Onychomycosis (nail fungus) is one of the most common infections on our planet. She watches over us in the bathhouse, in the pool, in the beauty salon during the pedicure procedure, on the beach and during the fitting in the shoe store. The disease develops rapidly and very soon affects not only the nail plates, but also the skin areas surrounding them. It is important not to miss the onset of the disease, when you can still treat nail fungus with folk remedies.
Therapy of fungal diseases in general, and onychomycosis in particular, is still one of the most complex and unresolved problems in medicine. Every third inhabitant of our planet suffers from this disease (according to WHO).
Symptoms of disease
Don't notice thisdisease is impossible even in the earliest stages of development. This greatly facilitates the diagnosis and allows you to start treatment of pathology in a timely manner. First of all, the color of the nail begins to change: from pale pink, it turns into yellow, brown, and sometimes black. Other typical symptoms of this disease include:
- skin itching around the nail;
- grooves, spots or inclusions on the nail plate;
- soreness;
- delaminating the nail;
- putrid smell;
- departure of the plate from the nail bed;
- white plaque appears on the soft tissues under the nail plate.
How does infection happen?
Nail fungus is possible in people with weakened immune systems and with age-related skin changes. Significantly increases the risk of catching an infection in patients suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland. At the first sign of infection, you should immediately consult a doctor to establish a diagnosis and start treatment. Otherwise, the infection will capture other areas. All family members of an infected person are at risk. For the period of treatment, it is necessary to abandon walking on the floor barefoot. It is necessary to strictly observe simple rules of hygiene while taking a shower (rinse the bathroom well after yourself, use a personal towel).
Is it possible to get rid of nail fungus with folk remedies?
This is a very common question. Yes, in the early stages of the disease, this is not difficult to do. The situation is much worse with a running form, whenillness can seriously harm he alth:
- weaken immunity;
- cause an allergic reaction;
- provoke exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Healers and healers know how to treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. Of course, it will not be possible to quickly (in a couple of days) eliminate the problem, but there will still be a positive result. Traditional medicine is divided into two groups:
- for internal use - teas, tinctures, decoctions;
- for external use - solutions, compresses, ointments.
When you combine these methods, you can get rid of the disease and restore he alth. How is the treatment of nail fungus at home with folk remedies, we will describe further.
Preparations based on celandine
This plant is well known not only to specialists in the field of herbal medicine, but also to ordinary citizens: in the spring, many have seen small bushes covered with small yellow flowers near houses and along roadsides. But not everyone knows that the plant has a disinfectant and wound healing property. It is also used to treat nail fungus. Most often, celandine is used in the form of a tincture. The pure juice of the plant can also be used.
Fresh juice
The simplest way to use celandine is to lubricate the damaged nail plate and cuticle three times a day with plant juice. Treatment continues for a week.
Vodkatincture
Rinse well and dry the celandine grass, chop it and place it in a glass container. Fill raw materials with vodka (1:2). Close the jar tightly and put it in a dark place for two weeks. The tincture is taken according to the scheme: the first three days - 3 drops, diluting them in ½ cup of water. Then every day the dosage is increased by 1 drop. When it reaches 20 drops, it is also gradually reduced to three.
Celandine and calendula
How else can you cure toenail fungus? Folk remedies, for example celandine and calendula, are very effective in combating this pathology. To a teaspoon of celandine juice, add two drops of tincture of calendula and oregano. In the resulting mixture, add 4 tbsp. l. water. The composition is applied to the affected nail plate three times a day.
Vinegar in the treatment of fungus
Healers claim that vinegar can help cure nail fungus. Folk remedies based on it can be different. Next, consider a few popular recipes.
Vinegar Essence
Treat the affected nail plate with 70% acetic acid. However, this rather aggressive method is not suitable for people with disorders in the work of the heart and blood vessels, suffering from allergic reactions to this substance, hypertension.
Egg and vinegar
Perhaps, this is the most common folk method of treating nail fungus, which allows you to get rid of the pathology quickly. For the manufacture of the drug, you will need apple cider vinegar and a chicken egg, preferably homemade. Pour vinegar into a glass jar with a capacity of 200 ml, dip into itegg and put in a dark place. When the egg is completely dissolved, remove the film remaining after it, pour the resulting mixture into another glass container, add a spoonful of butter (a teaspoon) and mix thoroughly.
Spread out your legs, apply the product to the affected areas, cover with a bandage folded several times on top, wrap with plastic wrap and secure. After 12-14 hours, the nail will rise and soften. It must be cut with pre-disinfected scissors. The procedures are repeated until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Ointment
Mix one part glycerin, dimethyl phthalate, olive oil with two parts acetic acid (70%). The ointment is applied to the affected nails for 8-10 hours. It is recommended to carry out the procedure before going to bed.
Foot baths
In water heated to 50 ° C, add table vinegar (200 ml). Its level should reach the ankles. In this solution, legs soar for a quarter of an hour. The procedure is carried out three times a week.
Using iodine
Many are interested in how to quickly treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. At the beginning of the article, we said that it is possible to achieve a positive result only at the initial stage of the disease. Onychomycosis can be treated with ordinary iodine. This is an affordable but painful procedure that is best done over the weekend.
Steam well and dry your feet. Lubricate infected nail plates with iodine, bury it in cracks until it stops being absorbed. Throughfor some time you will feel a strong burning sensation, which should be endured. If the discomfort becomes unbearable, dip your feet into a basin of cold water. At the beginning of the disease, one procedure is enough to cure.
Baking soda
In the treatment of onychomycosis, folk methods are often used. How to treat nail fungus with baking soda? The powder is used for warm baths at the rate of two tablespoons (tablespoons) per three liters of water. To make the procedure more effective, add half a spoon (tea) of laundry soap grated to the water. The procedure lasts at least a quarter of an hour. Upon completion, the feet should not be wiped: let them dry naturally. Then you need to put on cotton socks. For a complete cure, such procedures should be carried out after three days within a month.
Essential oils
Many people say that if the disease is running, it is quite difficult to cure toenail fungus with folk remedies. Healers believe that essential oils do a good job of this task. They are compared in terms of impact with expensive antifungal medications. In addition to the antifungal effect, oils have numerous beneficial properties:
- purifying;
- regenerating;
- anti-inflammatory;
- bactericidal.
Essential oils destroy not only fungus cells, but also restore the normal state of the nail plate. These nail fungus treatments are used in a variety of treatments:
- Compresses. Heat tea tree oil to 30 ° C and dilute it with two teaspoons (teaspoons) of warm water. Soak a cotton pad in the resulting composition and fix it on the nail plate for an hour. After the procedure, it will become soft and elastic, which will allow you to cut it.
- Baths. Pour three liters of hot water into the basin, drip ylang-ylang essential oil, add rosemary or lavender (10 drops). Dip clean feet in the solution for a quarter of an hour. After the procedure, wrap your feet with a warm towel for a quarter of an hour.
- Pure use. In the absence of allergic reactions to the oil, it can be used to lubricate the nail plate, previously steamed in hot water with 72% laundry soap. Soak a cotton swab in oil and lubricate the affected nails. It should not be washed off.
Propolis tincture
There are many folk treatments for nail fungus. A universal and safe remedy is propolis, more precisely, its alcohol tincture. The drug has fungicidal, wound healing and bacteriostatic properties.
When onychomycosis, propolis does not allow the pathogen to multiply. Judging by the reviews, itching and inflammation disappear after just a few procedures. Gradually, the affected nail is replaced by a he althy one. There are several ways to treat pathology with propolis:
- On the affected nail, previously steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate, a piece of propolis is applied for half an hour. The procedure should be carried out for a month twice a day.
- Moisten with alcohol solution(20%) propolis cotton pad and attach it to the nail plate, covering the top with dry cotton. At the end of the procedure, bandage your finger. The bandage can be removed after a day and the softened nail can be removed.
Kombucha
The healing properties of this unique remedy are used in the treatment of many infectious diseases. You can use this folk remedy to treat nail fungus. Use it like this:
- separate a thin layer from the fungus, soak for an hour in water, then apply a piece to each affected nail;
- cover the compress with plastic wrap and put on a woolen sock;
- leave the compress overnight.
The procedure, during which burning and itching may be felt, is repeated every two days until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Garlic
Many patients are interested in what folk remedies can treat nail fungus. Many of the remedies are always in every home. For example, garlic, which is no less effective than special antifungal drugs.
- Pour a clove of garlic with a glass of apple cider vinegar in a glass dish with a lid and put it in a dark place for two weeks. The finished composition is applied to the nails affected by the fungus in the evening, a gauze bandage is applied on top and left until the morning. Treatment continues until the symptoms of the pathology disappear.
- Juice must be squeezed out of five cloves of garlic. It should be diluted in 30 ml of boiled water. This remedy is used to lubricate sore nails, whichmust first be steamed and dried.
Hydrogen peroxide
How to quickly treat nail fungus with folk remedies? Traditional healers claim that there are methods that help get rid of the disease in a very short time. These include preparations based on hydrogen peroxide. It can be used in many ways and in various combinations:
- Mixture of several funds. Dissolve 1/2 cup vinegar-slaked baking soda, 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, and 1/2 cup magnesium sulfate in four cups of water. Fix a cotton swab soaked in this composition on the affected nail with a patch. The bandage remains on the affected area for 10 hours. Then it is replaced with a new one. Treatment continues for 10 days.
- Peroxide and Vinegar Mix equal parts peroxide and 6% vinegar. The fingers are dipped into this mixture and held until it sizzles. Then the feet are washed with warm water, and tea tree oil, mixed in equal parts with petroleum jelly, is applied to dry nails. This procedure should be carried out daily for a week.
Novocaine
Yes, this is not quite a folk remedy, but it would be wrong not to mention it within the framework of this article. Cotton swabs are moistened with novocaine and fixed on diseased nails. Some patients claim that in such a simple way, you can get rid of the fungus in just two procedures.
Herbs
How else can you treat nail fungus? Folk remedies based on herbs and medicinal plants have a disinfectant andanti-inflammatory action.
Recipes:
- Mix equal parts wormwood leaves, burdock and chamomile flowers. Pour one tablespoon (tablespoon) of the collection with a glass of boiling water. After 20 minutes, when the composition has cooled slightly, dip your fingers in it for 15-20 minutes.
- Chamomile flowers, oak bark and calendula should be taken in equal proportions. Pour three tablespoons of the collection with boiling water (one liter). Let the composition brew for half an hour. Then add a tablespoon of sea s alt to the broth. Dip your feet into it. The procedure continues for a quarter of an hour.
- Blackberry leaves, verbena grass, horsetail, calendula flowers and oak bark are crushed and mixed in equal parts. Pour boiling water (200 ml) over one spoon (tea) of the collection. Send the container with the herbal mixture for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. Strain, cool and moisten cotton pads with the resulting broth. They are applied in the form of lotions to sore nails at night.
- Burdock leaf gently beat off with a spoon so that juice comes out on it. Pieces of the sheet are applied to the nail plate, the finger is bandaged and the sock is put on. The bandage should be changed every 12 hours. Continue treatment for 10 days.
- The leaves of Kalanchoe and the golden mustache must be ground to a mushy state. The mass is applied to the infected surface and fixed with a bandage. In the morning, the bandage should be removed and the feet washed with warm water. Treatment continues until symptoms disappear.
- Pour 150 ml of vodka with 10-15 g of lilac flowers. Raw materials are infused for two weeks in a dark place. Ready tincture twice a daywipe the damaged nail plate for a week.
A fungus in a neglected form
If the nail is completely yellowed, does not adhere tightly to the nail bed, crumbles, the nail folds turn red, hurt - this means that the nail fungus is running. It is inexpedient and ineffective to treat this form of pathology with folk remedies. In this case, alternative medicine is used only as an additional drug treatment.
Affected nails are washed with tar soap at night. Sprinkle with s alt on top and bandage with a sterile bandage. In the morning, the bandage is removed and the feet are washed with warm water. Repeat the procedures for at least a week.
Disease prevention
If you are against traditional medicine or for some reason cannot purchase pharmacy drugs, you can try to cope with the disease with folk remedies. In this case, it is necessary to treat nail fungus when the first symptoms of the disease are detected.
No less important is the prevention of this pathology. The causative agents of onychomycosis are inert to conventional disinfectants. Powders, soap, detergents do not affect the viability of spores. In this regard, nail fungus is a dangerous disease, its treatment at home is quite difficult, and preventive measures are often ineffective.
Nevertheless, elementary preventive rules must be followed:
- Do not use other people's hygiene items. This rule must also be observed in the family circle, since, judging byaccording to medical statistics, more than 60% of infections occur at home.
- Disinfect the bathroom and sanitize the rugs.
- Use a 5% chloramine solution on bed linens and washcloths used by the sick person.
- Change stockings or socks daily. The spores of the fungus migrate to the fabric, and it will be possible to get rid of them only by boiling, and this is not always possible.
- After visiting the pool, treat nails and feet with a 40% solution of urotropine.
- Dry or sweaty skin is the perfect breeding ground for infection. Doctors have proven the high effectiveness of boric acid, hexamine, talc, helping to cope with excessive dryness or sweating of the feet.
If the treatment of fungus with alternative medicine does not give a positive result, you should consult a doctor who knows exactly how to cure nails with medicines.
Folk treatment of nail fungus: patient reviews and doctors' opinions
Many people claim that they managed to completely get rid of this pathology using only folk remedies, the recipes of which are given in this material. True, they all claim that they managed to achieve a positive result, because the treatment was started after the first symptoms of the disease were detected.
Doctors are not so optimistic. They believe that treating nail fungus with folk remedies is not always safe. The fact is that many of them are quite aggressive, and doctors have often had to deal withthe consequences of their uncontrolled use - burns, inflammation, etc.
Therefore, doctors recommend that if you suspect a fungus, consult a doctor, do a scraping, identify the susceptibility of the pathogen to various drugs, and then begin treatment. If in your case the doctor considers it possible to treat nail fungus with folk methods, he will include effective remedies in the complex therapy.
