Currently, medicine has reached such a level that properly selected drugs can cope with any type of fungus. But many people do not believe in science and prefer to treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. And they do it wrong: illiterate treatment does not eradicate pathogens; at best, it slightly slows their growth.
If you want to use traditional medical methods at home, they should be used only as an additional treatment to complex therapy, and only after consulting a doctor.
Characteristics of fungi
The difficulty in treating athlete's foot is that there are several thousand species of this pathogenic organism in the world, most of which can live and grow successfully on human skin.Fungal spores are very strong, quickly take root in the epidermis, penetrate the inner layer of the skin; they can only be destroyed with drugs intended for their species.In addition, treatment should not be interrupted until the pathogen is completely destroyed: if even one spore survives, the likelihood of relapse is high.
Therefore, it is not enough to see a doctor, you also need to undergo a test that will determine the type of foot fungus. Only in this case can the doctor prescribe the right treatment: even effective drugs for foot fungus will be ineffective if they are aimed at eradicating other types of pathogens, and the fight will last for years.
These times can be significantly reduced if you detect foot fungus in time and immediately start treating foot fungus at home: in this case, the fungus can be eliminated within two months. Although the disease develops quickly, it leaves time to detect and take countermeasures. Therefore, it is very important to know what symptoms indicate the development of fungi that you need to pay attention to.
Disease symptoms
In the early stages, when the fungus only affects the feet and toes, peeling and redness are observed in the places where it has successfully established itself. After some time, this area starts to itch and itch, and sometimes small watery blisters may appear. These symptoms should not be ignored: you should immediately see a doctor. With the right treatment, toenail fungus can be permanently eliminated within two months using antifungal creams and anti-fungal polishes.
If the time is missed and the disease is not treated, the next stage will be damage to the nail, its color will begin to change gradually, and finally it will turn yellow, green or black, after which it will begin to peel, crumble and move away from the finger. In this case, simple ointments cannot be used for treatment, and time must be devoted to treating the nail plate.
This means that the nail needs to be cut almost to the root, and the upper layer of the affected plate must be filed, after which it is necessary to apply antifungal varnish on the nail, which, having penetrated the plate, will begin to destroy the fungal spores. When this varnish dries, it blocks air access to the fungus, which the pathogen needs for normal development.
If you miss this moment and do not start treating toenail fungus in time, longitudinal or wavy lines appear on the nail plate, the nail is bent and deformed. At this stage, it is most difficult to treat the fungus, and therefore it is necessary not only to use creams and varnishes on the skin, but also to take pills that can cause problems in the digestive system.
Such treatment is necessary because the fungus tends not only to spread over the skin of the feet, capturing more new areas, but also its toxins, entering the bloodstream, have a negative effect on the functioning of many organs and systems.
Vinegar bath
Traditional medicine can also help in the fight against this disease. But they must be used wisely, otherwise they can cause harm. Traditional methods can be used effectively in preparing the feet for treatment with medicines. First of all, this applies to bathing: before applying the ointment or varnish, the skin of the feet must be steamed and the flaky scales must be removed as much as possible using a pumice stone.
This will allow the therapeutic agent to penetrate the skin better and have a more effective effect on the fungus. To get rid of it more effectively, many reviews advise applying salicylic petroleum jelly to the affected area twice a day.
The simplest, but according to reviews, a very effective folk method is a vinegar bath: the acidic environment has a negative effect on the fungal spores, and they die. To use this method, according to the recipe, you need to mix a 9% vinegar solution with very warm water in a ratio of one to eight (for men who have rougher skin on their feet and thicker nails, you can use three to eight), then submerge your feet in the water. Steam for about ten to fifteen minutes, then start treating the skin.
To treat foot fungus at home, you can choose a different sequence: first, just steam your feet, cut off the affected skin as much as possible without injuring it, and then dip your feet in a vinegar solution. At the end of the procedure, wipe your feet dry and apply medicine (ointment and varnish).
For more effective results, you can make a bath with vinegar and celandine. To do this, pour two tablespoons of celandine with water, boil for about 15 minutes, let it brew, add vinegar before steaming your feet.
Other uses of vinegar
You can use vinegar to treat athlete's foot at home using other methods. If it suddenly turns out that the ointment for the fungus has suddenly run out, and there is no way to get it, you can prepare a medicine based on it. This is necessary so that the fungal spores do not feel "free" and become active again. True, it is not a cure, so at the first opportunity you need to buy the medicine prescribed by your doctor.
To prepare a medicine to treat fungus, you can use the following recipe: mix a teaspoon of vegetable oil with the same amount of vinegar, add the anti-fungal medicine dimethyl ester of ortho-phthalic acid, mix and apply to the affected skin. After this, wrap your feet in plastic, put on clean socks, and finally the product should be absorbed into the skin.
You can also make a compress using another method: mix three whites or one tablespoon of glycerin with two tablespoons of vodka and 70% vinegar in the same amount as vodka. After steaming and treating your feet, soak cotton wool in the product, apply it to the skin of your affected feet and wrap it in polyethylene. Leave it for no more than half an hour, because the product is very thick. For the same reason, the method cannot be used in the presence of small cracks.
The benefits of propolis
Many claim that they managed to get rid of fungus at home thanks to alcohol tincture of propolis, which is considered a natural antibiotic and has fungicidal, bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties. Propolis is able to relieve itching, stop the inflammatory process and prevent fungus from infecting healthy skin areas.
To prepare your own alcoholic tincture, you need to mix 20 g of propolis with 80 ml of medical alcohol and let it brew for a week. To treat foot fungus with propolis, you need to use cotton soaked in propolis color on the affected skin every day, securing it with a bandage. This should be done several times throughout the day.
Propolis ointment helps to get rid of fungus. To do this, melt 100 g of any fat (butter, vaseline, lard or fish oil) in a water bath, add 30 g of crushed propolis and cook over low heat, stirring for about half an hour. Strain and apply to the skin in the evening, after steaming your feet (more often if desired). Store in the refrigerator.
Iodine and garlic
Another effective way that helps cure foot fungus at home is a 5% iodine solution. It can be used if for some reason antifungal varnish cannot be obtained. It is not an equivalent substitute, but it is able to stop and even destroy fungal spores. Therefore, it is better to buy anti-fungal varnish at the first opportunity (if only because iodine cannot harden and block air access to fungal spores).
To apply iodine, you need to carefully treat the affected nail once a day for two weeks.Before doing this, do not forget to treat the nail surface with a nail file so that the iodine has a chance to penetrate deeper into the plate. When using this method, it is necessary to take into account that a burning sensation is possible during the procedure.
Garlic is good against fungus. It can be used in different ways: not only applied to the skin externally, but also taken internally (this helps strengthen the immune system). You can prepare garlic using various recipes.
Compressing the pulp will help cure toenail fungus. To use this method, you need to cut a few cloves of garlic in a garlic press or grate on a fine grater. After this, spread the paste over the nail, making sure it doesn't end up on the skin, secure it with a bandage in two or three layers, wrap it in cellophane, and put it on a cotton sock. You need to make a garlic compress at night, remove it in the morning, wash your feet under running water, apply antifungal cream, and, if necessary, varnish.
If you don't want to make a compress against the fungus at night, you can apply the paste to your nails, after steaming them and cleaning them. Keep it for 10-15 minutes until it dries, do not walk during this time. Use this method two to three times a day.
To treat fungus, you can use garlic tincture with alcohol. To do this, mix medical alcohol, squeezed garlic juice, and water in equal proportions. Leave for at least two days, treat the nails twice a day. How long it takes to cure foot fungus with garlic depends on how timely treatment is started. Also, don't forget to use antifungal ointments and varnishes.