist, and folk remedies should be used as a supplement.

The reasons for advanced fungus can be a late visit to the doctor, an incorrectly prescribed course of treatment or ineffectiveness of the drugs used.

Old fungus requires long-term treatment, which can last six months. How to cure old toenail fungus?

The doctor can make a diagnosis only after analyzing a scraping from the damaged area, after which he will prescribe antifungal drugs. You should be careful with some of the drugs, they may be contraindicated during pregnancy.

Along with the tablets, creams and ointments are used, which are applied to the lesion.

How to cure advanced toenail fungus with folk remedies

1. Cotton swabs are soaked with propolis tincture with 20% alcohol and applied to the damaged nails. Propolis helps to quickly destroy the fungus, after which the old nail plate falls off and grows back healthy.
2. Kombucha slurry applied to the affected area helps fight the fungus. It is applied several hours a day.
3. An ointment of 100 grams of oil, eggs with shells and 50 mg of 70% acetic acid is used every day. All ingredients are placed in a jar and not mixed. The ointment should be stored in the refrigerator for a week until the shells are completely dissolved. The ingredients can then be blended until smooth.
4. 15 grams of yarrow root are poured with boiling water and left for 30 minutes. The infusion should be drunk in a quarter cup 4 times.
5. At night, you should apply an ointment of 3 cigarette ashes with 1/2 teaspoon of fluoride toothpaste to your nails.

What is the best way to treat toenail fungus? There are many effective remedies, but they can be used depending on the stage of the disease.

The initial stages can be treated with folk remedies, for older stages complex treatment with drugs in combination with home medicine methods will have to be used.