Currently, medicine has reached such a level that properly selected drugs can cope with any type of fungus. But many people do not trust science and prefer to treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. And they do it badly: illiterate treatment does not eradicate pathogens; at best, it slows its growth slightly.
If you want to use the methods of traditional medicine at home, they should be used only as an additional treatment to complex therapy and only after consulting a doctor.
Characteristics of the mushroom
The difficulty in treating foot fungi is that in the world there are several thousand species of these pathogenic organisms, many of which can live and develop successfully on human skin.Fungal spores are very tenacious, they quickly take root in the epidermis, penetrating into the deep layers of the skin; they can only be destroyed with drugs intended for their species.Furthermore, treatment cannot be stopped until the pathogens are completely destroyed: if even a single spore survives, the probability of recurrence is high.
Therefore it is not enough to consult a doctor, it is also necessary to undergo tests that will determine the type of foot fungus. Only in this case can the doctor prescribe the correct treatment: even effective drugs against foot fungus will be ineffective if they intend to eradicate another type of pathogen, and the fight will last for many years.
These times can be significantly reduced if the foot mycosis is identified in time and you immediately start treating it at home: in this case the fungus can be eradicated within two months. Even if the disease develops quickly, it allows time to detect it and take countermeasures. Therefore, it is very important to know which symptoms signaling the development of the fungus you need to pay attention to.
Symptoms of the disease
In the initial stage, when the fungus affects only the feet and toes, peeling and redness are observed in places where it has managed to gain a foothold. After a while, these areas begin to itch and itch, and sometimes small, watery blisters may appear. These symptoms should not be ignored: you should consult a doctor immediately. With proper treatment, foot fungus can be permanently eliminated within two months using antifungal creams and antifungal polishes.
If the moment is missed and the disease is not treated, the next stage will be damage to the nail, the color of which will begin to gradually change and eventually become yellow, green or even black, after which it will begin to peel, crumble and move away from the finger. In this case, simple ointments cannot be used for treatment, and it is necessary to spend time treating the nail plate.
This means that the nail must be cut almost to the root and the upper layer of the affected plaque must be filed, after which it will be necessary to apply an antifungal varnish to the nail, which, having penetrated the plaque, will begin to destroy the fungal spores. When this paint dries, it blocks the access of air to the fungus, which pathogens need for normal development.
If you miss this moment and do not start treating the foot fungus in time, longitudinal or wavy lines appear on the nail plate, the nail bends and changes shape. At this stage, it is very difficult to treat the fungus and therefore it is necessary not only to apply cream and paint to the skin, but also to take pills that can cause problems with the digestive system.
Such treatment is necessary because the fungus tends not only to spread on the skin of the legs, capturing more and more new areas, but also its toxins, entering the bloodstream, negatively affect the functioning of many organs and systems.
Vinegar baths
Traditional medicine can also help in the fight against the disease. But they must be used wisely, otherwise they can cause harm. Traditional methods can be used effectively to prepare the feet for treatment with medications. This applies first of all to baths: before applying ointment or varnish, the skin of the feet should be steamed and peeling scales should be removed as much as possible using pumice.
This will allow therapeutic agents to penetrate the skin better and have a more effective effect on the fungus. To make them go away more effectively, many reviews recommend applying salicylic petroleum jelly to the affected areas twice a day.
The simplest, but according to reviews, very effective folk method is a vinegar bath: the acidic environment negatively affects the fungal spores and they die. To use this method, according to the recipe, you need to mix a solution of 9% vinegar with very hot water in proportions of 1 to 8 (for men who have rougher skin on the feet and thicker nails, you can use from 3 to 8). , then immerse your feet in the water. Steam for about ten to fifteen minutes, then start treating the skin.
To cure foot fungus at home, you can choose a different sequence: first simply steam your feet, cut off the affected skin as much as possible without injuring it, and only then soak your feet in a vinegar solution. At the end of the procedure, dry your feet and apply the medicine (ointment and varnish).
For a more effective result, you can take a bath with vinegar and celandine. To do this, pour two tablespoons of celandine with water, boil for about 15 minutes, let it brew, add vinegar before steaming the feet.
Other uses of vinegar
You can use vinegar to treat foot fungus at home using another method. If it suddenly turns out that the ointment for the fungus suddenly runs out and there is no way to get it, you can prepare a remedy based on it. This is necessary so that the fungal spores do not feel "free" and become active again. True, it is not a panacea, so at the first opportunity you need to purchase the drug prescribed by the doctor.
To prepare a remedy against fungi, you can use the following recipe: mix a teaspoon of vegetable oil with the same amount of vinegar, add the antifungal drug dimethyl ester of orthophthalic acid, mix and apply to the affected skin. Next, wrap your feet in plastic, put on clean socks, and eventually the product should be absorbed into your skin.
You can also make a compress using another method: mix three egg whites or a spoonful of glycerin with two large spoons of vodka and 70% vinegar in the same amount of vodka. After steaming and treating the feet, soak a cotton ball in the product, apply to the affected skin of the feet and wrap with polyethylene. Leave to act for no more than half an hour, as the product is very concentrated. For the same reason the method cannot be used in the presence of small cracks.
Benefits of propolis
Many claim that they managed to get rid of fungi at home thanks to the alcoholic tincture of propolis, which is considered a natural antibiotic and has fungicidal, bactericidal and bacteriostatic characteristics. Propolis is able to relieve itching, stop the inflammatory process and prevent the fungus from infecting healthy areas of the skin.
To prepare an alcoholic tincture yourself, you need to mix 20 g of propolis with 80 ml of medical alcohol and let it brew for a week. To treat foot fungus with propolis, you need to apply a cotton ball soaked in propolis tincture to the affected skin every day, fixing it with a bandage. This should be done several times during the day.
Propolis ointment helps get rid of fungi. To do this, melt 100 g of fat (butter, petroleum jelly, pork or fish oil) in a water bath, add 30 g of chopped propolis and cook over low heat, stirring for about half an hour. Strain and apply to skin in the evening, after steaming your feet (more often if desired). Keep refrigerated.
Iodine and garlic
Another effective way that helps cure foot fungus at home is a 5% iodine solution. It can be used if for some reason it is not possible to get antifungal paint. It is not an equivalent substitute, but it is capable of stopping and even destroying fungal spores. Therefore, it is better to purchase antifungal paint at the first opportunity (if only because iodine is not able to harden and block the access of air to fungal spores).
To apply iodine, you need to carefully treat the affected nails once a day for two weeks.Before doing this, do not forget to treat the surface of the nail with a nail file so that the iodine has a chance to penetrate deeper into the plate. When using this method, it should be taken into account that a burning sensation is possible during the procedure.
Garlic is good for fungi. It can be used in different ways: not only applied to the skin externally, but also taken internally (this helps strengthen the immune system). You can prepare garlic using various recipes.
A pulp compress will help cure foot fungus. To use this method, you need to mince a few cloves of garlic in a garlic press or grate it on a fine grater. After that, spread the paste on the nail, making sure that it does not get on the skin, fix it with a bandage in two or three layers, wrap in cellophane and put on cotton socks. You need to make a garlic compress overnight, remove it in the morning, wash your feet under running water, apply an antifungal cream and, if necessary, varnish.
If you don't want to use a fungal compress overnight, you can apply the paste to your nails after steaming and cleaning them. Keep it on for 10-15 minutes until it dries, do not walk during this time. Use this method two or three times a day.
To treat mushrooms, you can use garlic tincture with alcohol. To do this, mix medical alcohol, squeezed garlic juice and water in equal proportions. Leave to act for at least two days, treat the nails twice a day. How long it will take to cure foot fungus with garlic depends on how timely treatment was started. Also, do not forget to use antifungal ointments and varnishes.