Onychomycosis (nail fungus) is one of the most common infections on our planet. She takes care of us in the bathhouse, in the swimming pool, in the beauty salon getting a pedicure, on the beach and when trying on things in a shoe store. The disease develops quickly and very soon affects not only the nail plates, but also the skin areas surrounding them. It is important not to miss the onset of the disease, when nail fungus can still be treated with folk remedies.
The therapy of fungal diseases in general and onychomycosis in particular remains one of the most complex and not yet fully solved problems in medicine. Every third inhabitant of our planet suffers from this disease (according to WHO).
Symptoms of the disease
It is impossible to miss this disease even in the earliest stages of development. This greatly facilitates the diagnosis and allows treatment of the pathology to begin in a timely manner. First, the color of the nail begins to change: from pale pink, it turns yellow, brown and sometimes black. Other typical symptoms of this disease are:
- itchy skin around the nail;
- grooves, spots or inclusions on the nail plate;
- Pains;
- peeling of the nail;
- foul smell;
- deviation of the plate from the nail bed;
- A white coating forms on the soft tissues under the nail plate.
How does infection occur?
Nail fungus is possible in people with weakened immune systems and age-related skin changes. The risk of infection increases significantly in patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and thyroid. At the first signs of infection, you should immediately see a doctor to make a diagnosis and begin treatment. Otherwise, the infection will spread to other areas. All family members of an infected person are at risk. During the treatment period you are no longer allowed to walk barefoot on the floor. When taking a shower, simple hygiene rules must be strictly followed (rinse the bathroom thoroughly, use a personal towel).
Is it possible to get rid of nail fungus with folk remedies?
This is a very common question. Yes, in the early stages of the disease this is not difficult. The situation is much worse with an advanced form, when the disease can seriously harm health:
- weaken the immune system;
- cause an allergic reaction;
- provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Witch doctors and healers know how to treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. Of course, it will not be possible to fix the problem quickly (in a few days), but there will still be a positive result. Traditional medicines are divided into two groups:
- for internal use – teas, tinctures, decoctions;
- for external use - solutions, compresses, ointments.
By combining these methods, you can get rid of the disease and restore health. Below we describe how to treat nail fungus at home using folk remedies.
Preparations based on celandine
This plant is known not only to specialists in the field of herbal medicine, but also to ordinary city dwellers: many have seen small bushes covered with small yellow flowers near houses and on roadsides in the spring. But not everyone knows that the plant has disinfectant and wound-healing properties. It is also used to treat nail fungus. Most often, celandine is used in the form of a tincture. It is also possible to use pure plant juice.
Fresh juice
The easiest way to use celandine is to lubricate the damaged nail plate and cuticle with the juice of the plant three times a day. The treatment lasts a week.
Vodka tincture
Wash and dry the celandine herb well, chop it and place it in a glass container. Fill the raw material with vodka (1: 2). Seal the jar tightly and place it in a dark place for two weeks. The tincture is taken according to the following scheme: in the first three days – 3 drops diluted in ½ glass of water. The dosage is then increased by 1 drop daily. When you reach 20 drops, the amount is also gradually reduced to three.
Celandine and marigold
How else to cure toenail fungus? Folk remedies such as celandine and calendula are very effective in combating this pathology. To a teaspoon of celandine juice add two drops of calendula and oregano tincture. Add 4 tbsp to the resulting mixture. l. Water. The composition is applied to the affected nail plate three times a day.
Vinegar to treat fungus
Healers claim that vinegar can help cure nail fungus. Folk remedies based on it can be different. Next, let's look at some popular recipes.
Vinegar essence
Treat the affected nail plate with 70% acetic acid. However, this rather aggressive method is not suitable for people with heart and vascular diseases, allergic reactions to this substance and high blood pressure.
Egg and vinegar
Perhaps this is the most common folk method of treating nail fungus, which allows you to quickly get rid of the pathology. To prepare the medicine you will need apple cider vinegar and a chicken egg, preferably homemade. Pour vinegar into a 200 ml jar, put the egg in it and put it in a dark place. When the egg is completely dissolved, remove the remaining foil, pour the resulting mixture into another glass container, add a teaspoon of butter (teaspoon) and mix thoroughly.
Steam your legs, apply the product to the affected areas, cover with a multi-fold bandage, wrap with plastic wrap and secure. After 12-14 hours the nail will lift and become softer. It must be cut with pre-disinfected scissors. The procedures are repeated until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
ointment
Mix one part glycerin, dimethyl o-phthalate, olive oil with two parts acetic acid (70%). The ointment is applied to the affected nails for 8-10 hours. It is recommended to carry out the procedure before bedtime.
Foot baths
Table vinegar (200 ml) is added to the water heated to 50 ° C. Its height should reach the ankles. Your feet will float in this solution for a quarter of an hour. The procedure is carried out three times a week.
Use of iodine
Many people are interested in how to quickly treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. At the beginning of the article we said that a positive result can only be achieved at the initial stage of the disease. Onychomycosis can be treated with ordinary iodine. This is an inexpensive but painful procedure that is preferably performed on weekends.
Steam well and dry your feet. Lubricate infected nail plates with iodine and bury it in the cracks until it is no longer absorbed. After a while you will feel a strong burning sensation that you should endure. If the discomfort is unbearable, place your feet in a basin of cold water. At the beginning of the disease, one intervention is sufficient to cure it.
baking powder
Traditional methods are often used in the treatment of onychomycosis. How do you treat nail fungus with baking soda? The powder is used for warm baths at the rate of two tablespoons per three liters of water. To make the process more effective, add half a spoon (teaspoon) of grated laundry soap to the water. The procedure lasts at least a quarter of an hour. After completing the treatment, your feet should not be wiped: let them air dry. Then you need to put on cotton socks. For complete healing, such procedures should be carried out every three days for a month.
Essential oils
Many people say that with advanced disease it is quite difficult to cure toenail fungus with folk remedies. Healers believe that essential oils cope well with this task. In terms of their effectiveness, they are compared to expensive antimycotics. In addition to the antifungal effect, oils have numerous beneficial properties:
- Cleaning;
- regenerating;
- anti-inflammatory;
- bactericidal.
Essential oils not only destroy fungal cells, but also restore the normal state of the nail plate. These remedies for the treatment of nail fungus are used in various procedures:
- Compressed.Heat the tea tree oil to 30°C and dilute it with two teaspoons of warm water. Soak a cotton pad in the resulting mixture and place it on the nail plate for an hour. After the procedure, it becomes soft and elastic, allowing it to be trimmed.
- Bath.Pour three liters of hot water into a bowl, pour in ylang-ylang essential oil and add rosemary or lavender (10 drops). Immerse clean feet in the solution for fifteen minutes. After the procedure, wrap your feet in a warm towel for a quarter of an hour.
- Use in pure form.If no allergic reactions to the oil occur, you can use it to lubricate the nail plate, previously steamed in hot water with 72% laundry soap. Soak a cotton swab in the oil and lubricate the affected nails. It should not be washed off.
Propolis tincture
There are many traditional methods for treating nail fungus. A universal and safe remedy is propolis, more precisely its alcohol tincture. The drug has fungicidal, wound healing and bacteriostatic properties.
In onychomycosis, propolis prevents the pathogen from multiplying. According to reviews, itching and inflammation disappear after just a few procedures. The affected nail is gradually replaced by a healthy one. There are several ways to treat pathologies with propolis:
- A piece of propolis, previously steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, is applied to the affected nail. The procedure should be carried out twice a day for a month.
- Moisten a cotton pad with an alcoholic solution of propolis (20%), apply it to the nail plate and cover with dry cotton wool. At the end of the procedure, bandage your finger. After a day, the bandage can be removed and the softened nail removed.
tea mushroom
The healing properties of this unique remedy are used in the treatment of many infectious diseases. You can treat nail fungus with this folk remedy. Use it like this:
- Separate a thin layer of the fungus, soak it in water for an hour, and then apply a piece to each affected nail.
- Cover the compress with plastic wrap and put on a wool sock.
- Leave the compress on overnight.
The procedure, during which burning and itching may occur, is repeated every two days until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Garlic
Many patients are interested in what folk remedies can treat nail fungus. Many of the remedies are always available in every home. For example, garlic, which is no less effective than special antifungal drugs.
- Pour a glass of apple cider vinegar over a clove of garlic in a glass container with a lid and place in a dark place for two weeks. The finished composition is applied to the nails affected by the fungus in the evening, a gauze bandage is applied over them and left until the morning. Treatment continues until the symptoms of pathology disappear.
- Squeeze the juice out of five garlic cloves. It should be diluted in 30 ml of boiling water. This product is used to lubricate sore nails that must first be steamed and dried.
Hydrogen peroxide
How to quickly treat nail fungus with folk remedies? Traditional healers claim that there are methods that help get rid of the disease in a very short time. These include preparations based on hydrogen peroxide. It can be used in different ways and in different combinations:
- A mix of several products.Dissolve 1/2 cup vinegar-slaked soda, 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 cup magnesium sulfate in four glasses of water. Attach a cotton swab soaked in this mixture to the affected nail with a plaster. The bandage remains on the affected area for 10 hours. Then it is replaced with a new one. The treatment lasts 10 days.
- peroxide and vinegar.Mix equal parts peroxide and 6% vinegar. Dip your fingers into this mixture and hold until it sizzles. The feet are then washed with warm water and tea tree oil, mixed in equal parts with petroleum jelly, is applied to the dry nails. This process should be done every day for a week.
Procaine-based anesthetic
Yes, this is not exactly a folk remedy, but it would be wrong not to mention it in this article. Cotton swabs are moistened with anesthetic and attached to the affected nails. Some patients claim that this simple method can eliminate the fungus in just two procedures.
Herbs
How else can you treat nail fungus? Folk remedies based on herbs and medicinal plants have a disinfecting and anti-inflammatory effect.
Recipes:
- Mix equal parts wormwood, burdock leaves and chamomile flowers. Pour a tablespoon (tablespoon) of the mixture with a glass of boiling water. After 20 minutes, when the composition has cooled slightly, dip your fingers in it for 15-20 minutes.
- Chamomile flowers, oak bark and marigold should be taken in equal parts. Pour boiling water (one liter) into three spoons of the mixture. Let the mixture rest for half an hour. Then add a tablespoon of sea salt to the broth. Put your feet in it. The process takes a quarter of an hour.
- Blackberry leaves, verbena grass, horsetail, marigold flowers and oak bark are crushed and mixed in equal parts. Pour boiling water (200 ml) into a spoon (teaspoon) of the mixture. Place the container with the herbal mixture in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Strain cotton pads, allow to cool and moisten with the resulting decoction. They are applied to sore nails at night in the form of lotions.
- Gently crack the burdock leaf with a spoon to release the juice. Pieces of the leaf are placed on the nail plate, the finger is bandaged and a sock is put on. The dressing should be changed every 12 hours. Continue treatment for 10 days.
- The leaves of Kalanchoe and golden mustache must be ground to a paste-like state. The mass is applied to the infected surface and fixed with a bandage. In the morning, remove the bandage and wash your feet with warm water. Treatment is carried out until symptoms disappear.
- Pour 150 ml of vodka with 10-15 g of lilac flowers. The raw materials are infused in a dark place for two weeks. Wipe the damaged nail plate with the prepared tincture twice a day for a week.
Fungus in advanced form
If the nail is completely yellowed, no longer fits tightly to the nail bed, is crumbling, the nail folds are red or painful, this means that the nail fungus has progressed. Treatment of this form of pathology with folk remedies is inconvenient and ineffective. In this case, alternative medicine is used only as a supplement to drug treatment.
Affected nails are washed with tar soap at night. Sprinkle salt over it and bandage it with a sterile bandage. In the morning, remove the bandage and wash your feet with warm water. Repeat the process for at least a week.
Disease prevention
If you are an opponent of traditional medicine or for some reason you cannot purchase medicines, you can try to fight the disease with folk remedies. In this case, it is necessary to treat nail fungus when the first symptoms of the disease are detected.
Prevention of this pathology is no less important. The pathogens that cause onychomycosis are inert to conventional disinfectants. Powders, soaps and detergents do not affect the viability of the spores. In this regard, nail fungus is a dangerous disease; home treatment is quite difficult and preventive measures are often ineffective.
However, it is necessary to follow basic prevention rules:
- Do not use other people's hygiene products. This rule must also be observed in the family circle, since, according to medical statistics, more than 60% of cases of infection occur at home.
- Treat bathrooms and carpets with disinfectant solutions.
- Use a 5% chloramine solution to treat bed linens and washcloths used by the patient.
- Stockings or socks should be changed daily. Fungal spores migrate into the fabric and can only be removed by boiling, which is not always possible.
- After visiting the pool, treat your nails and feet with a 40% hexamethylenetetramine solution.
- Dry or sweaty skin is an ideal breeding ground for infections. Doctors have proven the high effectiveness of boric acid, hexamethylenetetramine and talc for excessive dryness or sweating of the feet.
If treatment of the fungus with alternative medicine does not give a positive result, you should consult a doctor who knows exactly how to treat nails with the help of medications.
Alternative treatment for nail fungus: patient reviews and doctors' opinions
Many people claim that they were able to completely get rid of this pathology only using folk remedies, the recipes for which are listed in this material. True, they all claim that they managed to achieve a positive result, since treatment was started after the first symptoms of the disease were noticed.
Doctors are not so optimistic. They believe that treating nail fungus with folk remedies is not always safe. The fact is that many of them are quite aggressive and doctors have more than once had to deal with the consequences of their uncontrolled use - burns, inflammation, etc.
Therefore, doctors recommend that if you suspect a fungus, you should consult a doctor, carry out a scraping, determine the susceptibility of the pathogen to various drugs, and then start treatment. If in your case the doctor considers it possible to treat nail fungus with traditional methods, he will include effective means in the complex therapy.