In this article we will look at the symptoms of an advanced form of fungal disease of the toenails, treatment with medicinal and traditional methods, indications for nail removal, recommendations for preventing infection.
Chronic toenail fungus is a reason to immediately rush to the doctor and start treatment immediately.The disease is diagnosed at an advanced stage if the initial symptoms are mistaken for a simple mechanical injury to the nail.The problem sometimes does not manifest itself at all in the initial stage.If it is not treated or done incorrectly without consulting a doctor, the disease progresses.Mushrooms are much more dangerous than many people think.Such an infection, accompanied by loosening and destruction of toenails, is a parasitic infection of the whole body, immunity is impaired, allergic manifestations are possible, and there is a risk of developing bronchitis, asthma, chronic sinusitis and conjunctivitis.
In old onychomycosis the nail is dull, white, yellow or bluish.In severe cases it becomes black, loosens, flakes, cracks, thickens and changes shape.The adjacent skin is red, inflamed, pain, burning and itching are felt.Painful sensations are caused by yeast-like molds and fungi.Other varieties do not cause suffering or physical discomfort;they can only be identified by the shape and color of their nails.The inability to wear open shoes or walk barefoot causes difficulty.An unpleasant, nauseating odor becomes a constant companion.
Treatment methods
An advanced form can be treated only under the supervision of a doctor, dermatologist or mycologist.He will take scrapings from the infected toenails, classify the problem and prescribe treatment.Amateur activity is unacceptable here!It is impossible to cure the disease with home remedies.You can only drive the disease inside, temporarily suppress the source of the infection.But the consequences will be more terrible.
When the disease is advanced, patience is required.The treatment is complex and complex.Failure to complete this will inevitably lead to relapse.The tips are simple.You will be able to recover if you follow the rules of simultaneous implementation of a number of measures:
- Use of external agents (paints, ointments, sprays, gels).
- Taking medications orally (tablets, capsules).
- If necessary, your doctor will prescribe intravenous injections.
- Taking immunostimulating agents, vitamin and mineral complexes.
- Use of anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Application of traditional medicine methods.
- If your feet sweat excessively, take foot baths every day adding a spoonful of sea salt for every five liters of water.Before applying ointments, wash your feet with warm water to speed up the treatment.
- Regular treatment of shoes with antiseptic preparations.
If you follow these measures, curing mushrooms is not as difficult as it seems.
Preparations for topical use
Official medicine offers many different drugs for external treatment in the treatment of fungus on the legs.The doctor will prescribe the ones you need, there is no need to experiment, trying everything.
Healing paints:
- Ciclopirox.Antifungal agent.Destroys yeasts and molds.Apply every four days.Duration – six months.At the same time, take terbinafine tablets orally (it is safe for pregnant women).
- Terbinafine based paint.Apply a layer of polish to the affected toenails every four days.The treatment lasts 9-12 months.
Antifungal ointments:
- Terbinafine.Stops the growth of parasitic yeasts and molds.With simultaneous administration of tablets of the same name, it has a destructive effect on the fungus.
- Ketoconazole.It stops the proliferation of fungi and destroys them.Apply in the morning, in the evening, course - a month.It is not absorbed into the blood and is not detected in plasma, therefore it is recommended for pregnant women.Contraindicated for children under three years.
- Naftifine: to destroy advanced toenail fungus, it is recommended to use it in the form of drops.Designed to fight dermatophytes, yeasts and molds.
- Clotrimazole destroys advanced foot fungus at the cellular level.
Preparations for oral administration
Tablets are prescribed in short but frequent courses due to the negative effect on the human liver and kidneys.
- Fluconazole.Available in capsules.Take 150 milligrams.Duration of treatment – 56 days.The toenails are then scraped to determine if further treatment is needed.
- Itraconazole capsules.With their help, chronic onychomycosis can be cured in six months.
- Griseofulvina.Antifungal antibiotic.It accumulates in skin cells from which keratin forms, making healthy, growing toenails immune to onychomycosis.The treatment lasts 8 months.
Traditional methods of treatment
- Celandine oil - freshly squeezed vegetable juice has a cauterizing effect and destroys the body of the fungus.Treat daily until complete healing.
- Acetic acid is a convenient and powerful remedy against old onychomycosis.A special solution based on vinegar is prepared.Mix equal parts of vodka and 70% vinegar essence, add three raw chicken egg whites.Mix.Place in the refrigerator.Moisten a gauze and place it on the painful nail.Leave to act for a quarter of an hour.Doing this for six months is enough time to cure the fungus.The product is aggressive and can cause burns to healthy tissue.Lubricate the skin around the affected nails with cream or sunflower oil.
- Alcoholic infusion with 20% propolis.Sold in pharmacies.Wet a gauze and make a compress.Do this every day until the fungus disappears.
- Golden Mustache To prepare the tincture, pour vodka over the golden mustache and hide it in a dark corner.On the fifteenth day, dilute three parts of water with one part of tincture.Treat the fungus in the morning and evening.Treatment lasts at least six months.
- Homemade antifungal ointment.Place in a glass container a piece of butter (butter) weighing 200 grams, 100 ml of acetic acid (70%) and a raw chicken egg in the shell.Do not mix.Place the mixture in a cool place.Wait a week.The shell will dissolve.Then you should mix, roll out, cover with cling film and bandage.
- Calamus rhizome tincture: 15 g.Prepare the root with a glass of boiling water.Leave to act for 30 minutes.You drink a glass of tincture a day.At the same time, ten-minute baths are performed every day.To do this, steam 30 grams of calamus rhizome with boiling water (one glass) and leave for 30 minutes.Your nails will begin to crumble within seven days.And then lubricate with ointment.If you treat with this method, the fungus can be cured in a month and a half.In this case, immunostimulating, anti-inflammatory and vitamin preparations are taken internally.
- Squeeze out a toothpaste (with fluoride) the size of the knuckle of your little finger.Add the ash from three cigarettes.Make a compress, let it rest overnight and rinse it off in the morning.
- Take equal parts of honey and onion juice and mix.Keep refrigerated.Treat neglected mushrooms daily.
- Lilac and calendula flowers - 30 grams each, celandine - 15 grams, oak bark - 45 grams.Add half a liter of water.Boil, leave for an hour and make a compress.Every day until the fungus is completely healed.
- One hundred milliliters of hydrogen peroxide, two liters of hot water: take a bath for a quarter of an hour.Dab with a paper towel and apply the ointment.Repeat daily until it becomes clear that the fungus has receded.Hydrogen peroxide will protect healthy nails from infection and relieve healed nails from reinfection.
If the methods of traditional and folk medicine do not help, you can resort to laser therapy.Laser treatment is painless and gives an almost instant effect.Four treatments are enough to kill the fungus.In this case the periungual skin is not damaged.
Nail removal
Surgery to remove a nail is rarely resorted to if conservative methods do not give the desired result.
- The surgical removal method is painful.It takes a long time for the nail plate to recover.
- The laser method of nail removal is easy and painless.The disadvantage is the high cost.
- Replacing surgical nail removal with drugs.Under the influence of drugs, the nails soften and are removed painlessly.The process is long and requires caution.
Treatment of onychomycosis during pregnancy
Treatment of chronic mycosis of the toes with most drugs is contraindicated during pregnancy!They can damage the intrauterine development of the fetus.A mycologist will prescribe safe remedies that will slow the development of the disease and improve the appearance of the nails.And complete healing or removal will have to begin after the baby is born.
It is better for pregnant women to resort to proven methods of traditional medicine.They act more delicately and have fewer side effects:
- Take foot baths with warm water and sea salt.
- Clean the skin around damaged nails with celandine juice.Continue for 3 months.
Recommendations and suggestions
An advanced fungus should be treated immediately!Don't let the infection affect the entire body, be patient and make sure to complete the treatment.Treat only after examination, under the supervision of a doctor.The methods of traditional medicine must be combined with drugs recommended by a specialist.Advice for the patient's family members: observe good hygiene, take vitamins and drugs that increase immunity.