The defeat of the toenails with a fungal infection is associated not only with the external infection, but also with the state of the microflora within the human body.
As you know, fungi of various species (there are thousands) live successfully within the human body, being opportunistic organisms. This means that they are not dangerous, as long as the population is maintained at an acceptable level. If there are too many of them, they show their toxic properties and have a negative impact on health.
Onychomycosis (fungal nail infection) indicates that the body is not able to resist fungal infection, maintaining the necessary acid-base balance of the skin and internal environments (pH).
Appropriate comprehensive treatment will include external agents and adherence to a specific nutritional protocol that will help to reduce infection activity.
Effective treatments
- Medical therapy.
- Radical methods with softening and gradual removal of the nail plate.
- Conservative methods that do not require nail removal: ointments, lotions, compresses, baths.
Antifungal diet
During treatment, it is recommended to refuse all types of products containing fungal cultures:
- baked goods and bread in leavened dough (you can use flat or unleavened pita bread);
- almost all types of cheese, except Adyghe cheese, mozzarella, feta cheese and burrata;
- fermented dairy products (kefir, yogurt).
You should also limit or temporarilyexclude sugar and any sweets from the diet, as well as sweet fruits and vegetables rich in starch (potatoes, beets).
These supportive measures will increase the effect of external medications and the treatment will be faster.
Important! If the patient treats anemia and takes iron supplements, it must be remembered that iron strengthens the protective membrane of the fungus.
It is best to stop these medications during antifungal therapy.
Pharmaceuticals or folk remedies
If the infection is neglected and has already caused deformation of the nail plates, drug therapy will be more appropriate, as they are able to suppress the activity of the fungal colony.
For minor initial symptoms, you can try home remedies with folk remedies.
Many experts are of the opinion that it is very dangerous to affect fungi with drug therapy, as it provokes a powerful microorganism response, which leads to resistance. The stronger the attempts to remove the fungal infection, the stronger the resistance and resistance to chemical attack. When the doctor selects a drug treatment, he tries to change drugs periodically so as not to cause addiction.
Nail fungus treatment at home
Treating a fungal infection at home will be beneficial with good hygiene and good practices, but you may need to be patient.
Andriasyan's method
Usually, the infection becomes noticeable after the color or shape of the nails has changed. In fact, the fungus grows in the bed under the nail plate, where it enters through the infected sole of the foot or under the edge of the nail.
That is why the doctor Andriasyan's method aims at removing the nail plate and further treatment.
The affected nail is gradually dissolved with a pharmaceutical agent, which is a powder of 15 parts of barium sulfide and 85 parts of talc.
- The powder is mixed with water, applied to the nail in the form of porridge for 30-40 minutes, moistening it all the time with a pipette. You can make a small depression in the 5 mm layer of the paste and drip water every 3 minutes so that the medicine works continuously.
- The porridge is washed, the softened layer of the nail is removed with a scalpel, trying not to damage the nail bed, then the onycholysin is reapplied. In 2-3 applications, it is possible to remove the entire plaque, which is important, as the fungus affects the entire nail tissue.
- The exposed surface is treated with a 5% iodine solution.
- The paste on a petroleum jelly base is applied to the nail bed. It is prepared from salicylic acid, lactic (or benzoic) and resorcinol, each ingredient will need 15 g, they need to be mixed with 55 g of petroleum jelly. You can make the paste yourself, all the preparations are available at the pharmacy.
On the paste, 2-3 layers of gauze and compressive paper are applied, the dressing lasts 48 hours. In 3 applications, the affected surface is completely cleaned of the keratinized layers of the skin and affected tissues. - Salicylic petroleum jelly is applied to the bed for another 48 hours under the bandage.
- The nail bed is treated with iodine tincture 1-2 times a day until the nail is restored.
Quick and effective alternative recipes for the treatment of ringworm
The use of herbal fungicides and simple home remedies can help fight fungal infections.
It is important to wash your feet thoroughly before all wellness procedures, trim your nails in a timely manner and eliminate the epithelium as far as the skin condition allows.
Table vinegar
Vinegar has a pronounced antifungal effect, since the acidic environment has a destructive effect on the fungus' ability to reproduce.
For homemade procedures, you can use apple cider, wine and common vinegar, it is only important to remember the concentration of the substance.
The essence of vinegar contains about 70-80% of the substance, it must be diluted in water so as not to cause chemical burns.
Example for 70% vinegar essence:
- to obtain a 3% concentrate, the ratio is 1: 20 (1 part vinegar and 20 parts water); <6% acetic acid is diluted 1: 11;
- 9% solution is diluted 1: 7.
It is recommended to start treatment with acetic acid in low concentrations, gradually increasing up to 9%.
Trays.Before using this method, you should wash your feet thoroughly, trim your nails and remove as much keratinized epithelium as possible.
In the treatment process, the hardened skin softens, gradually it will be possible to remove it completely.
For 3 liters of heated water, you will need 1 liter of apple cider vinegar or a glass of 3% vinegar essence. Soak your clean feet in the bathtub for 15-20 minutes until the solution has cooled. After bathing, do not rinse the solution from the skin, let it dry.
A few drops of iodine, manganese crystals or tea tree oil can be added to the bath to increase the antifungal effect.
Baths can be done for a long time, it is important to monitor the state of health and the dynamics of recovery.
A slight burning sensation on the skin surface is acceptable, but the pain should not be tolerated. If the painful syndrome is severe, it is recommended to reduce the concentration of vinegar or temporarily leave the baths and use other means.
People with serious violations of the integrity of the skin of the foot (fissures, ulcers) are shown carefully when using vinegar baths.
Lotions and compresses.Wet gauze dressings soaked in vinegar solution are applied to the affected surface for 3 hours until dry. It is important not to create a greenhouse effect by covering the dressings with plastic wrap, ventilation is necessary.
First solution:
- 100 ml of water.
- a few drops of iodine.
- a teaspoon of vinegar.
Second solution:
- 2 tablespoons of water.
- tablespoon of glycerin.
- 2 tablespoons of 3% vinegar.
The course of treatment lasts from 2 months to a year.
If using vinegar causes irritation and an allergic reaction, discontinue therapy.
Tea tree oil
The tea tree has a powerful fungicidal effect, contains about one hundred fractions of terpenes - substances that have a toxic effect on fungi and microorganisms.
It is more effective to use 100% crude oil, instead of cosmetic, as it contains 40-50% tea tree oil in half with other vegetable oils.
Undiluted oil is rubbed onto the nail plates and the rough skin around them. There is no need to rinse or clean the product, it partially dries, partially penetrates the fabrics. Use the medication twice a day for 2 months or more.
A refreshing bath with warm water and a few drops of tea tree oil can be used to soothe and deodorize your skin.
Hydrogen peroxide
Most of the time, a standard 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is used in therapy, it is sold in a pharmacy in a ready-made form. Peroxide is known as an antiseptic, hemostatic and deodorant agent, and its antimicrobial and antifungal effects are also known.
Peroxide treatments.
Baths: add 2-3 ml of peroxide to 3 liters of warm water, keep your feet in the solution for 10-15 minutes and dry without rubbing.
You can buy powdered or compressed hydrogen peroxide, add a little water to the substance to make it into a paste. This porridge is gently applied with a cotton swab to the affected nail for a maximum of 5 minutes and then washed.
Propolis
Propolis is a sticky sticky substance produced by bees from pollen using their own enzymes. Thanks to its unique chemical composition, it successfully fights fungal infections.
The pharmaceutical preparation of the propolis tincture can be used as follows:
The trays are prepared in the proportion of 1 teaspoon of the product per 1 liter of hot water. It must be tolerable, but warm, to keep your feet in the liquid for 20 minutes. It is important not to rinse your feet with the solution.
The lotions are made from a cotton swab dipped in dye, which is bandaged for several hours (preferably overnight).
An ointment can be made from pure, untreated propolis: mix 50 grams of the substance with 100 grams of petroleum jelly. The ointment is applied generously to the affected nail and is gradually absorbed, the residues can be wiped with paper towels or wait until completely absorbed.
All propolis products are applied daily for 2 months or more, as needed.
Iodine tincture
The complex use of iodine has already been observed in the composition of several products. Iodine has the ability to coagulate (stick) proteins: fungi, consisting of protein compounds, unite and die.
Even if the patient has no other medication on hand, he can start treatment using only the alcoholic iodine tincture from the pharmacy.
Iodine lotions. The therapy is very simple:
It is necessary to soak a dyed cotton and fix it on the affected nail for an hour, avoiding the contact of the substance with the skin. For the skin, iodine is not safe, it can cause chemical burns, also avoid contact with mucous membranes.
A slight burning sensation is appropriate. The procedure can be performed every day for 1, 5 to 2 months.
Celandine
Since celandine is a highly toxic herb, a tolerance test should be performed. For this, a small amount of the product with celandine is applied to the skin of the wrist and waiting for a reaction. In case of intolerance, the skin will react with redness, rashes and itching, in just a few minutes.
With good tolerance, celandine can be used in the form of juice, decoction, oil or tincture.
You can make your ownJuiceby harvesting fresh grass and rubbing it well with rubber gloves. This juice cannot be stored for long, it is best to prepare each serving separately. The pure juice is applied to the affected nails for 10-20 minutes and then washed. You can repeat the procedure every day, but it is only available in the summer.
Celandine oil is sold in a pharmacy and is used to rub the nail plate twice a day, in the morning and at night. With the product, the nails can turn yellow, this is normal.
Trayswith decoction of celandine are prepared from dry pharmaceutical raw materials and water.
To start, add 7 tablespoons of dry grass to 2 liters of boiling water, the composition is kept in a water bath for 15 minutes.
Then it is filtered and used in the bath, supplemented with hot water if necessary. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes, the broth does not need to be washed.
Celandine tincture can be purchased at the pharmacy or prepared by you. It is used to treat affected nails, lubricating twice a day.
Potatoes
Potato tubers contain substances that can help fight fungal infections, but are not powerful. Against the fungus, use raw potatoes or potato broth.
It is necessary to grate the raw potatoes on a fine grater, apply the resulting porridge to the injured nails and bandage for an hour. Rinse with water.
For your convenience, you can substitute porridge for thin slices of potato.
Option: squeeze the porridge juice, wet the cotton swabs with it and apply to the nails.
Potato broth is used in the form of scalding after partial cooling. Potato procedures should be performed every day for 2 months.
The most effective medicines
Pharmaceuticals are essential for the complex treatment of complex advanced infections.
Inside are prescribedtablets or capsules.
Topically applied:
- ointments and creams; varnishes;
- solutions;
- natural preparations.
If folk remedies can be used with relative calm, drug therapy should be prescribed by a doctor, based on analysis and symptom data. Do not self-medicate or prescribe pills.
The best treatments for nail fungus
If you are a literate reader, start reading from the end. So, especially for you, the main useful conclusions:
- In the treatment of onychomycosis, it is necessary to understand that the fungus always affects the body as a whole, and not a specific part of the body, therefore, complex therapy is necessary.
- No medicine can be considered a panacea for yeast infections. You will need drug therapy, simple daily hygienic procedures and adherence to a nutritional protocol.
- Many treatment regimens for onychomycosis are planned for up to 2 months, during which time the nail plate has time to completely renew itself. It is important not to interrupt the therapy ahead of time.
- Mycoses are difficult to cure, it is impossible to completely eliminate fungal infections in the human body, but you can significantly reduce the pathogenic effect of fungi and maintain a healthy level of immunity.
Be healthy!