Fungal nail infection is a very common phenomenon, affecting up to 20% of the population.It is not a life-threatening disease.However, it can cause a lot of troubles, such as itching, nail plate deformation, and discoloration.Toxins released by pathogenic fungi spread throughout the body, increasing susceptibility to adverse external influences.Learn how to treat onychomycosis at home so you can take care of the problem yourself.
How does infection occur?
Triggers include cuts, wounds, leg abrasions, and damage from wearing tight shoes.Inadequate foot care, especially excessive sweating, as well as taking antibiotics and weakened immunity, can lead to the development of fungal diseases.
Infection can occur from contact with a sick person, using someone else's shoes, towels, or room rugs.
Therefore, the chances of contracting the fungus are greatest when one of the family members has the disease.Fragments of skin from a person infected with the fungus can fly into the surrounding space and infect another person.
This often happens in crowded places with high humidity conditions - bathrooms, saunas, swimming pools.Fungal infections can occur even in salons that offer manicure and pedicure services, where hygiene standards are not adequately monitored.Adults are more susceptible to this disease, but children sometimes get this fungus on their legs.
disease symptoms
The first sign of fungal disease is that the heels and feet become more dry and flaky.Sometimes redness occurs, along with severe itching, and blisters and corns form.Diaper rash occurs in people who sweat excessively.The structure and color of the nails change, they turn yellow and crack.As the spores penetrate deeply into the slab, voids form beneath them, filling them with broken mixture and producing an unpleasant rotten smell.
In its advanced stages, toenail fungus can cause difficulty walking and may cause fever.In this case, you should contact a dermatologist immediately.Complications associated with mycosis can manifest as psoriasis and eczema.
There are three types of fungal toenail infections, and their symptoms vary:
- Vesicular shape.In this condition, the lower part of the foot is affected, which is filled with small blisters in the form of liquid.
- membrane.It appears in the form of cracks between the toes.
- Moccasin type.Thickening of the skin on the heels and soles of the feet and the formation of cracks.By trapping the nail, fungal pathogens destroy the structure of the nail.The body may experience allergic reactions.
To avoid having to resort to surgical methods to remove the affected nail, you must promptly consult your doctor.He will choose the right medication and tell you how to treat onychomycosis at home.
Why are fungi dangerous?
This disease is not harmless and can cause serious harm to the human body.Onychomycosis is a difficult-to-treat cause of the disease.It corrodes the nail plate and spreads to nearby tissues, becoming a conductor for any other infections.Decreased immunity allows fungi to invade the internal organs.
Fungal diseases may also be associated with general intoxication of the body.Certain types of fungi release toxins that accumulate in the body and cause poisoning.The disease also causes severe psychological discomfort, triggering negative emotions about its development.
treatment plan
Fungal diseases can be successfully treated at home with the help of medications and traditional medicine.It is important to start treatment on time.Pulse therapy is very popular these days and uses high doses of antifungal drugs to eliminate the fungus in a short period of time.Long breaks between sessions are important.
You can treat onychomycosis at home using topical products (ointments, gels, varnishes).They are created on the basis of bactericidal drugs and have an effective antifungal effect.The success of treatment depends on how accurately the type of pathogen and the extent of pathology are determined.Each affected area of the foot may require different medications.
In order to improve the therapeutic effect, it is recommended to combine local drugs with systemic drugs.Another approach is to use traditional medicine formulas to help speed up the healing process.You can treat onychomycosis with the most common products - garlic, vinegar, lemon.
drug treatment
There are a variety of medications that are effective in fighting fungal infections.Can be used both orally and topically.The problem of how to treat onychomycosis on hands and feet should be left to a specialist.He chose the appropriate remedy.
local remedies
In the early stages of the disease, when the nail damage area does not exceed 50%, ointments and sprays can be used to solve the problem.
Most come in different forms that help kill a variety of fungi.After cleaning and drying the affected area, use the ointment twice daily.If the ointment is not effective after more than two weeks, it is necessary to change to another drug to prevent the fungus from developing drug resistance.
Mild symptoms can be treated at home with special medical varnishes and serums.
Oral medications
When topical treatments for onychomycosis do not work, the treating doctor may prescribe oral medications to stop the microorganisms from multiplying and destroy them.
Oral medications combined with ointments and sprays can help quickly remove fungus from your toenails.
traditional medicine
Our grandmothers knew very well how to treat onychomycosis at home.Since ancient times, various recipes have been used to solve this problem, using garlic, soda, vinegar and other ingredients readily available in housewives' kitchens.Common methods include:
- garlic.Used to remove different types of fungi.Not only great for feet, but also helpful in treating nail fungus at home, this product is known for its healing properties.To prepare garlic tincture, crush a few cloves into a paste, mix evenly with alcohol, and then dilute the resulting mixture with a small amount of water.Apply the tincture to the affected nail.You can also use pure garlic; just lubricate your nail plate with minced garlic.
- Use vinegar to treat onychomycosis.First, your feet should be thoroughly steamed.Then prepare the vinegar bath.Prepare a warm 9% fragrance solution in a small basin.Put your feet in it for 15 minutes.Then wipe it off without rinsing with water.It is recommended to use vinegar foot soaks at home for treatment at most twice a week.
- iodine.Thanks to the antiseptic and disinfecting action of the alcoholic tincture, the fungus is destroyed.For the first week, apply one drop of 5% iodine solution to your nails twice a day.Then gradually reduce the number of treatments.The course lasts for one month.
- onion.Applying chopped onion to your nails can help fight fungal infections.
- lemon.Cut the fruit into thin slices, place it on the painful nail, wrap it in plastic wrap and secure it with a bandage.The process takes 12 days.
- Propolis- A product derived from honeycombs, known for its therapeutic effects.Helps relieve symptoms of discomfort, relieve itching and inflammation.After moistening a tampon with 20% propolis tincture, apply it to the affected area and secure it with a bandage.Propolis helps renew the nail plate.
prevention
You can protect yourself from fungal nail infections by taking certain precautions.To do this, you should follow the basic rule - avoid walking barefoot in swimming pools, bathrooms or hotels.In addition, it is important: do not use other people's shoes; wash your feet morning and evening; take measures to strengthen the immune system (exercise, walk in the fresh air, adhere to proper nutrition, take vitamins); pay attention to diseases related to fungal diseases (diabetes, gastritis, varicose veins); treat shoes with formaldehyde or vinegar.
As soon as the first signs of a suspected fungal infection appear, appropriate measures must be taken.In the initial stages, it is much easier to remove onychomycosis at home than to severely damage it.