How to cure nail fungus at home is the first question a person asks when faced with unpleasant symptoms. Simple and affordable traditional medicine recipes are effective in the initial stage of fungal infection.
Pharmaceutical companies are constantly working to improve old antifungal drugs and launch new ones. The variety of antifungals is huge and inspires hope to easily get rid of a nasty disease. At the same time, the number of victims of the bacterial attack does not decrease. Paradox? No, quite an understandable fact. Microscopic fungi constantly mutate and adapt to negative survival conditions. New strains are emerging that are resistant to drug therapy. It is becoming increasingly difficult to eliminate the fungus. But there is an alternative to traditional treatment. Trusted and proven traditional medicine recipes effectively eliminate finger and toenail fungus even before the discovery of the first pathogenic virus by scientists.
How and how to cure a fungus at home?
Not a single person is immune to onychomycosis infection. Wearing shoes increases the risk of infection by 50%. Weakened immunity, visiting gyms, swimming pools, public baths and saunas are the most common causes of the development of nail fungus. At the first suspicious symptoms (change in the shape or thickening of the nail plate, appearance of spots, shedding of the bed, itching, redness, peeling), emergency measures should be taken. The most affordable treatment option is to use homemade formulations. But it should be remembered that traditional medicine is effective only in the initial stages of onychomycosis.
All home remedies can be roughly divided into three groups:
- Pharmacy antiseptics - This includes all over-the-counter medications that affect the life of the fungus. These are creams, ointments, solutions with a synthetic and natural formula of the active principle.
- Herbal preparations: Essential oils, tinctures and decoctions for baths of medicinal plants can significantly improve the condition of the affected nails in a week.
- Household solutions and substances: soda, salt, food vinegar, effectively eliminate the primary symptoms of the fungus, but require long-term use.
You need to be prepared for the fact that it is always difficult and time-consuming to treat nail fungus. Methodology and consistency are the main conditions for successful home therapy.
How To Quickly Cure Toenail Fungus With Pharmaceutical Preparations
For the treatment of onychomycosis, the simplest antiseptic drugs are often used, which can be bought at any pharmacy for literally a penny. But dermatologists warn that the use of antiseptics can lead to burns and allergic reactions. A high concentration of antiseptic does not guarantee efficacy. Moderation and caution are the main principles for treating hand and foot fungus with the simplest solutions.
| Active substance | Application mode |
|---|---|
| Iodine | A solution is prepared from iodine and alcohol in 1: 1 proportions. Apply with a cotton swab to the affected areas of the nail 2 times a day. |
| Medical hydrogen peroxide | Mix equal amounts of peroxide and water, apply compresses for 30 minutes 2-3 times a day. |
| Formaldehyde | Clean affected nails in the morning and at night. |
| Zinc oxide (ointment) | Apply a thin layer to the nails at night and cover with a sterile dressing. |
| Aluminum potassium alum | Dilute 0. 5 teaspoon of powder in a glass of hot water. Treat your nails several times a day. |
How to cure nail fungus at home with plants?
Nature is the best helper in the fight against pathogenic microorganisms. Medicinal plants have antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. An ideal set for the prevention and treatment of onychomycosis. But in large grasses, only a few species are effective against most strains of fungal infection. The table shows the strongest plants.
| Medicinal plant | Form of medicinal composition. | Application mode |
|---|---|---|
| Rowan | Grind fresh fruits until obtaining a homogeneous porridge. | Apply the mixture on the nail affected by the fungus, apply a gauze bandage on top, leave the compress overnight |
| Celandine | Alcohol tincture | Gently lubricate the nail with stain every night before going to bed. |
| Oak | Dry bark | Pour 1 tablespoon of bark with 1 liter of water, insist on a water bath for 50-60 minutes. Soak every night for 10 days. |
| Tea tree | Essential oil | Dip a cotton swab in oil and clean the affected nail 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening. |
| Garlic | Grind the cloves into mush | Apply gruel on the nail, cover with cling film and apply a gauze bandage. |
| Tea mushroom | Soaked dried mushrooms | A piece of kombucha is applied to the infected nail at night and tied with cling film and then fixed with a bandage. Perfectly softens the plate and facilitates its subsequent removal |
How to treat nail fungus with household solutions?
You can try to eliminate the fungus with such familiar products as vinegar or salt. The recipes are very simple:
- Vinegar. The treatment uses ordinary table vinegar, apple or wine at 9% and essence at 70%. The latter is preferable due to the ability to adjust the concentration. For 10-14 days, it is necessary to elevate the feet or hands in medicinal solutions every day. 250 ml of vinegar or 3 tablespoons of the essence are diluted in 1 liter of boiled water (temperature: the hotter the better). Keep your feet in the solution for 20 to 30 minutes or until the water is completely cool. After 3-4 baths, the affected nails will begin to peel off, they must be removed with orange sticks. Do not cut or tear the plate.
- Salt. You can treat nail fungus with a saturated saline solution. Dissolve 5-6 tablespoons of table or sea salt in 2 liters of hot water and bathe for 30 minutes (until the water is completely cool) every night, before going to bed. Doctors recommend enhancing the therapeutic effect of the composition with a pinch of potassium permanganate. Add some crystals to the bath so that the water turns light pink. The course of treatment is at least 10 days, even if the symptoms disappeared after 3-4 procedures.
- Soda. An alkaline environment is detrimental to microscopic fungi. Soda compresses and baths will help control the infection. There are several effective recipes with baking soda. Rub the affected nails with a solution: stir 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 50 grams of warm water, moisten the nails with a cotton swab several times a day. Soda salt bath: thoroughly stir 3 tablespoons of salt and soda in 2 liters of hot water, soak your feet or hands in the solution, do the procedure for at least 10 days. Compress: cool 1 tablespoon of baking soda with vinegar, apply gruel to nails, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and fix with gauze.
It will be possible to cure toenail fungus with quickly available means only if no more than a week has passed after infection. With advanced onychomycosis, all home methods are used as an adjunct to systemic medications. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully examine the nails and feet on a daily basis, especially after visiting public locker rooms, wearing professional or sports shoes for a long time.