A fungus on the legs, the treatment of which at home can be delayed in time, appears in every fifth person. In most cases, this pathology does not threaten the patient's life, but causes a lot of discomfort. If the rules of personal hygiene are not followed, the red trichophyton fungus infects the foot. Often, candida settles in the colonies of this microorganism. As a result of the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, toxic toxins are produced, which are carried by the bloodstream throughout the body. They disrupt metabolism and increase the body's sensitivity to external negative factors.
It is necessary to understand in more detail how to treat a fungus on the legs at home in order to quickly get rid of this problem.
How to distinguish a fungus from other diseases?
Before starting treatment, it is important to make sure that the feet are actually affected by the fungus and not by another infection. As a rule, infection with this microorganism is accompanied by dryness and peeling of the feet. In some cases, the skin may become red and scales will appear between the folds. If a person suffers from excessive sweating, diaper rash can occur. They are often accompanied by itchy blisters and calluses.
Particular attention should be paid to the color and shape of the nails. Fungal spores tend to penetrate deep below the nail plate. First, yellow stripes appear on the nails, over time, the latter begin to crack and lose color. Then voids or a crumbling mixture form under the nail. All this is usually accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
If a person has found these signs in himself, treatment should be started immediately. At this stage, the infection is much easier to cure. A course of antifungal therapy will be enough to get rid of this problem.
If the fungus is ignored, it can turn into mycosis. It can interfere with movement, sometimes due to the pathology that has arisen in a person, the body temperature can rise. In some cases, a neglected fungus can lead to the development of psoriasis or eczema.
Treatment of nail fungus at home should still be started only after consulting a specialist. The dermatologist will tell you which baths and ointments should be used to eliminate the pathology.
Since the treatment of foot fungus with folk remedies involves the use of products of animal and plant origin, it is imperative to pass all the tests that eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction.
Methods for treating nail fungus at home
Treatment of foot fungus at home should begin with disinfection. At the same time, it is necessary to disinfect not only the affected areas of the skin, but also all items for foot care, shoes, clothes and the bathroom. Lack of regular disinfection nullifies the effectiveness of treatment, contributes to the infection of other family members with this disease.
To disinfect the skin, you can use Australian tea tree oil. It perfectly eliminates the inflammatory processes provoked by the fungus, moisturizes and softens dry skin. Tea tree oil should be rubbed into the damaged areas 2 times a day for 1-2 months. The constant use of this natural component will help to forget forever not only about the fungus, but also about cracks and calluses.
It is recommended to boil clothes with the addition of detergents. For 5 liters of boiling water, you need to take 1 tsp. soda and ¼ bar of laundry soap. If possible, it is advisable to completely get rid of old socks.
Shoes should be regularly treated with 40% acetic acid. With a cotton swab dipped in the substance, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the entire internal area of the shoe. Then the used discs should be thrown away and the new ones should be soaked in acetic acid again, placed in a boot or shoe and tied with a plastic bag. It is advisable to do this at night so that by morning the entire infection has been destroyed. It is better to wash the insoles periodically. This will help get rid of pathogenic microflora that lives in shoes.
There is no less fungus in the bathroom than on shoes and clothes. Tiles and all interior elements must be cleaned regularly with chlorinated water. You can add a little washing powder to it. Make sure all surfaces are dry and free of moisture. It is recommended to constantly ventilate the bathroom to prevent fungal growth.
Scissors, brushes and other cosmetic items used for nail and foot treatment should be immersed in alcohol. If the composition of the metal allows it, you can disinfect them with fire.
All methods of treating nail fungus will be in vain if you do not adhere to the rules of personal hygiene and do not disinfect.
foot baths
Home remedies for toenail fungus can be applied topically (rubbed into the skin) or taken in baths. This is the most common way to treat this disease. It will not only help disinfect the skin and nail surface, but also relieve fatigue and swelling. It is best to do foot baths at night. Immediately after this procedure, you need to wrap the limbs in a clean towel and go to bed. Toilets will be meaningless if, for example, immediately after them a person puts on his shoes and goes to work.
It is required to consider several proven recipes for foot water treatments that will eliminate the fungus. The most common way is a bath with salt and soda. To prepare it, you need to mix these components in hot water in equal proportions and place the limbs in a container for 30 minutes. As the water cools, add hot water. After such a bath, the feet should be rinsed with a cool, clean liquid.
Mustard and potassium permanganate baths are also popular. To prepare them, you need to take:
- 0. 5 teaspoon potassium permanganate;
- 1stcrushed laundry soap;
- 1styosoda;
- 2 tbsp. yomustard
All these components must be mixed in 5 liters of warm water. It is necessary to lower the legs in a container with the composition for 20 minutes, then rinse them with warm liquid and dry them with a clean towel. This procedure can be done daily until the symptoms of a fungal infection are completely gone.
Every day you can soak your feet in a bath of sea salt (100 g per 5 liters of water). For a greater effect, you can add 4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar.
An effective home remedy for nail fungus is a milkweed bath. To prepare it, you need to grind 100 g of leaves and stems of this plant, pour the resulting dry mixture into 3 liters of hot water. In such a mixture, the legs should be kept for about 30 minutes, constantly maintaining the temperature of the liquid. You should not do this procedure every day, it is enough to raise your legs in this way 2-3 times a week, and after 1-2 months there will be no trace of the fungus.
Lotions and compresses
Home remedies for toe fungus can be rubbed on the damaged skin regularly. Often onion juice or horsetail herbal tea is used for this purpose. This procedure is painless, it is recommended to cleanse the skin with medication 3-4 times a day, in order to forget about the fungus forever in a month.
You can prepare a special alcohol tincture from lilac flowers. 10 mg of raw materials should be poured with 100 mg of alcohol and allowed to stand for 10 days. With this solution you need to lubricate the damaged areas of the skin and nails for a week.
It is good to make compresses from alcohol tinctures. The easiest way is to add 1 glass of warm water 1 tbsp. ammonia. This mixture should be soaked well with gauze and placed on the affected area of the foot. Then the leg must be wrapped in polyethylene and wrapped in a towel. Instead of the latter, you can use ordinary warm socks. Such a compress should be done at night, 2-3 times a week until complete recovery.
An alcohol tincture of propolis has also been shown to be an excellent antifungal agent. You need to clean the affected nail daily for 2 months. The result will be noticeable after the first 2 weeks: the diseased nail plate will gradually begin to peel off, and a healthy nail will appear in its place.
Garlic is often used in the fight against fungus. It must be finely grated and mixed with melted butter in equal proportions. This mass must be prepared immediately before application to the skin, do not store it for a long time. The resulting suspension should be applied to sore spots every day for 2 weeks.
You can prepare a therapeutic mixture of peroxide. For this you need:
- 0. 5 cups of quenched soda;
- 4 glasses of hot water;
- ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide (3%);
- 0. 5 cup of magnesium sulfate;
- ¼ cup of vinegar.
All components, except vinegar, must be well mixed. Vinegar should be added last. It is necessary to impregnate a cotton ball with this therapeutic solution and apply it to the surface of the nail affected by the fungus. You can stick it with adhesive. It is desirable to apply such a bandage every 10 hours for 1 month.
At night, it is recommended to make novocaine lotions. It is enough to moisten a cotton swab in the preparation and apply at night on a sore spot. You can use such lotions no more than 2 times a week until the symptoms of the disease completely disappear.
antifungal ointments
If a person has started the disease and does not know how to cure the fungus of the skin of the legs at home, in order to avoid surgery, it is recommended to prepare a tar ointment. It is necessary to mix in equal proportions a pure substance, powdered yellow sulfur and burnt blue vitriol. The finished mass must be boiled. Then it should be cooled and smeared with sore spots until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Acetic ointment will help to overcome the fungus. To prepare it, you need to mix:
- 70% acetic acid;
- dimethyl phthalate;
- glycerol;
- olive oil.
During the preparation of the ointment, you must adhere to the proportions 2: 1: 1: 1. The components do not need to be heat-treated, just mix them well. On the affected areas, vinegar ointment should be applied with a cotton swab, kept for about 8 hours, and then carefully removed with washing soap. It is recommended to apply the drug to sore spots at night.
It will be possible to cure the fungus with the help of celandine ointment. For its preparation you will need:
- 5 drops of celandine juice;
- 2 drops of oregano juice;
- 2 drops of calendula tincture.
- 4 tablespoons yowater.
All components must be well mixed. This ointment should be treated with nails and affected skin 3 times a day.