Few people know that using vinegar can solve a rather complex medical problem to eliminate nail fungus. Thanks to the availability of table vinegar (9% acid solution), as well as vinegar essence (70% acid solution), which can be bought in hardware stores or markets, there are many ways to treat toenail fungus using these products.
Of course, self-medication with vinegar should be carried out only if the disease does not progress to an advanced form, and it is advisable to combine it with specially developed drugs. However, when there is an urgent need to treat nail fungus, and there is no money or time to visit a doctor or drug therapy, you can use vinegar yourself, the main thing is to follow the appropriate safety rules.
Features of using vinegar to treat fungus
The main effect of using vinegar is the creation of an acidic environment in the area of fungal infection, which prevents the growth of hyphae and the spread of spores. Gradually, the fungus, left without access to new sources of nutrients, dies, and the absence of more resistant spores prevents the possibility of recurrence of the disease.
At first glance, everything is very simple - how to destroy bacteria with antiseptics. But in fact, the fungus turns out to be very strong, because its body is not on the surface of the nails or skin, but goes deep into the tissue. In this regard, a positive result from the treatment of oncomycosis should be expected only in the case of strict procedures, which will not leave the parasite time for recovery and penetration under the skin.
Before treating nail fungus, make sure the concentration of acetic acid used corresponds to that specified in the recipe. If the recipe contains a mention of vinegar essence, then it means a 70% solution, which must be dissolved or used according to the directions. Food or table vinegar, respectively, contains 6 and 9% acid. Ignoring this data can result in treatment ending with chemical burns.
Apart from this point, there are no special contraindications for treatment with vinegar. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is a common substance that patients are usually aware of this feature of the body. A burning sensation may occur during the first procedure, but this is normal and will subside over time. Otherwise, vinegar, if safety rules are followed, does not pose any threat to health.
Vinegar bath
A warm foot bath is considered an effective remedy against fungus; regular use allows you to get rid of onychomycosis at an early stage without additional drugs. Also, vinegar baths are an excellent prevention of fungal infections. This procedure requires warm, about 50 °C, water and a glass of table vinegar with a concentration of 9%. The water level in the basin should not be high, but only up to the ankles. The feet are dipped in the solution and kept there for 15 minutes.
Before taking a vinegar bath, it is advisable to carry out a full pedicure procedure, including removing the affected areas of the nail plate and dead skin layers, calluses and corns on the feet, but without using decorative coatings on the nails. If you trim and file your own nails, you must do this carefully, as micro damage to the skin can contribute to the spread of fungal infections.
Immediately after the vinegar bath, pat your feet dry with a towel and put on cotton socks. Repeat three times a week.
Vinegar lotion
It is best to apply the lotion to the area affected by the fungus after the vinegar bath. Both pharmaceutical products and pure 9% vinegar are suitable for this, where a cotton pad is moistened and applied to the nail for fifteen minutes.
A more complex recipe: a mixture of vodka or forty-proof medical alcohol, glycerin and 70% acetic acid in equal proportions, mix until smooth. A cotton swab moistened with the solution is kept on the affected area for fifteen minutes, after which cotton socks are worn. The course of treatment is a week, if necessary, it can be repeated after a few days.
Vinegar-based ointments are stored for a long time, they are easier to use than products with a liquid consistency. To prepare vinegar ointment, you need to take 70% acetic acid, dimethyl phthalate, glycerin and olive oil in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1, respectively. After mixing all the ingredients thoroughly, the ointment is ready for use.
To prevent the spread of fungal infections and destroy their pathogens, you need to apply the ointment every day to the affected area with cotton, leave it for 8-10 hours, and then wash it with laundry soap. This recipe can be used not only to treat toenail oncomycosis, but also on the affected nail.
Preventive measures against fungi consist of observing hygiene rules, especially in public places - bathhouses, swimming pools, bowling clubs. Choose comfortable shoes and socks made of natural materials, because poor circulation in the feet combined with high humidity creates the prerequisites for the development of onychomycosis (read also: onychomycosis - causes and prevention). Gymnastics, moderate physical activity and running can improve blood circulation and strengthen the immune system, which makes the body immune to fungal and other infections.
Treatment of toenail fungus with tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is an effective remedy against onchomycosis, acting directly on the cause of the disease - the dermatophyte fungus. Tea tree essential oil contains alpha-terpinene, alpha-phellandrene, limonene, sabinene, cineole and other substances that provide antiseptic properties and anti-inflammatory effects.
Before using essential oils, it is necessary to carry out an allergy test - apply a small amount of the product to the skin of the wrist, if within 12 hours there is no irritation, redness of the rash or other reactions, then the product can be used for medicinal purposes. Otherwise, it must be diluted to a safe concentration or the technique should be abandoned altogether.
How to use tea tree oil:
Foot bath with tea tree oil. Warm water is poured into the basin up to the level of the ankles, 15-20 drops of essential oil are added and the feet are kept in it for twenty minutes, maintaining a high water temperature (45-50 °C). The course of treatment is two months; bath must be taken every day. During the treatment procedure, it is necessary to remove the affected area of the nail plate using a file, nail clippers or scissors.
Apply oil on the nail plate. If you do not have a reaction to undiluted tea tree oil, then to increase the effectiveness of its effect, it is applied in its pure form to the affected nail area. First, the feet are steamed in warm water with the addition of laundry soap (for better dissolution, it can be grated). Oil is rubbed into the nail plate with cotton twice a day; no need to rinse the product.
How to cure toenail fungus fast?
The internal and external use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of infectious diseases and other diseases has been described by Professor Neumyvakin in a book written based on personal experience. He mentions hydrogen peroxide as a preventative with antibacterial properties.
The external use of hydrogen peroxide to treat fungal infections is done after steaming the feet in warm water with soda dissolved at the rate of one teaspoon per liter. When the nail plate becomes soft, pinch a small fragment of the affected nail area with nail clippers and, after soaking it in a 3% peroxide solution, apply it to the nail plate. Leave on for 10-15 minutes on nails or 40 minutes to an hour on toes. Do the procedure twice a day until the symptoms of the fungal infection disappear.
To reduce the evaporation of peroxide and increase the intensity of the effect, the nail plate with lotion is wrapped in plastic film. After the exposure time has ended, rinse your toes and hands thoroughly under running water.
For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, it is recommended to soak the nail cavity with hydrogen peroxide three times a day.
Hand and foot baths (depending on the location of onychomycosis) with hydrogen peroxide give good results. Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in water at a temperature of 40-50 °C at the rate of two spoons per liter of water. The duration of the procedure is fifteen minutes, the frequency is twice a day for a week.
Instead of hydrogen peroxide in this recipe, you can use dead water with a negative redox potential, also called anolyte water. Anolyte water is safe to use on sensitive skin, but has antiseptic properties, which reduce fungal growth.
Effective toenail fungus treatment
Extreme methods of treating fungal infections are used for severe wounds on the nail plate; it must be used carefully so as not to damage the skin.
To get rid of the fungus, the nail is treated with a rust neutralizer (this can be purchased at an auto parts store). This product contains phosphoric acid, which effectively destroys fungi, but if used accidentally, it can damage skin tissue. Therefore, when using it, it is necessary to observe safety precautions - work in a well-ventilated area, wear safety glasses and rubber gloves, avoid contact of the product with skin and mucous membranes.
A safer way is to use kerosene, which also has a high penetrating power and a very strong effect on fungi.
Other folk remedies for toenail fungus
Complex treatment of toenail fungus using a folk recipe based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and permanently get rid of the unpleasant odor and other accompanying symptoms.
Two effective folk remedies against fungal infections:
Peroxide Recipe 1. To prepare a healing mixture, you need slaked soda (0. 5 cups), hot water (4 cups), 3% hydrogen peroxide (0. 25 cups) and half a cup of magnesium sulfate or Epsom salt. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and pour another quarter cup of vinegar. Soak cotton with the resulting solution and fasten it to the nail plate affected by the fungus using a plaster. The bandage needs to be renewed every ten hours, the course of treatment is a month.
Recipe with peroxide 2. The procedure for treating fungus according to this recipe consists of three stages. First, you need to prepare a solution to treat the surface of the nails and skin affected by the fungus - mix 3% vinegar and peroxide in a concentration of 3% in a ratio of 1: 1. This mixture is applied to the feet while they sizzle. The second stage is to soak the finger with a fungal nail infection for half a minute in a weak bleach solution in water, after which it is thoroughly washed under running water and wiped dry with a towel. Finally, tea tree oil mixed with Vaseline in the same proportion used on the nail plate. Wear warm socks or gloves (if this technique is used to treat nail oncomycosis). The course of treatment is one week.
Novocaine lotion. A very simple but effective folk remedy for treating fungus is novocaine lotion. Simply soak a piece of cotton wool with novocaine and apply it to the fungus overnight. Just these two lotions are enough to get rid of the fungus forever.
Apricot resin color: pour 1 tablespoon of resin extracted from the tree with a glass of vodka, leave for three days. Lubricate the skin of the feet and nails with this solution. Shake before each use. It took us a month for treatment; Affected nails are cut as they peel, and new, healthy nails grow. After the examination, the doctor confirmed the fact of recovery. I can also recommend using old, concentrated sunflower oil in this case.
Garlic application: I take a clove of garlic, squeeze it using a garlic press, apply the mixture to the nail, cover it with cellophane and wrap it with a bandage or put it on the tip of the finger. I left the bandage until morning; in the first days I felt a throbbing pain, like an abscess, but I had to bear it. I repeat the procedure every day and new nails grow.
Strong coffee. Few people know that plain but strong coffee is an excellent folk remedy for treating fungus. Make yourself a stronger cup of coffee and just submerge your hands or feet in the cup, depending on where you have the fungus. This procedure is best done in the evening, before going to bed. The fungus completely disappears after several such evening procedures. At the same time, the skin becomes smooth, and the pain quickly disappears.
Nail fungus in adults: symptoms, causes, treatment
In medicine, nail fungus is officially called onychomycosis. This is a fungal disease that affects the nail plate of the fingers or toes. According to the WHO, this is a relatively common disease. It occurs in about 27% of people, and the pathology is diagnosed on the legs 2 times more often than on the arms. The problem of nail fungus is very subtle, because the unpleasant appearance of the plate makes the patient feel uncomfortable and hide it from others.
Symptoms and signs of nail fungus
Onychomycosis is very easy to recognize, because the signs on the nails cannot be ignored. First, the nail plate becomes dull and rough, losing its shiny shine. Then the nails become dirty yellow, whitish or gray instead of pink. Then other characteristic symptoms of the fungus appear:
- increase the thickness of the plate;
- defects in the form of stripes, bends, distortions and waves;
- delamination and collapse of plates;
- unpleasant odor from nails.
As a result, the nail is completely destroyed and also peels off, exposing the nail bed. The skin next to the plate becomes red and causes severe itching.
Only a doctor can diagnose the disease accurately. Do not postpone your consultation - contact a specialist as soon as possible.
Cause
The main reason for the development of fungal infections is the entry of pathogens into or into the human body. As a rule, these are microsporums, trichophytons and epidermophytons. This is the fungus that causes onychomycosis especially often.
When entering the body, the fungus is localized on keratin skin derivatives, i. e. nails and hair. This is explained by feeding parasites, for which they use the fibrillar protein keratin, which is found in nails and hair.
The main cause of mycosis is a pathogenic fungal infection. At the same time, many types of fungi are always present in the body, and their growth is usually prevented by the immune system. When control is reduced, the fungus begins to grow on the skin or tissue of internal organs. This often happens because:
- chronic diseases that weaken the body;
- non-compliance with hygiene rules;
- insufficient or unbalanced nutrition;
- smoking and alcohol abuse;
- exposure to external factors that weaken the body - hypothermia, excessive ultraviolet radiation, poisoning, radiation damage, etc. ;
- long-term use of certain antibiotics or other drugs.
The only exception here is the so-called mycosis fungoides, which is not a fungal disease. This is an oncological tumor pathology, which is based on the degeneration of T-lymphocytes into a malignant form.
Route of infection
The risk of contracting fungus is high especially in public places with high humidity. These are saunas, swimming pools, gyms, public baths, etc. The most common route of infection:
- direct contact with an infected person. Here the fungus moves from its habitat to a healthy area, thereby causing infection;
- household manners. In this case, the infection occurs when using the patient's personal items: shoes, personal hygiene items, etc.
There are many ways to get infected with fungal diseases. Often this happens:
- direct contact with the affected area of another person's skin;
- when sharing towels, slippers, personal hygiene items;
- through contaminated manicure tools;
- through contaminated clothing and shoes;
- through the ground, especially in the presence of skin microtrauma;
- contact with pets.
Most often, skin mycoses develop in people who visit swimming pools, saunas, shower in sports clubs, etc. Infection is more likely the worse a person's immune system works.
Risk factors
The incidence of onychomycosis increases at the age of 60. Currently, the probability of developing such an infection is 60%, which is explained by the slowdown in metabolism, especially in the distal (distant) parts of the body, i. e. the fingers and toes.
Other risk factors for developing nail fungus include:
- diabetes;
- varicose veins;
- injury to the nail and adjacent tissue;
- HIV and other immunodeficiency conditions;
- long-term use of antibiotics;
- weak immune system;
- vascular and skin diseases, dermatitis, diaper rash;
- disruption in blood supply to the legs;
- inadequate hygiene.
Complications
In an uncomplicated course, the disease causes traditional symptoms for fungi, causing only severe discomfort to a person. But without treatment, onychomycosis can cause complications. Often they manifest themselves in the addition of bacterial infections.
Sometimes onychomycosis is very acute with the appearance of blisters, ulcers and weeping areas on the skin next to the nail. In severe cases, the disease takes a generalized form. This means that the nail fungus spreads to internal organs and systems, and then the patient will need emergency hospitalization.
When you see a doctor
Many who have experienced onychomycosis know that this disease develops slowly and is very difficult to treat. That is why it is very important to consult a doctor when the first signs of the disease appear. Dermatologists treat nail onychomycosis in the clinic. Specialists will provide efficient assistance and will guide you until complete recovery.
Prepare to visit the doctor
Before visiting a dermatologist, it is important not to treat the affected nail area with anything, i. e. do not use medicines, including iodine and brilliant green. It is also necessary to avoid the use of creams and ointments against fungus. At your appointment, you will need to take all the tests taken before, including tests for other diseases. The affected nail should not be cut for 3-4 days before the consultation.
Diagnosis of nail fungus
First of all, the patient is sent for a microscope, which allows to identify the presence of pathogens. In the future, it is necessary to determine the type in order to choose the right treatment for toenail fungus. Professional clinics practice the most modern and common methods for diagnosing onychomycosis:
- cultural examination of biological samples of affected tissues. To do this, it is placed in an artificial nutrient medium, where the pathogen is grown to determine its type;
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to detect pathogen DNA in affected tissue samples.
As part of the diagnosis of mycosis, the study of scrapings of skin and nail formations, sputum, blood, hair, scrapings of mucous membranes, feces and other biomaterials can be performed, depending on the type and location of the lesion. For skin diseases, the following is usually done:
- dermatoscopy - examination of the affected area of skin, hair or nails to identify characteristic signs;
- microscopic examination of scrapings to detect fungal mycelium;
- bacterial culture on nutrient media, which allows you to identify not only the type of fungus, but also the optimal drug for treatment;
- serological blood tests;
- PCR test to detect fungal genome.
Some types of fungi are relatively easy to diagnose using UV radiation, which is produced using Wood's lamp.
Simultaneously with the determination of the type of fungus, the patient undergoes a general examination to identify the cause of the weakened immunity that leads to the infection.
Treatment
In the early stages of the disease, local therapy is usually prescribed, which consists of the use of creams and ointments with antifungal effects.
An antiseptic solution is also used as an external remedy for nail fungus. In addition to effective drugs for nail onychomycosis, antihistamine and desensitization drugs are prescribed that relieve swelling, inflammation and sensitivity.
If the nail is completely affected by the fungus and drug treatment does not produce a positive result, then the plate is subject to surgical removal. Also, in the total form of onychomycosis, antimycotic drugs are prescribed orally in the form of tablets, which have a systemic effect on the body.
When choosing a drug, dermatologists must take into account the individual sensitivity of the pathogen to certain drugs. The independent use of certain drugs often does not bring the desired results, because before starting treatment it is necessary to determine the type of agent causing the disease. For certain fungal infections, the patient's diet becomes important. So, during the treatment of yeast and mold fungi, it is necessary to exclude foods containing fast carbohydrates (sweets, flour products), fermented foods, alcohol and potatoes.
Home treatment
Before using home remedies, you should consult your doctor. With his permission, you can use the following recipe:
- iodine. Before use, the feet must be steamed, washed with laundry soap, and then the affected area of the nail plate must be removed. Next, treat the nails and the skin between the fingers with iodine, soak in a bath with soda solution for 20-30 minutes and dry thoroughly;
- vinegar. For 3 liters of water take 1 tablespoon. apple cider vinegar and add a little potassium permanganate. Soak your feet in the bathtub for 20-30 minutes, then dry them thoroughly;
- hydrogen peroxide. After steaming your feet thoroughly, remove the affected area of the nail plate. Put a cotton pad soaked in hydrogen peroxide on them, wrap it with a bandage and leave it for half an hour.
Prevention
To prevent the development of onychomycosis, it is necessary to exclude the negative effects of risk factors on the body:
- timely treatment of systemic diseases;
- don't wear other people's shoes;
- wear slate in swimming pools and saunas;
- change socks every day and follow the rules of personal hygiene;
- do not wear wet shoes - dry them thoroughly;
- Avoid direct contact with potential fungal carriers.