Often the fungus on the toenails appears in men, in women the hands are more susceptible to this disease. The medical name for this problem is onychomycosis. It usually starts with the big toe. Only with the defeat of a nail can not be sure that the infection does not spread. And that's why you want to bare your legs when you are visiting or in the summer. Often, you have to hold back and, feeling uncomfortable, wait for the problem to evaporate on its own.
Regardless of the type of fungus causing nail disease, it will manifest similar symptoms and require the same treatment. Due to the fact that fungal nail infection is not life-threatening, most patients are not in a hurry with treatment, considering the problem to be only cosmetic. This approach is fundamentally wrong, because due to prolonged exposure to the fungus, the immunity begins to suffer, and this opens the door to many diseases.
When the first symptoms of nail fungus appear, therapy with the use of medications or home remedies should be started. Both are very effective, and therefore the patient must decide for himself which method of treatment he prefers.
How to get rid of the problem?
It is worth noting that the fungus is difficult to treat, so it is extremely important to first determine the degree of the disease and its causes. Most of the time, the problem lies in the environment. A fungal disease can occur as a result of prolonged wearing of closed shoes in a period of warm weather at a time of high humidity. In addition, prolonged stay in the pool can cause damage to the nails.
There is a high probability of getting this attack in people with reduced immunity who have problems with blood circulation. Also, diabetics and housewives who are constantly in contact with water while cleaning the apartment and washing dishes may be at risk.
It is not difficult to understand that the nail is affected by fungal bacteria. You just have to look at its color. It usually takes on a yellowish tint, but in some cases it can even be black, brown, or gray. The nail becomes denser and rougher. A progressive infection causes it to stop growing and may fall off. Meanwhile, the skin becomes red, itchy and swollen.
Before treating the disease, the cause of the disease, adverse influencing factors must be eliminated.
Important!You should not walk barefoot in public places where there is a high probability of getting an infection.
You can remove the infection in different ways. At the moment, both drug treatment and traditional medicine are used in practice. It happens that a particular ointment may not be suitable for a person, its use may not give a positive result, but the skin on the legs will perfectly respond to inexpensive herbal treatment. Also, not everyone can use medication. Many medications have contraindications. Pregnant women, for example, should avoid taking medications.
Sometimes doctors purposely offer patients to combine traditional medicine with medication.
The use of folk remedies
The most popular and effective traditional medicine in the fight against fungal infection are:
- iodine;
- vinegar;
- tea fungus;
- sea salt;
- potassium permanganate;
- ammonia;
- boric acid;
- tea tree oil;
- propolis tincture.
Folk remedies are mainly used in cases where there is a danger of using drugs that can cause an allergic reaction and are not suitable for everyone. The main thing is to know in what proportions to use them.
It is very important not to start treatment, otherwise the nails will not only look ugly, but also have such consequences as skin diseases, hypersensitivity to allergens, mucosal diseases, and inflammation of internal organs. What happens is that the fungus is very toxic and all members of the family are at risk, especially if the household has the habit of changing slippers.
Not many people manage to get rid of this problem with folk remedies, but it is enough to remember the usual disinfecting tinctures or decoctions.
use of iodine
Iodine has long been used in self-healing processes. It is also capable of relieving skin conditions, including fungal infections. It can be used in its pure form. It is only necessary to pre-clean the skin under the nail and wipe it with iodine at the site of infection. No bandages are needed after this. The iodine should evaporate on its own. Usually this takes a few minutes. So you can wait. Otherwise, you may get a chemical burn.
Important!People with individual intolerance to iodine are not recommended to use it in the treatment of any disease.
If someone does not know how his body reacts to this substance, a painless experiment can be carried out at home. Apply a few drops of iodine to the crease of the elbow and monitor the reaction of the skin. Obviously, if the hand in the crease starts to get red or stained, then you shouldn't use iodine at all.
You can prepare a special antifungal mixture, which contains iodine, table vinegar and glycerin. These ingredients must be mixed in equal parts and proportionally add 2 times more boiled water. Now you can start stretching your legs and rubbing the antifungal mixture on the sore nail. These actions must be repeated for ten days.
vinegar treatment
Vinegar is the most popular antifungal agent among people. Even for the prevention of such diseases, doctors recommend cleaning the inside of shoes. You just need to moisten a cotton swab in vinegar, put it in the shoes, which need to be folded in a plastic bag, and send the shoes in this form to the cloakroom for a day. Then you can get it, air it out and walk easy.
You can treat infected skin areas with vinegar. To begin with, the nails should be thoroughly washed and cleaned with a file, then the toes should be wiped with a cloth dipped in vinegar. A sore nail should be covered with a bandage so that the vinegar evaporates freely.
Before using vinegar, it is necessary to test the personal tolerance of this remedy. You literally have to apply a drop of vinegar to the skin area and watch the body's reaction.
How to use propolis tincture?
Traditional medicine recipes are gentle on the human body, so people resort to them even before going to the clinic. Propolis has antiseptic qualities and can be purchased as an ointment, oil, or tincture.
When it comes to nail fungus, the main thing is to be patient, because this is a long process. You can prepare a special foot bath with the addition of propolis. A tablespoon of tincture in a small container of water will suffice. The legs should be steamed for 10 minutes. Then you need to get rid of the keratinized skin and put a cap of propolis on the sore finger, which you can mold yourself from softened propolis.
Important!In the process of treating nail fungus, you should pay more attention to personal hygiene and wear clean socks every day.
The use of boric acid
Boric acid has a disinfecting effect. She has to be as careful as possible. Treatment with this drug should be short-term, since a person can be poisoned by a large accumulation of a substance in the blood. It is not suitable for all people. It can be used in both liquid and dry form. There are several ways to treat this substance.
- It is necessary to pour 30 grams of powder into a container of water, the temperature of which does not exceed 60 degrees. The feet should be steamed for about 15 minutes and then wiped with a towel. This procedure should be performed no more than once every 4 days.
- It is necessary to moisten a cotton swab in a 3% solution of this acid and apply it to the sore finger for a couple of minutes.
- You can sprinkle boric acid powder on the nail and then put on a sock.
fungal medications
Now manufacturers are working on the release of therapeutic fungal ointments, creams. Also, do not forget to take medical tablets and varnishes of the latest generation, which are used only once for 3-6 days.
Important!Without consulting a doctor, it is better not to self-medicate with drugs, since there are contraindications for certain groups of people.
There are many drugs on the pharmacy counter, but how suitable are they for your problem? There is still some work to be done here. If the fungus appeared recently, it will be easier to get rid of it.
disease prevention
In order not to get such an infection, you just need to keep your feet clean and follow the rules of personal hygiene. You should also listen to the opinion of people who advise:
- do not use other people's scissors when doing a manicure;
- do not go to the gym or take a shower without shoes;
- wear cotton socks that allow your feet to breathe;
- do not wear tight shoes;
- do not walk with wet shoes for a long time, if you are "lucky" to get caught in the rain.
In principle, there are no special measures to prevent this scourge. You just need to wash your feet more often, wash your socks.
