How to treat toenail fungus at home

Fungal toenail diseases (onychomycosis) are quite common. This disease is infectious in nature and is caused by pathogenic bacteria (epidermophytes). Almost from the moment of infection, a person begins to feel severe itching in 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 fungus on toenails.

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

Why is the mushroom dangerous?

Fungus on the nails cannot be ignored, because 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 watch, so you can't ignore the wound. In addition, it will not be possible to forget about it, because it will constantly remind you of itching.

Currently, people are very reluctant to go to the clinic, so the question still remains relevant: how to treat 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 illness and that you can get rid of it yourself. Only when they have struggled unsuccessfully for several weeks with a problem and see no results do they turn to professionals for help.

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

You should know that toenail fungus visually affects only a separate area of the human body, although in reality it changes the functioning of the entire body for the worse. Toxins that appear during the growth and reproduction of pathogenic fungi settle there.

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

Externally, the affected nail is painted in different colors. This depends on the pathogen, since the fungus can be mold, yeast or dermatophyte.

Over time, the keratinization of the nail makes even cutting it a problem, and how to cure nail fungus at home in this case? Traditional methods of treating fungus on toenails are the first thing victims resort to.

Causes of fungus:

• open sores on the feet (scratches, ulcers, abrasions, corns);
• violation of hygiene rules;
• low immunity;
• antibiotics or other medications used to treat illnesses;
• excessive sweating of the feet.

But all these reasons are secondary, since the main thing remains the infection contracted from a sick person. About a third of sufferers became infected with a fungal infection while visiting saunas, swimming pools, nail salons and other busy places.

The presence of humidity only activates the infection process and creates favorable conditions for the spread of bacteria. Just walking barefoot in a public shower or using someone else's flip-flops is enough for the patient's dander to have an effect on your skin.

You can often become infected by using washcloths, rugs, and other similar common items. But even at home, no one is safe from fungal infection.

It only takes one family member to go to the beach or swimming pool, and they can become carriers of bacteria, and if they share slippers or a sponge with them, the whole family can become infected.

Lack of humidity also does not interfere with the functioning of the fungus. For example, visiting a store's fitting room 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 that even on the beach, in the most extreme heat, they live quietly in the sand.

Considering that sand or small pebbles on the beach are a natural scrub for the feet, infected skin particles are found there in large quantities and cling to those who have open sores on their feet.

Second-hand shoes are another vector for fungal spores. Of course, stores selling such products are obliged to put them on sale only after undergoing appropriate chemical treatment, but this is not always done.

The first manifestations of the fungus

The fungus constantly manifests itself in different ways. If a person is healthy and does not have any damage to the legs, this may manifest itself in the form of peeling. If there is damage between the toes or on the heel, symptoms may be more serious.

The disease begins with peeling of the skin near the nails, slight redness and itching. This may not matter, as the cause may be uncomfortable or poorly breathable shoes. Additionally, redness between the fingers is quite difficult to notice right away.

Obvious signs of fungus are most visible in areas where the skin on the feet sweats. Diaper rash appears there and later blisters appear.

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

The subungual space will be filled with a mixture of crumbs, and will alternate with empty pits. But the biggest problem will come from the increasing itching and putrid odor of the feet, which will intensify if the foot sweats.

The advanced stage may be accompanied by fever and movement problems. In this case, treatment of fungus on the toes will require urgent medical intervention. It will determine which species is causing the disease and what measures need to be taken to combat it.

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

Options for traditional methods of treating foot fungus

1. The use of washing powder has always been considered effective, as it contains alkalis capable of killing any type of fungus. Half a glass 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 must be repeated for 10 days.
2. Everyone knows that garlic kills bacteria. In the fight against fungus, it is used in its pure form, cutting cloves in half and soaking them in salt. Garlic does not need to be eaten, it should be rubbed into the area of the leg damaged by the fungus. Garlic can cause even more irritation and redness, so it should not be applied for long periods of time. 5 to 7 minutes is enough.
3. An ammonia compress at night is also a method of treating foot fungus with folk remedies. Add a spoonful of ammonia to 250 mg of water, dip a natural fabric that will retain moisture well in the solution and wrap the leg.
4. Coat the foot with a paste of soda and water for 20 minutes. This will stop the spread of bacteria.
5. Sprinkle the steamed legs 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 spreading of damaged areas. A product based on iodine, vinegar essence, glycerin and water in a ratio of 1: 2 (2 parts water) is useful if you rub it at night on the affected areas. Before that, they need to be steamed so that the pores open and the medicine penetrates better.
7. The simplest method, which can only be used at the first stage of the disease, is to insert alcohol swabs between your fingers. You can do this overnight or until the alcohol is completely dry.
8. Grated onion porridge will also help stop the spread of infection, for which it must be applied for several 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 crushed in equal parts, poured into a sock and put on 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 9% vinegar solution. 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 it to the affected nail. Cover the top with gauze and wrap in film overnight.

Prevention

To effectively treat toenail fungus, it is 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 the gym, swimming pool, water park, wear rubber slippers;
• use an antifungal varnish with a fungicidal effect;
• buy comfortable fabric or leather shoes;
• make sure that in nail salons they work with you only with heat-treated tools;
• don’t use a stranger’s slippers, towel, or socks;
• don't wear the same socks every day;
• wash your feet morning and evening;
• takes 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

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

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

An old fungus cannot be cured only with folk remedies. How to treat advanced toenail fungus? This will require drug treatment under the supervision of a dermatologist and folk remedies should be used as an adjunct.

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

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

A 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 certain medications, they may be contraindicated during pregnancy.

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

How to cure advanced toenail fungus with folk remedies

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

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 early stages can be treated with folk remedies; for more advanced stages, complex treatment with medications in combination with home medicine methods will need to be used.