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, because 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 bathhouse, sauna, swimming pool, gym and other crowded places.
Signs and symptoms of nail fungus
In fact, few people know that fungal infections come in thousands of varieties. But many of them do not cause pain and are not visually visible.
Due to this peculiarity, in the initial stages of the disease, a person who has contracted the fungus may not even be aware of it. But several types of fungus can cause pain around and under the nail.
Note!
Since painful symptoms of 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 final phase, treatment is difficult, so disease prevention must be observed. This will ensure that you avoid infection.
In order to prevent and timely treat 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 on the nails;
Note!
Nail fungus (onychomycosis) can only be diagnosed at an early stage in a hospital, in a laboratory environment. Therefore, if you notice the slightest change in the nail plate, contact a doctor immediately!
The second stage of onychomycosis is a change in the color of the nail plate, loss of shine, deformation of its 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 nail fungus
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, like an invisible guardian angel, to protect us from diseases.
Note!
Therefore, the first step in the prevention of nail fungus is a proper, balanced diet. If the body is saturated with minerals, vitamins and beneficial substances, the immune system works only for you.
Movement is life! And it is true, because sports and an active lifestyle make us healthy, strong and robust both physically and spiritually. Physical activity prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system.
If the blood circulation is reduced, the protective functions of the skin of the hands, feet and nails do not work properly, which leads to their diseases.
Causes of yeast infection
Warm, damp rooms are breeding grounds for bacteria. Therefore, you must ensure cleanliness in your home, especially in the bathroom and toilet.
It is important!
When visiting public places: water park, bathhouse, swimming pool, sauna, you must dress and wear shoes. And 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, pantyhose, etc. Inconvenience when wearing them can cause calluses, corns, sweating and ulcers. This leads to the appearance of an alkaline microclimate - an ideal place for fungus to multiply.
Note!
When visiting beauty salons, be aware and careful. Visit only trusted and recommended sites because we are talking about maintaining your health. Getting a pedicure, manicure and nail extensions done by a professional is completely safe and easy. Wounds, cuts, poorly performed procedures are the gateway to infections.
It is important to know that you cannot use other people's shoes as it will harm your health. We strictly observe the rules for personal hygiene.
This is important to know!
The fungus must be treated quickly and thoroughly. The disease does not go away by itself, and time only plays a role in the spread of the infection, as complications can arise: it can spread from the feet 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 use other people's shoes, towels, brushes, combs, etc.
Traditional treatment of toenail fungus
It is very important not to start an infection, you should definitely contact a specialist for qualified medical help.
Note!
In combination with pharmaceutical drugs, you can use traditional methods of treating toenail fungus, which are quite effective and will help get rid of this unpleasant disease.
Vinegar compress for nail fungus
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil - two tablespoons;
- Apple cider vinegar - two tablespoons.
Preparation and use:
- Mix vinegar and oil in a ratio of 1: 1, then thoroughly moisten a cotton ball with the resulting solution and apply it to the nail affected by the fungus. We fix the top with an adhesive patch or bandage.
- Leave the compress on overnight and remove it in the morning. We use a vinegar compress to treat the fungus until the affected nail completely replaces the diseased plate with a healthy one.
Antifungal oil
This aromatic natural oil helps fight fungal infections of the feet and nails, soothe irritated skin and soothe tired feet.
Ingredients:
- Ef. clove oil - 5 drops;
- Ef. cinnamon bark oil - 5 drops;
- Ef. oil - thyme (thyme) - 20 drops;
- Ef. sage oil - 10 drops;
- Ef. lavender oil - 30 drops;
- Tea tree essential oil - 25 drops;
- Jojoba oil - 100 milliliters.
Preparation:
- Pour 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 it for a day so that the healing oil matures.
After this time, the aromatic antifungal oil is ready.
How to use:
Wash your feet well and dry them. Shake the oil in the bottle well and apply a few drops to both legs. Even if the fungus has affected one foot, we also use a healing agent on the other foot for preventive purposes.
Apply the oil to your nails and between your toes, massage the skin a little and wait for the oil to be absorbed. Then we put cotton socks on our feet.
Use the medicated oil two to three times a day, it can also be applied to acne and wounds. The oil can be stored for up to two years in a cool place.
Tea mushrooms
This is a simple and very good remedy for treating fungus.
This is helpful!
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: steam your feet in warm water and apply a kombucha compress and secure with a bandage. Leave it overnight and remove it in the morning. The course of treatment is four weeks.
Another processing option: Pinch off a small piece of kombucha, remove the film from it, and mash the peeled part into a paste. Rub the resulting mass into the affected areas three times a day. It is important that you take a fresh piece of sponge for each procedure.
Bathing with celandine decoction
Baths with a decoction of celandine help very well.
- The ratio of grass to water is 2: 3. Add the required amount of celandine and water and boil for 3 minutes.
- Strain the broth and steam the feet for half an hour.
- Make lotions from the same decoction on the affected areas.
Baking soda
The use of baking soda is effective.
- Therapeutic procedures: apply soda water and steam your feet in a soda solution.
- Soda solution recipe: for three liters of warm water, one tablespoon of soda. Mix the soda well until it is completely dissolved.
- You should thoroughly steam your feet in a soda solution, then dry them with a clean towel and spread them with celandine oil, which is sold at the pharmacy.
After a soda bath, you can moisten a cotton swab with celandine oil, place it between the toes and secure with a plaster. We put a sock on top. We keep this bandage for 20 minutes.
The procedures must be carried out twice a day for a month.
Mushroom ointment - recipe No. 1
Preparation: wash the chicken egg and pour vinegar over it. Store in a dark place until the shell is completely dissolved. Throw away the film, mix the vinegar with the rest of the egg and mix this mass with butter.
Application: The resulting ointment must be applied to the areas affected by the fungus morning and evening. Do this until complete recovery, after which you can use the ointment for preventive purposes.
Mushroom ointment - recipe no. 2
Ingredients:
- A raw chicken egg;
- A tablespoon of vegetable oil;
- A tablespoon of vinegar 70% essence.
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and the healing salve is ready. We store it in the fridge and use it as needed.
Application:
- We steam our feet, dry 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.
Mushroom ointment - recipe no. 3
Another folk method of treating toenail fungus using an easy-to-prepare and highly effective ointment based on vinegar essence.
Ingredients:
- Raw chicken eggs (preferably from domestic chickens) - 2 pieces;
- Vinegar essence 70% - 1 glass;
- Butter - 200 grams.
Preparation of ointment:
- Wash the eggs, put them in a pint glass and fill them with vinegar essence so that it covers the contents of the glass.
- Place the glass in a dark place for 10 days, after which the eggshells will completely dissolve in the essence.
- We take the eggs out of the jar with a fork, remove the film, put them in a bowl and add softened butter (take the butter out of the refrigerator in advance).
- Mash the eggs with a fork and mix them with the butter. We should get a homogeneous mass that looks like creme fraiche. Add three tablespoons of acetic acid from the jar in which the eggs were placed to the mixture and mix again.
Store the finished ointment in the refrigerator.
Application:
- Wash your feet and dry them, apply ointment to the affected areas and let them dry for five minutes. The ointment is quickly absorbed, then put on clean socks and go to bed.
- Use for a month, every day at night. When you feel that the illness is over, you must lubricate it once a week.
As a result of the treatment, feet and nails will become clean and healthy, itching and nappy rash will disappear, and the skin will become smooth and healthy.
Antifungal baths
Such therapeutic baths can be carried out daily with the addition of a weak solution of vinegar, potassium permanganate, soda solution and a solution of essential oils.
Note!
Prevention of fungal nail infections should be carried out regularly to avoid recurrence of the disease.
Eucalyptus and Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe juice, eucalyptus oil or eucalyptus tincture also help well to treat nail fungus. Their use is quite simple: you need to lubricate the affected areas three times a day until recovery.
Essential oils for athlete's foot
Traditional methods of treating toenail fungus with essential oils have proven themselves 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.
Bathing - Method No. 1
- In a liter of warm water, we must dilute 20 drops of oil and a teaspoon of shower gel.
- Take a bath for 20 minutes until the water cools. The procedure must be carried out every day until complete recovery.
At the end of the treatment, preventive baths with tea tree oil (or other oil) once a week are recommended.
Rubbing oil - method no. 2
Using a cotton ball, rub essential oils into the nail plates affected by fungal infections.
To perform the procedure, wash your feet well with laundry soap and dry them. Then rub the oil into the affected areas and allow it to absorb. There is no need to wash the feet after rubbing for the oil to have a healing effect.
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, you must buy a 20% tincture of propolis in alcohol, which you apply to the sore nails using a cotton swab. Perform this procedure daily.
Soon you will see the result: the diseased nail will go away and a new one will grow.
Sea salt
Take sea salt baths daily for a week. Lubricate your feet with fresh celandine juice three times a day for 3 months.
Treatment of fungus with iodine
Apply a drop of iodine to sore nails every day for 3 weeks, morning and evening. Be sure to also treat nearby nails (outwardly healthy).
After about a week or a little earlier, a slight burning sensation and tenderness may occur around the nail - a sign of successful treatment. In case of severe pain, apply iodine less often.
Table salt with mint
The healing properties of common salt will help in the treatment of nail fungus.
For preparation:
- Mix finely chopped mint with salt in a 1: 1 ratio.
- The resulting pulp 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 to treat various skin diseases: lichen, acne, diaper rash. This ointment also helps against fungal infections. It contains 25% salicylic acid.
Method of use: lubricate the affected areas 2 - 3 times a day.
Zinc ointment
Another cheap "folk" drug sold in pharmacies. The ointment contains zinc oxide and vaseline.
Zinc ointment has no contraindications, it can be used by women during pregnancy and nursing mothers, as well as children. This medication should be applied to the affected area up to 5 times a day. However, if the degree of fungus is not very severe, the number of applications can be reduced.
Sulfuric 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 medicine must be applied 1-2 times a day. The course of treatment is one week.
Can be used to treat skin diseases in young children.
Note!
Before using traditional methods of treating toenail fungus or any other medication, consult your doctor.
Treatment and prevention of nail fungus takes time and a lot of effort, you have to be patient and not wait for a quick recovery.
It is important to know!
Nail fungus is unusually tenacious and very quickly develops immunity to the substances included in antifungal drugs. Therefore, if you are infected with it again or the last time was not treated, the previously used drug will be useless. You should buy a drug with a completely different principle of action.
It is recommended to consult a doctor in time for diagnosis, in order not to let the disease develop, to start the treatment on time, to complete it, in this case you will forget about such an unpleasant disease as nail fungus.
Be healthy!