Today we will talk about the treatment and prevention of nail fungus, so you know how to get rid of it and prevent the recurrence of this disease.
Statistics show that nail fungus occurs in almost every tenth person in the world. This means that this infection is very common and extremely insidious. The disease is extremely unpleasant for the eyes, as the areas infected with the fungus look quite repulsive.
If you think that this disease will never affect you, do not promise it - it is easy to catch a fungal infection in any public place: on the beach, in a bath, sauna, pool, gym and other crowded places.
Signs and symptoms of nail fungus
In fact, few people know that yeast infections come in thousands of varieties. But many of them do not cause pain and are not visually visible.
Due to this feature, in the initial stages of the disease, a person infected with the fungus may not even suspect it. But several types of fungus can cause pain around and under the nail.
Note!
Since the painful symptoms of the fungus are extremely rare, doctors are consulted only in the last, advanced stages of the disease, when there is a change in the color of the nail, its deformation and detachment of the upper plate. In the last stage, treatment is difficult, so prevention of the disease must be observed. This will ensure that you avoid infection.
For the prevention and timely treatment of nail fungus, it is important to know that there are three stages of development of a fungal infection that affects the nail plate:
The first stage of the onset of the disease is the absence of clearly expressed symptoms;
Note!
Nail fungus (onychomycosis) can be diagnosed at an early stage only in a hospital, in laboratory conditions. Therefore, if you notice even the slightest change in the nail plate, immediately consult a doctor!
The second stage of onychomycosis is a change in the color of the nail plate, loss of shine, deformation of the lateral and upper parts:
The third advanced stage of the fungus is severe delamination and brittleness of the nail, which can lead to its complete loss.
In addition, a fungal infection affects the skin around the nail, which is accompanied by unpleasant sensations of itching, burning and pain.
Prevention of fungal nail diseases
Every day, without knowing it, we deal with thousands of bacteria around us. But almost all of them are absolutely harmless to us, since the immune system is called upon as an invisible guardian angel to protect us from diseases.
Note!
That's why the first step in preventing nail fungus is a proper, balanced diet. If the body is saturated with minerals, vitamins and useful substances, the immune system will work only for you.
Movement is life! And this is because sports and an active lifestyle make us healthy, strong and resilient both physically and spiritually. Physical activity prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system.
If the blood circulation is disturbed, the protective functions of the skin of the hands, feet and nails do not function properly, which leads to their diseases.
Causes of fungal infection
Warm and humid rooms are a breeding ground for bacteria. Therefore, you should ensure cleanliness in your home, especially in the bathroom and toilet.
It is essential that!
When visiting public places: water park, bath, pool, sauna, you must dress and wear shoes. Then wash thoroughly and take a shower.
In order not to create a favorable environment for the appearance and spread of fungus "under the nose", wear comfortable, preferably natural shoes, socks, stockings, slippers, tights, etc. The discomfort of wearing them can cause calluses, calluses, sweating, and woundsThis leads to the appearance of an alkaline microclimate - an ideal place for the reproduction of fungi.
Note!
When visiting beauty salons, you should be careful and careful. Visit only trusted and recommended places because we are talking about preserving your health. Pedicure, manicure and nail extension by a professional is absolutely safe and easy. Wounds, cuts, poorly performed procedures are a gateway for infections.
It is important to know that you cannot wear other people's shoes, as this will harm your health. We strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene.
This is important to know!
Fungi must be treated promptly and thoroughly. The disease does not disappear by itself, and time only plays a role in the spread of the infection, as complications can occur: it can spread from the legs to the stomach, to the groin area, to the skin of the chest, to the armpits.
If someone in your family has athlete's foot, there is a chance that healthy family members will become infected. Maintain personal hygiene more carefully than usual, do not wear other people's shoes, towels, brushes, combs, etc.
Traditional treatment of nail fungus
It is very important not to start an infection; you should definitely contact a professional for qualified medical assistance.
Note!
In combination with pharmaceutical drugs, you can use traditional methods of treating toenail fungus, which are quite effective and will help you get rid of this unpleasant disease.
Compress with vinegar for nail fungus
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil - two tablespoons;
- Apple cider vinegar - two tablespoons.
Preparation and use:
- Mix vinegar and oil in a 1: 1 ratio, then thoroughly wet a cotton swab with the resulting solution and apply it to the nail affected by the fungus. We fasten on top with a plaster or bandage.
- Leave the compress overnight and remove it in the morning. We use a compress with vinegar to treat fungus until the affected nail completely replaces the diseased plate with a healthy one.
Antifungal oil
This fragrant natural oil will help fight fungal infections of the feet and nails, soothe irritated skin and relieve tired feet.
Ingredients:
- Eph. clove oil - 5 drops;
- Eph. cinnamon bark oil - 5 drops;
- Eph. oil - thyme (thyme) - 20 drops;
- Eph. sage oil - 10 drops;
- Eph. lavender oil - 30 drops;
- Tea tree essential oil - 25 drops;
- Jojoba oil - 100 milliliters.
Preparation:
- Pour the jojoba oils into a dark bottle, add essential oils and mix vigorously for three minutes.
- Place the bottle in a dark place at normal room temperature and leave for a day so that the medicinal oil matures.
After this time, the aromatic antifungal oil is ready.
How to use:
Wash your feet well and dry them. Shake the oil well in the bottle and apply a few drops to both feet. Even if the fungus has affected one leg, we also apply a healing agent to the second leg for preventive purposes.
Apply the oil to the nails and between the toes, gently massage the skin and wait until the oil is absorbed. Then we put cotton socks on our feet.
Use the healing oil two to three times a day; can also be applied to acne and wounds. The oil can be stored for up to two years in a cool place.
Tea mushroom
This is a simple and very good fungus treatment.
This is useful!
Before going to bed, it is recommended to make compresses from a strong infusion of kombucha, and the longer the mushroom is infused, the better.
For the procedure: soak your feet in warm water and apply a kombucha compress and secure with a bandage. Leave it overnight and take it out in the morning. The course of treatment is four weeks.
Another treatment option: pinch off a small piece of kombucha, remove the film from it and mash the peeled part into a pulp. Rub the resulting mass on the affected areas three times a day. It is important that for each procedure you need to take a fresh piece of mushroom.
Baths with decoction of yellow flowers
Baths with a decoction of celandine help very well.
- The ratio of grass to water is 2: 3. Add the required amount of turmeric and water and let it boil for 3 minutes.
- Strain the broth and steam your feet for half an hour.
- Make lotions of the same decoction on the affected areas.
Baking soda
Using baking soda is effective.
- Treatments: apply soda lotions and steam your feet in a soda solution.
- Recipe for soda solution: for three liters of hot water, one tablespoon of soda. Stir the baking soda well until it is completely dissolved.
- You should steam your feet well in a soda solution, then wipe them with a clean cloth and smear them with calendula oil, which is sold in the pharmacy.
You can, after a bath with soda, moisten a cotton pad with calendula oil, place it between the toes and secure it with a band-aid. We put a sock on top. We keep this dressing for 20 minutes.
The procedures should be carried out twice a day for one month.
Anti-fungal ointment - recipe No. 1
Preparation: wash the chicken egg and cover it with vinegar. Store in a dark place until the shell is completely dissolved. Discard the film, mix the vinegar with the remaining egg and mix this mass with butter.
Application: Apply the resulting ointment morning and evening to areas affected by fungus. Do this until full recovery, after which you can use the ointment for preventive purposes.
Antifungal ointment - recipe No. 2
Ingredients:
- One raw chicken egg;
- One tablespoon of vegetable oil;
- One tablespoon of vinegar 70% essence.
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients well and the medicinal ointment is ready. Store in the refrigerator and use as needed.
Application:
- We steam our feet, wipe them and apply ointment to the areas affected by the fungal infection.
- You need to put a plastic bag on top and secure it with a bandage or put on socks.
- Do the procedure at night and keep it until the morning.
The course of treatment is 30 days.
Ointment against fungi - recipe No. 3
Another folk method of treating toenail fungus using an easy-to-prepare and very effective ointment based on vinegar essence.
Ingredients:
- Raw chicken eggs (preferably from domestic chickens) - 2 pieces;
- Vinegar essence 70% - 1 cup;
- Butter - 200 grams.
Preparation of ointment:
- Wash the eggs, put them in a pint jar and pour vinegar essence over them so that it covers the contents of the jar.
- Place the jar in a dark place for 10 days, during which time the eggshells will completely dissolve into the essence.
- We remove the eggs from the jar with a fork, remove the foil, put them in a bowl and add softened butter (remove the butter from the refrigerator beforehand).
- Mash the eggs with a fork and mix them with the butter. We should get a homogeneous mass similar to sour cream. Three tablespoons of acetic acid from the jar containing the eggs are added to the mixture and mixed again.
Store the finished ointment in the refrigerator.
Application:
- Wash your feet and dry them, apply ointment to the affected areas and leave to dry for five minutes. The ointment will be absorbed quickly, then put on clean socks and go to bed.
- Use for a month, every day at night. Then, when you feel that the disease passes, you should apply it once a week.
As a result of the treatment, the feet and nails will become clean and healthy, itching and diaper rash will disappear, and the skin will become smooth and healthy.
Antifungal baths
Such therapeutic baths can be made daily with the addition of a weak solution of vinegar, potassium permanganate, a solution of soda and a solution of essential oils.
Note!
Prevention of fungal nail infections should be done regularly to avoid recurrence of the disease.
Eucalyptus and Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe juice, eucalyptus oil, or eucalyptus tincture also work well in treating nail fungus. Their use is quite simple: you need to lubricate the affected areas three times a day until recovery.
Essential oils for foot fungus
Traditional methods of treating toenail fungus with essential oils have proven quite well in practice, as they have good antifungal properties.
Oils to use: tea tree, lemon, fir, sandalwood, patchouli.
Contraindications: individual intolerance, pregnancy.
Tea tree oil
Let's look at the main points of using essential oils, using tea tree as an example. This recipe can be used with other oils as well.
Baths - method #1
- In one liter of hot water, we need to dissolve 20 drops of oil and one teaspoon of shower gel.
- Take baths for 20 minutes until the water cools. The procedure should be carried out every day until full recovery.
At the end of the treatment, preventive baths with tea tree oil (or other oil) once a week are recommended.
Oil for rubbing - method No. 2
Rub essential oils into the nail plates affected by fungal infections using a cotton swab.
To perform the procedure, you should wash your feet well with laundry soap and wipe them dry. Then rub the oil into the affected areas and let it absorb. For the healing effect of the oil, it is not necessary to wash your feet after rubbing.
Note!
Lemon essential oil is also good to use for the described procedures, it helps against infections and does not stain the nails dark, preserving their natural appearance.
The duration of treatment is three or even four months, it all depends on the patient's immunity and the stage of the fungus.
Alcohol tincture of propolis
At the pharmacy, buy a 20% tincture of propolis in alcohol, which you apply to the sick nails using a cotton swab. Do this procedure daily.
You will soon see the result: the diseased nail will disappear and a new one will grow.
Sea salt
Take sea salt baths every day for a week. Lubricate your feet with fresh celandine juice three times a day for 3 months.
Treatment of fungus with iodine
Every day for 3 weeks, morning and evening, apply a drop of iodine to the sick nails. Do not forget to treat the adjacent nails (externally healthy).
After about a week or a little earlier, a slight burning and soreness may appear around the nail - a sign of successful treatment. In severe pain, apply iodine less often.
Table salt with mint
The healing properties of common salt will help in the treatment of nail fungus.
To prepare:
- Mix the finely chopped jaggery with salt in a 1: 1 ratio.
- The resulting slurry should be placed on the affected nail plates and between the toes.
Repeat until the infection is completely cured.
Pharmacy ointments and preparations
For the treatment and prevention of nail fungus, in combination with folk remedies, it is good to use effective pharmaceutical drugs, this will allow you to quickly cure the disease and prevent its recurrence.
Salicylic ointment
This pharmaceutical drug is often used in the treatment of various skin diseases: lichen, acne, diaper rash. This ointment also helps with fungal infections. Contains 25% salicylic acid.
How to use: Apply to the affected areas 2-3 times a day.
Zinc ointment
Another cheap "folk" medicine that is sold in pharmacies. The ointment contains zinc oxide and petroleum jelly.
Zinc ointment has no contraindications, it can be used by women during pregnancy and nursing mothers, as well as by children. This medication should be applied to the affected area up to 5 times a day. However, if the extent of the fungus is not very severe, the number of applications can be reduced.
Sulfur ointment
This medicine contains sulfur from 10 to 33% and is a good remedy for foot and nail fungus. For treatment, it is better to take a 10% solution. The drug should be administered 1-2 times a day. The course of treatment is one week.
It can be used in the treatment of skin diseases in young children.
Note!
Before using traditional methods of treating toenail fungus or other medicines, consult your doctor.
Treatment and prevention of nail fungus require time and a lot of effort;
It is important to know!
Nail fungus is unusually durable and very quickly develops immunity to the substances included in antifungal drugs. Therefore, if you are infected with it again or the last time you were not treated, the previously used medicine will be useless. You need to buy a drug with a completely different principle of action.
It is recommended to consult a doctor in time for diagnosis, do not allow the disease to progress, start the treatment on time, complete it, in this case you will forget about such an unpleasant disease as nail fungus.
Be healthy!