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 causative agents of diseases that spoil the external skin is a fungus. Over the centuries, people have learned to fight it using available natural remedies.
The favorite habitats of the fungus on the human body are the feet, fingers and toenails. The pathogen multiplies in a warm, humid alkaline environment, so it is rarely found on hands. The infection spreads from person to person, and infection often occurs in places such as bathrooms, saunas, and swimming pools. Another way of contagion is through common objects (shoes, towels).
In medicine, the skin fungus is called mycosis, and if the pathogen has settled on the nails, it is called onychomycosis. The fungal disease is not easy to cure. If the disease is not diagnosed early, it may take months of hard work to fight it. To treat mushrooms, all means are good: both medicines and folk recipes.
Nail fungus can 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 tissues requires treatment with systemic drugs.
Signs that indicate nail fungus:
- thickening and discoloration of the nail plate;
- loosening of the outer layer of the nail;
- fragility and breakage of the nail;
- redness, itching and burning of the nail fold;
- unpleasant odor 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.
In the forums, it is often discussed which folk remedies can cure nail fungus. People share effective ways to get rid of nail fungus or complain that this or that medicine did not help.
Among the most effective means to eliminate fungi are the following:
- apple or table vinegar;
- celandine;
- iodine;
- mushroom tea;
- garlic and onion;
- coffee.
How to cure nail fungus quickly?
Timely and correctly chosen treatment can help get rid of nail fungus quickly.
If you do not want to treat yourself with drugs and decide to resort to traditional medicine, in any case consult your doctor.
Each of the remedies of traditional medicine can help one person, but will be useless for another.
Therefore, to quickly and effectively treat onychomycosis, diagnosis and consultation in a medical institution are necessary.
How to get rid of fungus on nails?
The causative agent of the disease can be destroyed or eradicated by external treatments: baths, compresses, applications. Fungi multiply in a humid alkaline environment, and an acidic environment is harmful to them, so products such as vinegar and lemon are effective. Plants with strong bactericidal properties also fight fungi well.
Traditional treatment of toenail fungus: effective recipes
Vinegar. A universal remedy for treating fungus, even if it affects more than half of the nail. You can use either table or apple cider vinegar. If the nail plate is slightly damaged, take a bath with 9% vinegar added at the rate of 1 part to 8 parts water.
The procedure must be repeated every other day.
Popular recipes for nail fungus often contain vinegar as a component of the medicinal mixture. For example, a compress of vinegar, eggs and vodka. The mixture keeps well in the refrigerator and is used as needed.How to do:
- Pour 2 tablespoons of vinegar essence and vodka into a container, add three egg whites, mix everything well.
- Dip a thin strip of bandage or cotton wool into the resulting mixture and apply to the sore nail for 15 minutes.
- Repeat every day until a new nail grows.
A similar recipe with vinegar has the following composition:
- vinegar essence - 1 teaspoon;
- dimethyl phthalate - 1 teaspoon;
- vegetable oil - 1 teaspoon;
- egg - 1 pc.
The compresses are applied for several hours, then the feet are rinsed with running water. Do this once a day for 4 days with the same rest interval. Treatment with this recipe continues until a healthy nail grows back.
Iodine. Good to use in the initial stage of the disease. It is recommended to lubricate the diseased nail with iodine twice a day for 20 days. A slight burning sensation should not alarm, but if severe pain occurs, iodine should be diluted with water.
Garlic. The healing agent is used in the form of alcohol tincture, gruel or juice. There are many recipes based on garlic, because this remedy is very effective in fighting fungi. The simplest is a compress of crushed garlic overnight. Fresh paste is applied to the nail and fixed with a bandage. If for some reason compresses for treatment are not acceptable, you can lubricate the nail with garlic juice.
In the folk treatment of toenail fungus, herbs such as euphorbia, celandine, tea tree oil, Kalanchoe, chamomile, calendula and rowan leaves are successful.
Euphorbia. This plant is commonly used to treat eczema, fungus, warts and festering wounds. To combat fungus, you need to lubricate your nails with milkweed juice twice a day. The treatment period usually does not exceed three weeks.
Celandine. It has established itself as an excellent means of fighting fungi at different stages of the disease. It should be used with caution, because the plant is poisonous. Pharmaceutical tincture of celandine is lubricated with nails affected by fungus or added to foot baths.
You can prepare a decoction for the bath 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 tablespoons of sea salt to the hot bath with the addition of the broth.
Coffee against nail fungus- An excellent remedy for fighting diseases. Freshly brewed natural coffee is used for the treatment. How to treat:
- Prepare the coffee, after brewing it, pour it into a warm bath and soak your feet for 15 minutes.
- After steaming your feet in the bath, apply coffee grounds to the affected areas of the nails and skin, massage, freeing the nails from dead tissue.
- Repeat every day and after 5-7 days your skin and nails will be smooth and the fungus will disappear.
General recommendations for the treatment of nail fungus
- Regardless of which popular recipe for nail fungus you choose, you need to prepare your nails for treatment. Before applying the antifungal agent, take a warm foot bath with soda, salt or laundry soap. This procedure is used to soften the nails in order to remove the affected surface and subsequently treat it with the chosen product.
After the foot bath, use manicure tools (nippers, files, brushes) to clean the top layer of the affected surface 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 applying compresses or applications several times a day, it is not necessary to treat the nails so often. Once every 1-3 days is enough, depending on the degree of fungal damage to the nails.
- During 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 foot. Wear shoes that are as light and loose as possible. If your feet sweat a lot, change your socks several times a day. Clothing or towels that have come into contact with infected nails and skin should be boiled or disinfected with special means.
- Those who live in the same apartment with a person suffering from nail fungus must carefully follow hygiene rules. You cannot use foot care products alone. Before bathing in a shared shower or tub, plumbing surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned with household products. Wash your nails with tar soap - this is an excellent prevention against fungus.
- If popular treatment for 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 correctly prescribe effective treatment.