How to cure toenail fungus at home

Fungal diseases of the toenails (onychomycosis) are quite common. This disease is infectious in nature and is caused by pathogenic bacteria (epidermophytes). Almost from the moment of infection, a person begins to feel severe itching in the area of the fingers, which even proven methods do not help to cope with. The disease is difficult to treat, so you need to be patient and decidehow to properly treat fungus on toenails.

Every fifth person in the world gets the fungus at least once, so it is not difficult to determine its presence by external signs.

Why is fungus dangerous?

Fungus on the nails cannot be ignored, as this disease is contagious and can ruin the life of the patient and those around him.

In addition to the constant desire to scratch the affected area, the nail plates begin to change structure, peel off, infecting the entire area around with fungus. It’s unpleasant to look at, so you can’t ignore the sore. In addition, it will not be possible to forget about it, since it will constantly remind you of itself with itching.

Currently, people are very reluctant to go to the clinic, so the question always remains relevant: how to cure nail fungus at home?

Treatment of toenail fungus with folk remedies is becoming commonplace. How to treat nail fungus at home?

People are accustomed to thinking that fungus is not a serious disease and that you can get rid of it on your own. Only when they have been unsuccessfully struggling with a problem for several weeks and see no results, do they turn to professionals for help.

During this time, the disease moves into the next stage, when the desire to scratch the leg becomes irresistible, causing a state of panic and stress.

You need to know that toenail fungus visually affects only a separate area of the human body, although in fact it changes the functioning of the entire body for the worse. Toxins that arise during the growth and reproduction of pathogenic fungi settle in it.

Blood flow promotes their distribution throughout the body, which leads to disruption of metabolic functions, increases sensitivity to many negative factors, causing all kinds of complications.

Externally, the affected nail is painted in different colors. It depends on the pathogen, since the fungus can be mold, yeast or dermatophyte.

Over time, keratinization of the nail leads to the fact that even cutting it becomes a problem, and how to cure nail fungus at home in this case? Traditional methods of treating fungus on toenails are the first thing that victims resort to.

Causes of fungus:

• open wounds on the feet (scratches, ulcers, abrasions, corns);
• violation of hygiene rules;
• weak immunity;
• antibiotics or other medications used to treat any diseases;
• excessive sweating of the feet.

But all these reasons are secondary, since the main thing is still the infection caught in a sick person. About a third of the sick became infected with a fungal infection while visiting saunas, swimming pools, nail salons and other crowded places.

The presence of moisture only activates the infection process and provides favorable conditions for the spread of bacteria. It is enough to walk through a public shower barefoot or use someone else's flip-flops for the patient's skin flakes to have an effect on your skin.

You can often become infected from using washcloths, rugs and other similar common items. But even at home, no one is safe from fungal infection.

It is enough for one of the family members to go to the beach or to the pool, and he can become a carrier of bacteria, and if he shares slippers or a sponge with him, the whole family can become infected.

The lack of humidity also does not interfere with the functioning of the fungus. For example, visiting a store fitting room can become a site of infection. People in fitting rooms often take off their shoes and stand on the same mat.

Shoe stores, where people try on shoes without socks, are a real breeding ground for many diseases, including fungal diseases.

Fungal spores are able to withstand low and high temperatures, which prolongs their life by several months, so even on the beach in the most extreme heat they live quietly in the sand.

Considering that sand or small pebbles on the beach are a natural scrub for the feet, infected skin particles are found there in large quantities and cling to those who have open sores on the feet.

Second-hand shoes are another carrier of fungal spores. Of course, stores selling such goods are obliged to put them up for sale only after undergoing appropriate chemical treatment, but this is not always done.

The first manifestations of the fungus

The fungus manifests itself in different ways all the time. If a person is healthy and does not have any damage to his legs, then it can manifest itself in the form of peeling. If there is damage between the toes or on the heel, the symptoms may be more severe.

The disease begins with peeling skin near the nails, slight redness and itching. This may not be given any importance, since the cause may be uncomfortable or poorly breathable shoes. In addition, redness between the fingers is quite difficult to notice right away.

Clear signs of fungus are more visible in areas where the skin of the feet sweats. Diaper rash appears there, and in later stages blisters appear.

The color of the nails changes from transparent to yellowish, the plate becomes cloudy and lumpy. As bacteria begins to attack the nail, streaks, yellowish spots will appear, and the nail will begin to crack and peel.

The subungual space will be filled with a mixture of crumbs, and will alternate with empty pits. But the most trouble will come from the increasing itching and putrid odor from the feet, which will intensify if the foot sweats.

The advanced stage may be accompanied by fever and problems with movement. Treatment of fungus on the toes in this case will require urgent medical intervention. He will determine what species caused the disease and what measures should be taken to combat it.

In the initial stage, you can treat toenail fungus with folk remedies or using pharmaceutical antifungal ointments and gels.

Options for traditional methods of treating foot fungus

1. The use of washing powder has always been considered effective, since it contains alkalis that can kill any type of fungus. Half a glass of powder should be poured into a hot bath and your feet should be immersed in it. You shouldn't sit for more than 15 minutes. The procedure must be repeated for 10 days.
2. Everyone knows that garlic kills bacteria. In the fight against fungus, it is used in its pure form, cutting the cloves into two parts and dipping them in salt. Garlic does not need to be eaten; it needs to be rubbed on the area of the leg damaged by the fungus. Garlic can cause even more irritation and redness, so it should not be applied for long periods of time. 5-7 minutes is enough.
3. A compress with ammonia at night is also a method of treating foot fungus with folk remedies. Add one spoon of ammonia to 250 mg of water, soak a natural fabric that will retain moisture well in the solution, and wrap the leg.
4. Spread the foot with a paste of soda and water for 20 minutes. This will stop the spread of bacteria.
5. Sprinkle steamed legs with boric acid powder and put on socks.
6. Does iodine cure nail fungus? Treatment of toenail fungus with iodine is not limited to the usual smearing of the damaged areas. A product made from iodine, vinegar essence, glycerin and water in a ratio of 1: 2 (2 parts water) helps if you rub it on the affected areas at night. Before this, they need to be steamed so that the pores open and the medicine penetrates better.
7. The simplest method, which can only be used in the first stage of the disease, is to insert tampons soaked in alcohol between your fingers. You can do this overnight or until the alcohol dries completely.
8. Grated onion gruel will also help stop the spread of infection, for which it needs to be applied for several hours.
9. How to treat foot and nail fungus with herbs? Dry chamomile, mint, sage and nettle are suitable for this purpose. They can be crushed in equal parts, poured into a sock, and put on at night. The same powder cannot be used a second time, just like a sock. In summer it is possible to use fresh inflorescences.
10. Treatment of foot fungus with vinegar is very effective. How to treat nail fungus with vinegar? To do this, you need to make baths with a solution of 9% vinegar. First, you need to steam your feet, then pour vinegar into warm water, lower your feet there for 15 minutes so that the soles of the feet do not touch the bottom. After the procedure, allow your feet to dry naturally without rinsing with clean water.
11. We treat nail fungus with hydrogen peroxide. The application process is the same as in the case of vinegar, only 3% peroxide is used instead.
12. Cut the lemon into slices and apply to the affected nail. Cover the top with gauze and wrap with film overnight.

Prevention

To effectively treat toenail fungus, it is better to prevent infection in the first place. To get rid of an unpleasant disease, you need to follow the recommendations:

• do not walk barefoot in public places;
• when visiting the gym, swimming pool, water park, wear rubber slippers;
• use antifungal varnish that has a fungicidal effect;
• buy comfortable types of shoes made of fabric or leather;
• make sure that in nail salons they work with you only with tools that have undergone heat treatment;
• do not use a stranger’s slippers, towel or socks;
• do not wear the same socks every day;
• wash your feet morning and evening;
• take vitamins;
• At the first signs of a fungal disease, use a gel that relieves itching, peeling and erosion.

What is dangerous and how to treat advanced nail fungus at home

An old fungus can cause complications of diseases such as diabetes, bronchial asthma or allergies. It becomes a conduit for other infections that can affect internal organs.

An increased amount of toxins in the body leads to intoxication.

An old fungus cannot be cured with folk remedies alone. How to treat advanced toenail fungus? This will require a course of medication under the supervision of a dermatologist, and folk remedies should be used as a supplement.

The causes of advanced fungus can be a late visit to the doctor, an incorrectly prescribed course of treatment, or the ineffectiveness of the medications used.

Old fungus requires long-term treatment, which can last six months. How to cure old toenail fungus?

A doctor can make a diagnosis only after analyzing a scraping from the damaged area, after which he will prescribe antifungal drugs. You need to be careful with some of the drugs; they may be contraindicated during pregnancy.

In parallel with the tablets, creams and ointments are used, which are applied to the lesion.

How to cure advanced toenail fungus with folk remedies

1. Cotton swabs are soaked in propolis tincture with 20% alcohol and applied to damaged nails. Propolis helps to quickly destroy the fungus, after which the old nail plate falls off and a healthy one grows back.
2. Kombucha gruel applied to the affected area helps fight the fungus. It is applied for several hours daily.
3. An ointment of 100 grams of butter, shelled eggs and 50 mg of 70% acetic acid is used daily. All ingredients are placed in a jar and do not mix. The ointment should be kept in the refrigerator for a week until the shells are completely dissolved. The ingredients can then be mixed until smooth.
4. 15 grams of calamus root are poured with boiling water and left for 30 minutes. The infusion should be drunk a quarter glass 4 times.
5. At night, you need to apply ointment from the ashes of 3 cigarettes with 1/2 tsp on your nails. toothpaste with fluoride.

What is the best way to treat toenail fungus? There are a lot of effective remedies, but they can be used in accordance with the stage of the disease.

The initial stages can be treated with folk remedies; for older stages, complex treatment with medications in combination with home medicine methods will have to be used.