How to treat toenail fungus at home? What means is better to use: medicines or recipes of traditional medicine? Consider all the features of home treatment for this unpleasant ailment.
About nail fungus
Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, is one of the most common fungal diseases. There is a huge variety of forms of the disease. The fungus affects the nails both on the legs and on the hands. Many begin treating nail fungus only when serious complications arise. It's incorrect. Effective home treatment can be done at the first symptoms of the disease.
Nail fungus spreads from other people. At risk are people who use public transport, often go barefoot, visit swimming pools, public saunas and baths. Everyone is subject to the disease, without exception. However, not everyone is infected with onychomycosis. There are a number of factors that contribute to the development of the disease. These include:
- reduced immunity;
- wounds on the surface of the skin;
- increased sweating of the legs;
- metabolic disease;
- disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system.
The spores of the fungus enter the skin, after which they begin to multiply rapidly, affecting healthy areas. The peculiarity of the disease is that there may not be much discomfort and pain for a long time. The development of onychomycosis can last several months or even years. This is one of the main dangers of the disease.
Symptoms of the fungus are as follows: mild itching, mild peeling of the skin. The lesions are found around the nails. If a moisturizer does not help, you should immediately think about the nature of such deviations. Moreover, the defeat passes to the nail. It becomes yellow and bumpy, begins to exfoliate. The big toes are affected first.
If such symptoms are found, it is necessary to consult a doctor, as the ailment can lead to complications, damage to internal organs.
Treatment with drugs
Home treatment can be done with drugs or using traditional medicine recipes. How to cure toenail fungus using traditional methods? From modern means it is worth highlighting various drugs for external use.
It can be ointments, gels, which are used to treat affected nails. You can also find antifungal paints in drugstores that are applied like regular paint. For more effective treatment, it is necessary to use not only external agents, but also tablets. This method of treatment gives a much better and faster effect.
However, it is recommended to consult a doctor first, as internal drugs negatively affect the liver, therefore, their prolonged use is undesirable.
Treatment with folk remedies
Treatment of toenail fungus with folk remedies at home is quite effective. These methods are often used today. This is explained by the fact that modern drugs have strong side effects. How to get rid of toenail fungus using traditional medicine? Among the most effective methods are the following recipes.
- Every day, the affected nails should be treated with grated garlic /
- Lubricate your nails and skin daily with tea tree oil /
- Treat your nails with iodine.
If, with such treatment, pain occurs around the nail roller, then the treatment should not be done every day, but less often - once every 2-3 days. There are other ways too. So, propolis tablets, which insist on alcohol, have an excellent effect.
The following home remedy is also very effective. To get it, mix 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and methyl phthalate, 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. After obtaining a homogeneous mixture, it is placed in a cool place. For treatment, the composition is applied to the affected nail, covered with plastic wrap, and a stocking is put on. This procedure should be done 3 times.
Another very effective formulation is a mixture of vinegar, alcohol and glycerin in a 2: 2: 1 ratio. Lotions are prepared from the resulting liquid within 14-30 days. Often, after treatment, the diseased nail completely peels off, and a new, completely healthy one grows in its place.
In the first days after the start of treatment, the nail begins to hurt. Over time, the pain subsides. This is considered normal - the body begins to fight the disease, which is expressed by mild pain sensations.
If not, it means help, then you need to contact a specialist. And the sooner it is done, the more effective the treatment will be and the fewer complications there will be.
Prevention of defeat
In order not to think about how to cure toenail fungus, the risk of onychomycosis should be reduced to zero. For this, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive measures.
- Disinfect all manicure supplies.
- Cleaning the house, especially you need to pay attention to washing the floors.
- Disinfect your shoes with a 25% formalin and 40% vinegar solution. Liquids are mixed in equal proportions. A cotton swab is moistened in the resulting solution, which is then used to treat the inner surface of the shoe.
- Disinfect household items by boiling them in soapy water.
In the pool, in the bathroom, you should wear rubber slates. In shoe stores, shoes should be tried on with socks or tights, but in no case should they be worn barefoot. If all recommendations are followed, the risk of nail fungus infection is minimized.