Healthy skin and nails are a source of pride for every person. But what if the infection has damaged their appearance? The answer is simple: destroy the infection! One of the causes of diseases that spoil the outer skin is fungus. Over many centuries, people have learned to fight against it using available natural remedies.
The favorite habitats of fungi on the human body are the feet, fingernails and toenails. The pathogen multiplies in a warm, moist, alkaline environment, so it can rarely be found on the hands. The infection is spread from person to person, and the infection often occurs in places such as baths, saunas and swimming pools. Another way of infection is through common objects (shoes, towels).
In medicine, skin fungus is called mycosis, and if the pathogen has settled on the nails, then they speak of onychomycosis. Fungal disease is not easy to cure. If the disease is not diagnosed early, it may take months of hard work to fight it. For the treatment of fungi, all means are good - both drugs and folk recipes.
Nail fungus can also be cured with folk remedies, provided that the root part of the nail (matrix) and the nail bed are not affected. Deep penetration of the fungus into the tissue requires treatment with systemic drugs.
Signs that indicate nail fungus:
- thickening and discoloration of the nail plate;
- looseness of the outer layer of the nail;
- fragility and splitting of nails;
- redness, itching and burning of nail folds;
- unpleasant smell from the nail.
If any of these symptoms appear on your nail, be sure to see a doctor. A dermatologist or mycologist diagnoses and treats fungal diseases.
Forums often discuss which folk remedies can cure nail fungus. People share successful ways to get rid of nail fungus or complain that such and such a remedy did not help.
Among the most effective means for removing fungus are the following:
- apple or table vinegar;
- celandine;
- iodine;
- tea mushroom;
- garlic and onions;
- coffee.
How to quickly cure nail fungus?
Timely and properly selected treatment can help to quickly get rid of nail fungus.
If you do not want to be treated with drugs and opt for traditional medicine, in any case consult your doctor.
Each of the medicines of traditional medicine can help one person, but will be useless to another.
Therefore, for fast and effective treatment of onychomycosis, diagnosis and consultation in a medical institution is necessary.
How to get rid of nail fungus?
The causative agent of the disease can be destroyed or eradicated by external treatments: baths, poultices, applications. Fungi thrive in a moist, alkaline environment, and an acidic environment is harmful to them, so products like vinegar and lemon are effective. Plants with strong bactericidal properties also fight well against fungi.
Traditional treatment of toenail fungus: effective recipes
Vinegar. A universal remedy for the treatment of fungi, even if they affect more than half of the nail. You can use both table and apple cider vinegar. If the nail plate is slightly damaged, make a bath with 9% vinegar in the amount of 1 part to 8 parts of water.
The procedure must be repeated every other day.
Folk recipes for nail fungus often include vinegar as a component of the medicinal mixture. For example, a dressing made of vinegar, eggs and vodka. The mixture is well stored in the refrigerator and used as needed.How to do it:
- Pour 2 spoons of vinegar essence and vodka into the bowl, add three egg whites, mix everything well.
- Soak a thin strip of bandage or cotton swab in the resulting mixture and apply it to the inflamed nail for 15 minutes.
- Repeat daily until a new nail grows.
A similar recipe with vinegar has the following composition:
- essence of vinegar - 1 teaspoon;
- dimethyl phthalate - 1 teaspoon;
- vegetable oil - 1 teaspoon;
- egg - 1 pc.
The bandages are put on for a few hours, and then the feet are washed with running water. Do this once a day for 4 days with the same rest interval. Treatment according to this recipe continues until a healthy nail grows.
Iodine. It is good to use in the early stages of the disease. It is recommended to smear the affected nail with iodine twice a day for 20 days. A slight burning sensation should not be alarming, but if severe pain occurs, iodine should be diluted with water.
Garlic. The medicinal agent is used in the form of an alcoholic tincture, mash or juice. There are many recipes of garlic, because this medicine is very effective in the fight against fungi. The simplest is a compress of crushed garlic at night. Fresh paste is applied to the nail and secured with a bandage. If treatment wraps are not acceptable for some reason, then you can lubricate the nail with garlic juice.
Plants such as euphorbia, celandine, tea tree oil, kalanchoe, chamomile, calendula, orena leaves are successful in the folk treatment of toenail fungus.
Spurge. This herb is popularly used to treat eczema, fungus, warts and festering wounds. To fight fungus, it is necessary to lubricate the nail plates with milkweed juice twice a day. The treatment period usually does not exceed three weeks.
Celandine. It has proven to be an excellent tool for fighting fungi in various stages of the disease. It should be used with caution, as the plant is poisonous. Pharmaceutical tincture of celandine is applied to nails affected by fungus or added to foot baths.
You can prepare a bath decoction from fresh or dried celandine. It is good to add other components in equal parts: oak bark, calendula, chamomile. You can add a couple of spoons of sea salt to the hot bath along with the broth.
Coffee for nail fungus- An excellent medicine to fight disease. Natural freshly prepared coffee is used for treatment. How to treat:
- Brew the coffee, after it is brewed, pour it into a warm bath and immerse your feet in it for 15 minutes.
- After steaming your feet in the bath, apply coffee grounds to the affected areas of the nails and skin, massage, clean the nails of dead tissue.
- Repeat daily and after 5-7 days the skin and nails will be smooth and the fungus will disappear.
General recommendations for the treatment of nail fungus
- Regardless of which folk remedy for nail fungus you choose, you must prepare your nails for treatment. Before applying an antifungal agent, make a warm foot bath with baking soda, salt, or laundry soap. This procedure is necessary to soften the nails in order to remove the affected surface and subsequent treatment with the selected product.
After the foot bath, use manicure tools (tweezers, files, brushes) to clean the top layer of the affected area as much as possible. Do not use the same tools on infected and healthy nails.
Important!
It is recommended to take such baths before each new application of the drug. If the treatment involves making wraps or applications several times a day, then it is not necessary to treat the nails so often. It is enough once every 1-3 days, depending on the degree of nail fungus damage.
- During the treatment, carefully maintain foot hygiene. You can't let your feet sweat or tight shoes rub your feet. In this case, the infection will spread more actively to healthy nails and areas of the feet. Wear shoes that are as light and relaxed as possible. If your feet sweat a lot, change your socks several times a day. Clothes or towels that have come into contact with infected nails and skin need to be boiled or disinfected with special means.
- For those who live in the same apartment with a person who has nail fungus, you must carefully follow the rules of hygiene. You can't just use foot care products. Before bathing in a shared shower or bathtub, the surfaces of the water installations should be thoroughly cleaned with household products. Wash your nails with tar soap - this is an excellent prevention against fungus.
- If the folk treatment of toenail fungus does not bring the desired effect, do not try them all one by one, consult a doctor. The advanced form of the disease is much more difficult to cure, so only a specialist can properly prescribe an effective treatment.