Toenail fungus: how to treat at home?

With the advent of warm summer days, women and girls begin to think about the beauty of beautiful legs. Still, I would like to wear open sandals, flaunt barefoot on the beach, with pride and pleasure to ride on the sea. And if the dead skin can be cleaned and cuticles cut, then the fungus of the nails brings a lot of inconvenience. In fact, the fungus does not pose a particular danger to human health. Most of all, patients worry about the aesthetic side of the issue. With the advanced form of onychomycosis, the patient feels severe itching, burning, skin begins to crack. In this article, we will talk about the toenail fungus - how and why it appears, what are its first symptoms and treatment methods.

How does onychomycosis develop?

The fungus on the legs affects the skin and nails quite slowly - a person may not notice the onset of the disease. Even if you do not suffer from onychomycosis, you need to regularly inspect the feet while cutting nails for infection. Here are some symptoms and changes that should alert you.

1. Color. As a rule, infection begins with a change in the color of the nail plate. Most often, the big toe is the first to become infected. The nail may turn gray or yellow, cloudy. In some cases, the nail becomes so thin that blood capillaries shine through it. With serious infections, the nail becomes brown and even black.
2. The structure of the nail also changes. It thickens, moves away from the skin, the gap under the nail plate increases. In many cases, the plate affected by the fungus begins to crumble and collapse. Over time, the nail dies, becomes literally keratinized.
3. Leather. The fungus lives well not only on the nails, but also on the skin. First, the defeat of the epidermis is manifested by itching and burning, especially when wearing shoes. Then the skin begins to crack, it becomes dry and painful, peeling appears.

With severe foot damage, a person may develop local hyperthermia, the patient cannot wear the usual shoes due to pain and discomfort, an unpleasant odor comes from the skin and nails. If a person has been sick for more than one year, his immunity decreases, he often suffers from colds, allergic reactions are more pronounced.

Where does the foot fungus come from

Infection with a fungus occurs through contact with affected tissue particles. Pieces of the epidermis or nail, getting on the skin of a healthy person, develop under favorable conditions - humidity and high temperature. But where and how can a person become infected with onychomycosis?

1. Most often, people become infected with fungus from relatives and friends with a similar diagnosis. In this case, infection occurs through common household items - slippers, washcloth, socks, towel, bathtub, and even the floor, if a sick person walks on it with bare feet.
2. Very often, infection occurs where high humidity is combined with bare feet. These are pools, saunas and baths, stripped gyms, public showers, etc.
3. A fungus is a very resistant microorganism that does not die even at high and low temperatures. This means that you can catch a nail fungus even on the beach, if you like to walk barefoot in the sand.
4. In some cases, the fungus can be infected through pedicure tools and accessories, if they were not properly disinfected.
5. It is important to understand that not every fungus gets on the skin of a healthy person. Healthy immunity can fight off a pathogen.The risk of infection increases if the patient is weakened after an illness, if he has additional chronic diseases, he takes antibiotics or oral contraceptives, etc.

If the skin on the legs of a person is peeling, if there are wounds and abrasions, the likelihood of infection increases many times, since the fungus immediately enters the wound, bypassing the protective skin barrier. People with sweating feet are also at risk - fungi on wet skin multiply much faster. But what if the insidious microorganisms have already affected the skin and nails?

Drug treatment of onychomycosis

In general, the treatment of nail fungus is a very long and laborious process, which must be approached with all responsibility. Only with regular and complex therapy can a real result be achieved. The duration of treatment is associated with complete damage to the nail plate. That is, until the diseased nail is completely replaced by a healthy one, there can be no talk of a final recovery. And the nail growth rate is different for everyone, sometimes the time for a complete plate change can take up to 4-6 months. But how to achieve this recovery? In the fight against nail fungus, various forms of medicines are used, which we will talk about in more detail.

1. Drops. Before using the drug, nails must be prepared. The nail plate should be cut as far as possible under the root, grind the upper keratinized part with a file. This is done so that the medicinal fluid penetrates into the affected tissue as deep as possible. After this, you need to thoroughly rinse and dry the feet and drip the medicine not only on the nails, but also on the affected skin around. Carefully treat the lateral edge of the nail - in the crease with the skin. Drops should be used twice a day until the nail is completely replaced.
2. Ointments, gels, creams. This dosage form is very convenient for treating not only the nail plate itself, but also the skin around it. The convenient form of the medicine perfectly relieves itching and burning on the skin, suppressing unpleasant symptoms almost immediately. Before applying cream or gel, the skin must be thoroughly washed and dried. Apply the drug to the skin and nails, rub into the nail plate and epidermis for at least three minutes. Use the cream every day until the nail and skin are completely restored.
3. Sprays This dosage form is characterized by ease of use. Spray is a liquid form of medicine that quickly penetrates the skin structure and instantly relieves the symptoms of burning and itching. However, it is important to understand that spray is most often preventive care. It can be used after visiting public places - pools and locker rooms, where the risk of contracting onychomycosis is high.
4. Lacquer. This is the most convenient dosage form in use, which is becoming increasingly popular. Before applying the medicinal varnish, the feet should be washed and dried, the nail plate should be cleaned as much as possible from the parts affected by the fungus - both in length and in thickness of the nail. Before applying varnish, the nail should be degreased with any alcohol composition. Further, medicinal varnish is applied abundantly, in one layer. When it dries, a decorative varnish can be applied over it - the effectiveness of the treatment does not deteriorate from this. Some medicinal varnishes already have a tint color. This allows women not only to be treated, but also to hide their lack. It is necessary to apply medicinal varnishes every other day, especially at the initial stage of treatment. The previous layer of the drug must be removed with a special composition. As the condition of the nail improves, the interval between applications can be increased.
5. Preparations for oral administration. In case of serious onychomycosis lesions, in addition to local treatment, drugs are prescribed to suppress the fungus from the inside. Such funds must be used simultaneously with local treatment.It is very important to choose the right dosage and dosage regimen. Preparations against nail fungus treat already affected tissues and prevent the spread of the disease. But for this they need to be taken for several months. Remember, antifungal drugs can cause some side effects, so you need to take them only after consulting a doctor. The most popular remedies for treating the fungus from the inside are Fluconazole, Irunin, Diflucan, Futsis, Lamisil, Terbizil, Rumikoz, etc.

If we talk about specific medicines for local use, then on the modern market medicines for nail fungus are presented in a wide assortment. The most effective and popular are Exoderil, Nizoral, Lamisil, Fluconazole, Loceryl, Naphthyne, Oflomil, etc. Most drugs are available in several dosage forms so that the patient uses what is convenient for him. To choose an effective tool that will help you, you should definitely visit a doctor. After all, the fungus has many varieties, in each case you need to use different groups of drugs.

Folk remedies against nail fungus

In some cases, nail fungus is effectively treated at home, using folk recipes. It is important to understand that the effectiveness of such treatment is justified only if the damage to the nail and skin is not very large. In addition, for a real result, therapy should be regular.

Before applying any medicine, the skin of the feet must be prepared. Steam your legs for at least 20 minutes every day before handling. When the skin and nail become soft, the penetration of the drug into deeper tissue layers is facilitated. Be sure to add a tablespoon of soda to hot water - an alkaline environment inhibits the development of the fungus. After this, file and cut off the nails affected by the fungus as much as possible. After each pedicure, be sure to disinfect scissors, files and other tools to avoid re-infection. Steamed skin must be thoroughly dried and proceed directly to the treatment.

1. Vinegar. The acidic environment perfectly kills spores of fungi, blocks their reproduction. Vinegar can be added to the baths, mixed with glycerin and get an ointment. However, it is most effective to do lotions on steamed skin. Soak cotton pads in strong vinegar, attach to the affected nail and fix with a film and a bandage, leave the lotion for the night.
2. Onion and garlic. The juice of these vegetables contains volatile, which inhibit the reproduction of the fungus. Grind onions or garlic in a meat grinder or blender, squeeze the juice. They should lubricate the affected parts of the nails and skin, not forgetting the lateral fold. You can make lotion out of juice at night - the effect of the procedure will be much more pronounced.
3. Hydrogen peroxide. It is possible to suppress the reproduction of fungal spores using hydrogen peroxide. To do this, you need to steam the legs, be sure to add baking soda to the water. Then you need to cut off the small edge of the nail so that the tubules of the nail plate are exposed. Top and side of the nail, right on the cut, you need to drip with hydrogen peroxide, carefully process the nail plate and skin. If you carry out a similar treatment every day, after a few weeks you will begin to notice that the affected nail grows, and a healthy plate appears in its place.
4. Propolis. Propolis tincture inhibits the development of nail fungus, disinfects the skin, relieves itching and relieves burning. You can simply treat steamed skin with alcohol tincture or make lotions for the night.
5. Tea tree oil. A quality product is effective against nail fungus. Every day, morning and evening, drip oil from a pipette onto the nail. The oil structure gently envelops the nail plate, penetrates into inaccessible folds. Wait until the oil is completely absorbed, and then put on a cotton sock.You can wash your feet only in the morning.

These simple remedies are effective if you treat every day, and in some cases twice a day. Only regular and thorough procedures will give the expected result.

How to protect yourself from infection

In the fight against nail fungus, it is very important to pay attention to preventive measures. A person with nails affected by onychomycosis should think about his loved ones - you can’t walk barefoot on the floor and carpets, you need to have your own slippers. Be sure to disinfect the bath after water procedures. A sick person must have personal hygiene products - a foot towel, socks, scissors, shoes, a washcloth, etc. In the process of struggle, socks, shoes, etc. should be regularly treated with alcohol or chlorine compounds to prevent re-infection. It is very important to monitor the quality of your shoes - feet should not rub or sweat. Socks should be made only of natural fabrics.

Nail fungus is a completely harmless disease, but it brings a lot of discomfort to its owner, especially if it is a woman. Treatment against fungus and compliance with preventive measures is not always enough. The fungus does not affect a strong organism with strong immunity. It is necessary to eat right, move more, become sturdy, lead a healthy lifestyle, do not take medicine without a doctor’s prescription, respond in time to any changes in the body, go to the doctor for a routine examination. And then not only the fungus, but also other diseases will pass you by!

Video: an easy way to remove fungus on the foot and nails