A fungus on the legs, the treatment of which at home can be delayed in time, appears in every fifth person. In most cases, this pathology does not threaten the patient's life, but causes a lot of discomfort. If you do not follow the rules of personal hygiene, the red trichophyton fungus infects the foot. Candida often settles in the colonies of this microorganism. As a result of the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, toxic toxins are produced, which are carried by the bloodstream throughout the body. They interfere with the metabolism and increase the body's sensitivity to external negative factors.
It is necessary to understand in more detail how to treat a fungus on the legs at home in order to quickly get rid of this problem.
How to distinguish a mushroom from other diseases?
Before starting treatment, it is important to make sure that your feet are really affected by the fungus and not another infection. As a rule, infection with this microorganism is accompanied by dryness and peeling of the feet. In some cases, the skin may turn red and scales will appear between the folds. If a person suffers from excessive sweating, diaper rash can occur. They are often accompanied by itchy blisters and calluses.
Particular attention should be paid to the color and shape of the nails. Fungal spores tend to penetrate deep under the nail plate. First, yellow streaks appear on the nails, which over time begin to crack and lose color. Then voids or a crumbling mixture are formed under the nail. All this is usually accompanied by an unpleasant smell.
If a person has found these signs in themselves, treatment should be started immediately. At this stage, the infection is much easier to cure. A course of antifungal therapy will be enough to get rid of this problem.
If the fungus is ignored, it can turn into mycosis. It is able to interfere with movement, sometimes due to the pathology that has arisen in a person, the body temperature can rise. In some cases, a neglected fungus can provoke the development of psoriasis or eczema.
Treatment of nail fungus at home should however begin only after consultation with a specialist. The dermatologist will tell you which baths and ointments should be used to remove the pathology.
Since the treatment of fungus on the feet with home remedies involves the use of products of animal and plant origin, it is imperative to pass all tests that will eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction.
Methods for the treatment of nail fungus at home
Foot fungus treatment at home should begin with disinfection. At the same time, it is necessary to disinfect not only the affected skin areas, but also all items for the care of feet, shoes, clothes and the bathroom. Lack of regular disinfection nullifies the effectiveness of treatment, contributes to the infection of other family members with this disease.
To disinfect the skin, you can use Australian tea tree oil. Perfectly removes inflammatory processes provoked by the fungus, moisturizes and softens dry skin. Tea tree oil should be rubbed on the damaged areas 2 times a day for 1-2 months. Constant use of this natural component will help to forget forever not only the fungus, but also the cracks and corns.
It is recommended to boil clothes with the addition of detergents. For 5 liters of boiling water, you need to take 1 tsp. soda and ¼ of laundry soap. If possible, it is advisable to completely get rid of old socks.
Shoes should be treated regularly with 40% acetic acid. With a cotton swab dipped in the substance, you need to clean the entire inner area of the shoe well. Then used discs should be thrown away, and new ones should be dipped again in acetic acid, put in a boot or shoe and tied with a plastic bag. It is recommended to do this at night so that in the morning the entire infection was destroyed. It is best to wash the insoles periodically. This will help get rid of the pathogenic microflora that lives in the shoes.
There is no less fungus in the bathroom than on shoes and clothes. Tiles and all interior items should be cleaned regularly with chlorinated water. You can add some washing powder. Make sure all surfaces are dry and free of moisture. It is advisable to constantly ventilate the bathroom to prevent the growth of fungi.
Scissors, brushes and other cosmetic items used to treat nails and feet must be soaked in alcohol. If the composition of the metal allows, you can disinfect them with fire.
All methods of treating nail fungus will be in vain if you do not comply with the rules of personal hygiene and do not disinfect.
Foot baths
Home remedies for toenail fungus can be applied topically (rubbed into the skin) or taken in the bathrooms. This is the most common way to cure this disease. Not only will it help disinfect the skin and nail plate, but it will also relieve fatigue and swelling. It is best to take foot baths at night. Immediately after this procedure, it is necessary to wrap the limbs with a clean towel and go to bed. It will not make sense from the toilets if, for example, immediately after them, a person puts on his shoes and goes to work.
You need to consider several proven recipes for foot water treatments that will get rid of the fungus. The most common way is a bath with salt and soda. To prepare it, you need to mix these components in hot water in equal proportions and place the limbs in a basin for 30 minutes. When the water cools, add hot water. After such a bath, the feet should be rinsed with a fresh, clean liquid.
Potassium permanganate and mustard baths are also very popular. To prepare them, you need to take:
- 0, 5 tsp Potassium Permanganate;
- 1st l. chopped laundry soap;
- 1st l. drink;
- 2 tbsp. L. mustard.
All these components must be mixed in 5 liters of hot water. It is necessary to lower the legs into a basin with the composition for 20 minutes, then rinse them with a warm liquid and dry them with a clean towel. This procedure can be done daily until the symptoms of a fungal infection completely disappear.
Every day you can soak your feet in a sea salt bath (100 g per 5 liters of water). For greater effect, you can add 4 tbsp. L. apple cider vinegar.
An effective home remedy for nail fungus is a milkweed bath. To prepare it, you need to grind 100 g of leaves and stems of this plant, pour the resulting dry mixture into 3 liters of hot water. In such a mixture, the legs should be kept for about 30 minutes, constantly maintaining the temperature of the liquid. You should not do this procedure every day, it is enough to raise your legs like this 2-3 times a week, and after 1-2 months there will be no trace of the fungus.
Lotions and packs
Home remedies for foot fungus can be rubbed into damaged skin regularly. Often for this purpose, onion juice or horsetail herb infusion is used. This procedure is painless, it is recommended to wipe the skin with medicines 3-4 times a day, to forget about the fungus forever in a month.
You can prepare a special alcoholic tincture from lilac flowers. 10 mg of raw materials must be poured with 100 mg of alcohol and left to ferment for 10 days. With this solution, it is necessary to lubricate the damaged areas of the skin and nails for a week.
It is good to make compresses with alcoholic tinctures. The easiest way is to mix in 1 glass of warm water 1 tbsp. L. ammonia. This mixture should be completely soaked in gauze and put it on the affected area of the foot. Then the leg must be wrapped in polyethylene and wrapped in a towel. Instead of the latter, you can use ordinary warm socks. Such a compress should be done at night, 2-3 times a week until complete recovery.
An alcoholic tincture of propolis has also proved to be an excellent antifungal agent. He needs to clean the affected nail every day for 2 months. The result will become noticeable after the first 2 weeks - the diseased nail plate will gradually begin to peel off, and a healthy nail will appear in its place.
Garlic is often used in the fight against fungi. It must be finely grated and mixed with melted butter in equal proportions. This mass should be prepared immediately before applying to the skin, do not store it for a long time. The resulting suspension should be applied to the sore spots every day for 2 weeks.
You can prepare a therapeutic mixture of peroxide. For this you need:
- 0, 5 cups of extinguished soda;
- 4 glasses of hot water;
- ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide (3%);
- 0, 5 cups of magnesium sulfate;
- ¼ cup of vinegar.
All components, except vinegar, must be mixed well. Vinegar must be added last. It is necessary to impregnate a cotton swab with this therapeutic solution and apply it to the nail plate affected by the fungus. You can stick it with the sticker. It is desirable to apply such a bandage every 10 hours for 1 month.
At night, it is recommended to make lotions from novocaine. It is enough to moisten a cotton swab in the preparation and apply at night on a sore spot. You can use such lotions no more than 2 times a week until the symptoms of the disease completely disappear.
Antifungal ointments
If a person has started the disease and does not know how to cure the skin fungus of the legs at home, in order to avoid surgery, it is recommended to prepare an ointment from tar. It is necessary to mix in equal proportions a pure substance, powdered yellow sulfur and burnt blue vitriol. The finished mass must be boiled. Then it needs to be cooled and smeared with sore spots until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Acetic ointment will help overcome the fungus. To prepare it, you need to mix:
- 70% acetic acid;
- dimethylphtolate;
- glycerol;
- olive oil.
When preparing the ointment, it is necessary to adhere to the proportions 2: 1: 1: 1. The components do not need to be heat treated, just mix them well. On the affected areas, vinegar ointment should be applied with a cotton swab, held for about 8 hours, then carefully removed with laundry soap. It is recommended to apply the drug on sore spots at night.
It will be possible to cure the fungus with the help of celandine ointment. For its preparation you will need:
- 5 drops of celandine juice;
- 2 drops of oregano juice;
- 2 drops of calendula tincture.
- 4 tbsp. water.
All components must be mixed well. This ointment should be treated with nails and affected skin 3 times a day.