Fungal infection of the nail plate is an infectious disease caused by various types of harmful microorganisms. Since the fungus leads not only to deformation, but also, in case of complications, to rejection of the nail, it is necessary to treat it. A folk remedy for nail fungus is the safest and most effective treatment option for the disease.
Nail fungus and its signs.
Before using home remedies for nail fungus, you need to make sure. Signs of onychomycosis do not appear immediately, but gradually. The first symptoms almost always go unnoticed, especially if the person has not previously encountered a similar problem.
The main harbingers of the disease are itchy skin on the palms and soles and discoloration of the nails. If you start therapy at this stage, it will be easy to cure. In addition to itching and changes in the tone of the nail plate, fragility appears, inflammation of the areas of the fingers close to the nails is observed, as well as thickening of the skin surrounding it.
Important! The pathological process must be diagnosed by a doctor, who will also tell you what folk remedies should be used to treat mycosis.
Causes of nail fungus.
Depending on the type of injury and its location, there are many causes. Nail fungus affects not only the feet, but also the hands. When one nail becomes infected, the lesion spreads to the other. This disease is contagious, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with the causes of its appearance on the arms and legs.
Walking
Mycosis is a public disease, since it is easier to get infected in places where it is widely used:
- Infection can occur in a swimming pool, sauna or bathhouse. In the shower, harmful microorganisms remain on the floor, changing tables and carpets. High humidity is the favorite environment for the life and reproduction of pathogenic fungi.
- At home in the bathroom. Even if a person does not visit swimming pools or wash in a public shower at work, this will not protect him from infection. If there is already a carrier of the infection in the family, the use of a towel, cloth and soap becomes the cause of family infection. Bath mats, shower grates, and an unwashed bathtub can also become a source of infection.
- In a pedicure session. Manicurists and pedicurists should sterilize their instruments after each use. If these rules are ignored, the client can become infected not only with a fungus, but also acquire additional skin problems.
- When trying on shoes. Not all stores and points of sale control the process of trying on shoes when purchasing them. When choosing a new pair, it is advisable to try it on with a sock, as this increases the likelihood of nail and skin problems in the form of fungus.
- When walking barefoot on the beach. Particles from the feet of infected patients remain in the sand, and by walking barefoot, a healthy person can contract onchymycosis.
In the hands
Before thinking about how to get rid of nail fungus with folk remedies, you should familiarize yourself with the causes of its appearance. The palm does not come into contact with the causative agent of the disease as often as the foot, so the routes of infection of the nail plate of the hands will be different. The most common include:
- disruption of the endocrine gland, presence of serious blood diseases that cause complications;
- increased level of sweat in the palms;
- long-term use of antibacterial agents or drugs against malignant tumors;
- the presence of chronic gastrointestinal diseases, which lead to a weakening of the body's resistance to various microorganisms;
- formation of damage during professional activities, household chores;
- manicure with non-sterile instruments.
How can adults and children get rid of fungus?
Depending on the form of the disease being treated, therapy may differ. At the first manifestations on the skin of the hands or feet, or on the nails of the extremities, you should consult the pediatrician if you are a child, the therapist or the dermatologist if you are an adult.
The specialist will prescribe the necessary medication. These include tablets and ointments. Additionally, many of them recommend home remedies for nail fungus. These methods are no less effective and help combat the problem, even if it is an advanced version.
Important! Therapy requires an integrated approach, because this greatly facilitates the removal of the lesion. Therefore, along with the listed methods, hardware treatment options are practiced.
Recipes for folk remedies.
Treatment of nail fungus with home remedies occurs after consulting a doctor. After diagnosis and tests, the specialist takes into account the patient's individual needs and prescribes appropriate medications. It is not worth practicing independent treatment, since ignorance of some of the characteristics of the disease and the presence of allergy to some components of the folk remedy or method will lead to complications.
Essence of vinegar and egg.
Vinegar and other acids destroy the microorganisms that cause fungal growth. Therefore, vinegar essence or 9% ordinary table vinegar is used quite often in the treatment. Baths with it can help even with advanced forms. They use it to make baths, lotions and prepare ointments. The most effective remedy with this component is an ointment that includes a buttered chicken egg. Make a homemade ointment:
- Wash an egg and place it in a container so that it does not touch the walls or peek out.
- Do not pour it with vinegar, but with vinegar essence (70%).
- Place it in a dark place for a couple of days, during which time the peel should completely dissolve.
- Remove the film from the resulting composition, and then mix it with the essence.
- Add a tablespoon of butter, beat.
Apply the mixture to the affected areas before going to bed. To enhance the effect, rewind with a bandage. Deal with it for at least a month and a half or until the problem is completely eliminated.
To prepare the second recipe, you will also need essence (1 tablespoon) with an egg, as well as dimethyl phthalate (1 teaspoon). Mix all the components and leave in a cold place for 24 hours. The resulting ointment can also be used before bedtime. After application, wear gloves or socks, depending on the location of the injury. The result after daily application of the composition should appear after 3-4 weeks.
Peroxide and vinegar
Fungal nail disease can also be treated with vinegar and peroxide. With this composition it is removed from the skin in 1 week. For the preparation, 3% hydrogen peroxide and the same vinegar are used. It is necessary to mix these solutions in equal quantities. If a 3% vinegar solution is not available, a 9% solution should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 3.
Before applying the resulting liquid, it is worth preparing the surface. You should wash your hand or foot with antibacterial soap and trim your nails, if any. Apply the solution with a cotton pad. Remove it from the nail plate only after stopping the hissing process characteristic of peroxide. Afterwards, wash your feet and hands and lubricate the affected areas with tea tree essential oil. Although this recipe is quite effective, it will take a month for your nails to grow back.
tea mushroom
Previously, kombucha was popular and found in almost every home. Despite its current irrelevance, it is an effective folk remedy in the fight against fungus. It has an antibacterial effect. For the first treatment option, not the liquid is used, but the fungus itself. A small piece is applied to the affected area, wrapped in a bandage or plastic bag. Leave it like this until it dries or in the morning. For preventive purposes, in addition to lotions, the kombucha liquid itself is also used. In addition to lotions, kombucha is used in other ways. To do this, it must be crushed and rubbed into the affected nails or skin of the feet or hands. Do this at least twice a day.
The next option involves the presence of a kombucha infusion for three months. The liquid in which the mushroom floats is also used as a solution for lotions. First you have to strain it and boil it for at least 40 minutes.
Important! It is not recommended to use this option for pregnant and lactating women, those who suffer from diabetes or alcoholism, since this mushroom contains alcohol.
Laundry soap treatment
Another homemade option to eliminate fungus is to use laundry soap. Although experts consider this option not very effective, it is still used as an auxiliary. Laundry soap has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
It helps soften the nail during baths, simplifying the subsequent nail treatment process. To enhance the effect, tar and vinegar are used along with soap. You can speed up the healing process by using the following options for using the product:
- wash your feet or hands with laundry soap 2 times a day (morning and evening);
- steam your feet with a small amount of grated laundry soap for at least 20 minutes (one tablespoon of soap per liter of hot water);
- soap your feet, wait 20 minutes.
After the presented manipulations, the skin and nail plates soften, which simplifies their processing.
Tar soap and birch tar
Birch tar and its derivatives, usually soap, are used to solve cosmetic problems. These include an increase in skin oil, the appearance of comedones and this also includes nail fungus. Previously, birch tar was used to eliminate skin lesions by lubricating the skin and nails with it. But before doing this, it is best to steam it in soapy water or another solution. After removing dead skin with a pumice stone, nail file or scissors, the tar is applied with a cotton swab and left for several hours without dressings.
In addition to using it in its pure form, you can prepare an ointment based on it. For this you need baby cream and tar. Mix in equal quantities. Use it also by applying on the required areas. Leave the ointment on for 2 hours, then wash your feet (hands) with warm water.
Another way to cure a fungal infection is to create a tar ointment. To prepare it you need badger fat or cream, powdered sulfur and tar. The mixture consists of two parts tar and one part fat and sulfur. Mix all this until smooth. To facilitate the process, heat in a water bath. Apply the resulting composition to the nails and cover with a plaster.
Home remedies to treat nail fungus involve the use of tar soap. With it, as with household items, you can make baths and lotions. It also has antibacterial properties. Tar soap and ointments based on it are effective products, but their main disadvantage is the specific smell, as well as some limitations.
Important! Soaps or ointments should not be used if the patient has sensitive or dry skin or has allergic symptoms.
Iodine solution against fungi.
Iodine is used to combat the proliferation of microorganisms on nails and skin. Helps eliminate unpleasant odor and itching. To obtain the effect of this remedy, it should be used systematically for one or two months.
To get rid of fungal infection, you need to take a 5% solution and apply it twice a day. They also make baths with it, adding it to hot water. The procedure lasts at least 15 minutes and then hydrogen peroxide is applied to the damaged nails.
Lotions are made with an iodine solution. To prepare you will need nitrofungin with garlic juice, iodine and vinegar essence. Mix everything in equal quantities, stir and apply on the steamed skin area overnight. In addition, with this composition you can easily remove the affected areas of the nails.
Important! After using files, scissors and other objects to remove the lesion, it is necessary to disinfect it. This is necessary to eliminate the possibility of reinfection.
Potassium permanganate solution
The easiest way to disinfect a surface is to treat it with potassium permanganate. This product can be used for both lotions and baths. The easiest way is to take a moistened cotton swab, dip it in manganese and treat the skin and nails.
- To prepare an antimicrobial bath you need half a liter of vinegar and 10 grams of manganese. Dilute all this in 10 liters of hot boiled water. Keep your feet or hands in this liquid for 20 minutes. Repeat the procedure until recovery occurs.
- For lotions, add half a teaspoon of liquid potassium permanganate to a glass of water. Add some lemon juice here. Moisten a napkin or cotton pad with this solution and apply it to the lesion. Put on a sock after bandaging the area. Keep the lotion on for at least a quarter of an hour.
Essential oil lotions
Traditional treatment methods are inexhaustible and everyone can choose a more effective option for themselves. Oils, essential or not, are used for various purposes, but they have also proven to be an effective solution to the fungal problem. Onychomycosis is eliminated using tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, mint, thymol and pine oil. Also castor oil, avocado oil, coconut oil.
The first lotion solution consists of a small amount of vinegar and eucalyptus oil. Leave the composition for three days and store it in a cool place after use. Lubricate the affected nail and skin with it. Use it until signs of the disease disappear. No less common is a mixture of two oils: tea tree and lemon. This composition will quickly return your nails to their previous state.
Important! The use of tea tree oil often causes darkening of the nail plate.
Table or sea salt baths and compresses.
The simplest and most effective remedy against fungus is sea or table salt. In addition to this, you will need iodine with soda, essential oils, garlic water and more. For the first bath, it is necessary to mix a glass of soda with a liter of water, two tablespoons of salt and an iodine solution.
The next option requires the use of essential oils, which have a calming effect and disinfectant properties. For 100 grams of salt you need 6 drops of oil. Chamomile, eucalyptus and juniper are suitable. Lotions are also made with salt. The solution requires a tablespoon of sea or table salt, as well as garlic juice. Dissolve all this in a glass of water. Apply to the nail surface and skin twice a day.
Important! Sea salt baths are effective even in advanced forms of the disease.
Mumiyo
This pharmaceutical drug is a means of wide application and action. Its rich composition allows you to eliminate the signs of onychomycosis. But its important disadvantage is that it can cause an allergic reaction. This remedy negatively affects the proliferation of fungi by activating various processes. They allow you to destroy pathogenic microorganisms without unnecessary pain and problems. This medicine allows you to restore the natural skin regeneration process, which leads to rapid healing of injuries on the leg and arm.
Economical and effective remedy.
The best remedy for the treatment of mycosis is the one that is ideal for a particular patient. If we talk about the initial form of the disease, then the simplest and most economical means are suitable for therapy. These include lotions with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and iodine solution. The best foot baths with hands are adding sea salt or regular table salt, also with the same potassium permanganate or iodine.
Despite their low cost and ease of preparation, the use of these options leads to rapid achievement of the effect. The more advanced the form, the less likely it is to eliminate the manifestations of the disease. In this case, you cannot do without the use of medications.
Important! When using folk remedies, the main condition is systematic use.
Reviews
After people notice the manifestations of the disease, they often do not go to the doctor for a consultation, but go to the forum and read reviews of those who have already solved their problem. This option is suitable if the patient has at least some knowledge about the treatment.
There is a lot of information and videos on the Internet on the topic of onychomycosis and its therapy. Each of them is effective in a specific case. If we are talking about an advanced form of the disease, the traditional treatment option will not work. Therefore, it is worth saying that we stop resorting to alternative medicine before an examination by a specialist is carried out.
Prevention of nail fungus.
A good method to eliminate onychomycosis is its prevention. The fight against the disease begins with the following recommendations:
- refusing to walk barefoot on the beach;
- use rubber slippers when using baths and showers in places of general use, saunas and baths;
- trying on shoes while shopping for socks;
- prefer socks made of cotton fabric;
- refuse someone else's shoes;
- do not use other people's personal hygiene items;
- keep your feet dry;
- monitor your state of health, since a fungal disease manifests itself against a background of general malaise.
Important! Compliance with preventive measures is also necessary after treatment, since after recovery the patient has an increased risk of relapse.
Conclusion: Folk remedies for the treatment of fungus on the nail plate are an effective method that even experienced specialists consider. Therefore, it is actively used not only at the first signs of the disease, but also in advanced forms of nail fungus. Watch the user's video: how to quickly get rid of nail fungus.