How to treat toenail fungus? This question is of great concern to those who suffer from this disease. Or rather, suffer from it. Fungus on toenails (onychomycosis) causes discomfort where the appearance of the nails becomes very unattractive. And there is no point in painting on sore nails with varnish. Better to learn than to treat fungus. In addition, there are many drugs that successfully fight this disease. Let's try to find the most effective remedy for toenail fungus.
Fungus can overwhelm everyone, which is why it is necessary to know the methods of dealing with this disease.
Fungus from the beach
It is easily infected with onychomycosis. It is enough to wear the shoes of a sick person, walk barefoot on the beach or on the floor in the pool. Fungi prefer moist places with relatively high temperatures. This is a bath, sauna, sports complex. But it also happens that someone in the family becomes a source of infection. That is why it is very important for everyone to have their own slippers, and wear special shoes in places where they are suspected of being infected.
Toenail fungus is usually treated by adults. In children, the disease practically does not occur. Conditions for the development of the disease are:
- a sharp decrease in immunity;
- various diseases (diabetes mellitus, obesity, circulatory disorders in the legs, etc. );
- age-related changes in the acid-base balance of the skin and nails.
It is impossible not to see the fungus on the feet, the nails change so much. The color from pink to gray, yellow or green, the plate thickens and collapses, pain and itching appear at the site of the lesion.
But not only the unesthetic appearance of the feet is an indication for the treatment of mycosis. The fungus during its growth and reproduction poisons nearby tissues, accumulates toxic substances and causes metabolic disorders, disrupting the normal functioning of the digestive, nervous and cardiovascular systems. If, moreover, you do not comply with the rules of personal hygiene, then the dispute will "catch" new areas.
The fight against the fungus should be started as early as possible and certainly under expert supervision. He is the one who will help understand the various ways to fight the disease and choose the right treatment method.
The sooner you start fighting a fungal infection, the sooner you can get rid of it.
Cream, varnish or pill?
Means for the treatment of fungus are divided into several groups. First, pharmacies offer both drugs and expensive drugs at affordable prices. And in this case, the cheap way does not mean bad.
Second, there are many ways to treat toenail fungus. For this use:
- varnish;
- cream;
- tablet;
- folk remedies.
But be patient. If you decide to use traditional medicine, you will have to wait a long time for the results - several months, or even a full year. Ready for a quick impact? Use complex therapy - local remedies (varnishes, ointments) as well as tablets. The active substance can accumulate in the tissues, which reduces the duration of the disease. But this is exactly what happens when treatment should be under the supervision of a doctor. Remedies for nail fungus have many contraindications, their uncontrolled use can negate the effectiveness of treatment and lead to further development of the disease.
Varnish is a good remedy for nail fungus in the early stages of the disease. Varnish destroys fungi at the cellular level. They are used according to the scheme, the treatment is quite long. By the way, it is not forbidden to use the usual on top of medical varnishes. You can try special serums, as well as patches.
It is also recommended to carry out treatment, actively using preparations for removing nail plates. Means not to get rid of the fungus, but only to dissolve the affected nail. Before using the funds, it is necessary to steam the feet, then wipe the feet dry and use the preparation. Try not to reach the skin near the nails. After the time specified in the instructions, remove the plaster with a sealed finger and scrape off the affected tissue. This procedure is carried out until the fungus is completely eliminated.
Quite effective remedies for mycosis - creams, ointments, sprays. There are many of them, each based on the active ingredient:
- naftifine;
- ketoconazole;
- oxiconazole;
- terbinafine;
- bifonazole.
Tablets are the most effective remedy for nail fungus, but they are also the most unsafe. Children's age, hepatic and renal pathology, taking hormone medications are absolute contraindications to taking such medications.
The doctor will monitor the effectiveness of the treatment for toenail fungus. Over time, damaged tissue should be replaced with healthy tissue. Complete cure is confirmed in the laboratory. It needs to pass the required tests and wait for the results. You should also consider the possibility of an allergy to the drug. In this case, other drugs must be used against the fungus.
Unconventional but useless
The main thing to keep in mind is that it is not recommended to walk barefoot on the beach, in public pools, bathing, and so on. These places are a threat to your feet.
In the fight against mycosis, all means are good. Some of them are quite unexpected. Here, for example, Creolin is a drug used in veterinary medicine. Feedback on its effectiveness has been positive. It has antiseptic, disinfectant and antiparasitic action.
Mouthwash will also help in the treatment of fungus. Bath with apple cider vinegar, Fukortsin, a mixture of lavender essential oil and tea tree is also used as medicine. Natural oils are needed, which means they can’t be cheap.
In combination with drug therapy, it is good to use treatment with folk remedies. Here are some of the most effective ways.
- In the morning and evening, treat nails with iodine tincture (1 drop is enough). The duration of treatment is 10 days. There may be pain. It should pass in 2-3 days.
- Grind 2 cloves of garlic and mix with butter (100 g). In a day, treat the feet with the resulting ointment. Repeat daily for a month. The results can be seen after a week of applying.
- Dissolve 1 tbsp. l. sea salt in 1 liter of hot water. Soak your feet in the solution daily for 2 weeks in a row
- Wet the cotton wool in an alcoholic solution of propolis and apply for 15 minutes on the affected nails. The procedure continued for 3 weeks.
- Cut the lemon circle into 2 parts, attach to the affected nail, secure with a bandage and polyethylene. It is enough to carry out such a procedure for 8 - 10 days.
- Rub kombucha daily into sore nails. The course of treatment is 20 days.
- Mix equal amounts of chamomile, violet and string. Pour a liter of boiling water, leave for 2 hours. Wet the gauze in the resulting infusion, apply on nails.
- Grind 100 g of aspen bark, boil in 0. 5 liters of water. Lift your nails in this stew. Then treat them with a mixture of laundry soap and soda (1 teaspoon each). Treat every day.
- Mix with water 70% vinegar essence in 1/1 measure. Add the flour. Fix the resulting dough on the nails. The skin should not come into contact with the dough. After a few days, the affected nails will be uprooted, and healthy nails will grow in their place.
There are many folk methods by which treatment is carried out. Many believe that this therapy is the best cure for nail fungus.
Don't go barefoot
It is unlikely that you will be able to protect yourself 100% from nail fungus. But keep in mind about preventive measures, especially since it is not so complicated, and drugs are mostly expensive.
Don’t try new shoes with bare feet, make sure you wear socks. Wash your feet with soap before bed. Use special shoes in the bathroom, sauna, swimming pool, on the beach. If you experience sweating, use special preparations. Change socks, stockings, tights every day.
The fungus is hard to beat, but it is quite possible.
Just like not being infected at all.