Loss of toenails with a fungal infection is associated not only with external infection, but also with the state of the microflora inside the human body.
As you know, fungi of different species (there are thousands of them) live successfully inside the human body, being opportunistic organisms. This means that they are not dangerous as long as the population is kept at an acceptable level. If there are many of them, then they show their toxic properties and have a negative impact on health.
Onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nails) indicates that the body is unable to resist fungal infection, maintaining the necessary acid-base balance of the skin and internal environments (pH).Proper comprehensive treatment will include both external agents and adherence to a specific nutritional protocol that will help reduce infection activity.
Effective treatments
- Drug therapy.
- Radical methods with gradual softening and removal of nail plate.
- Conservative methods that do not require nail removal: oils, lotions, compresses, baths.
Antifungal diet
For the duration of treatment, it is recommended to reject all types of products containing fungal cultures:
- baked goods and bread in yeast dough (you can use unleavened bread or pies);
- almost all types of cheese except Adyghe cheese, mozzarella, feta cheese and burrata;
- fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt).
You should also limit or temporarilyexclude sugar and any sweets from your diet, as well as sweet fruits and vegetables with starch (potatoes, beets).
These support measures will increase the effect of external medications and treatment will go faster.
Important! If the patient treats anemia and takes iron supplements, then it should be remembered that iron strengthens the protective membrane of fungi.
it is best to discontinue these medications during antifungal therapy.
Pharmaceuticals or folk remedies
If the infection has been neglected and has already led to deformation of the nail plates, then drug therapy will be more appropriate, they are able to suppress the activity of the fungal colony.
For minor initial symptoms, you can try home remedies with folk remedies.
Many experts are of the opinion that it is quite dangerous to touch the fungus with drug therapy, as it provokes a strong response from microorganisms, which leads to resistance. The stronger the efforts to get rid of the fungal infection, the stronger the resistance and resistance to chemical attack. When a doctor chooses a drug treatment, he tries to change the drug periodically so as not to provoke addiction.
Treatment of toenail fungus at home
Treating a fungal infection at home will be helpful with good hygiene and good practices, but you may need to be patient.
Andriasyan's method
Usually, the infection becomes noticeable after the color or shape of the nails change. In fact, the fungus grows on the bed under the nail plate, where it enters through the infected toe or penetrates under the edge of the nail.
This is why Dr. Andriasyan's method aims at removing the nail plate and subsequent treatment. The affected nail is gradually diluted with a pharmaceutical agent, which is a powder of 15 parts barium sulfide and 85 parts talc.
- The powder is mixed with water, placed on the nail in the form of a particle for 30-40 minutes, wetting it all the time by a pipette. You can make a small depression in the 5 mm layer of paste and pour water into it every 3 minutes so that the medicine works continuously.
- The woman is washed, the softened layer of the nail is removed with a scalpel, trying not to damage the nail bed, then the onycholysis is restored. In 2-3 applications, you can remove the entire plaque, this is important, as the fungus affects the entire nail tissue.
- Exposed surface is treated with a 5% iodine solution.
- The paste on a Vaseline base is placed on the nail bed. Prepared from salicylic acid, lactic (or benzoic) and resorcinol, each ingredient will need 15 g, they should be mixed with 55 g of petroleum jelly. You can make the paste yourself, all preparations are available at the pharmacy.
On top of the paste, 2-3 layers of gauze and compress paper are applied, the bandage lasts 48 hours. In 3 applications, the affected surface is completely cleansed of keratinized layers of skin and affected tissues. - Salicylic acid is applied to the bed for another 48 hours under the bandage.
- The nail bed is treated with iodine tincture 1-2 times a day until the nail is restored.
Quick and effective alternative recipes for treating mycosis
Using herbal fungicides and simple home remedies can help fight fungal infections.
It is important to wash your feet well before all Wellness procedures, trim your nails at the right time and get rid of the epithelium, as far as the skin condition allows.
Table vinegar
Vinegar has a pronounced antifungal effect, as the acidic environment has a devastating effect on the ability of fungi to reproduce.
For home procedures, you can use apple cider vinegar, wine and ordinary vinegar, it is only important to remember the concentration of the substance.
Vinegar essence contains about 70-80% of the substance, it must be diluted with water so as not to get a chemical burn.
Example for 70% essential vinegar:
- to get a 3% concentrate, the ratio is 1: 20 (1 part vinegar and 20 parts water);
- 6% acetic acid is diluted 1: 11;
- 9% solution is diluted 1: 7.
It is recommended to start treatment with acetic acid at low concentrations, gradually increasing it to 9%.
Drawers.Before using this method, you should wash your feet thoroughly, trim your nails, and remove the keratinized epithelium as much as possible.
In the treatment process, the hardened skin will soften, gradually it will be possible to remove it completely. For 3 liters of hot water, you will need 1 liter of apple cider vinegar or a glass of 3% vinegar. Soak clean feet in the bath for 15-20 minutes until the solution has cooled. After washing, do not rinse the solution from the skin, let it dry.
A few drops of iodine, manganese crystals or tea tree oil can be added to the bath to enhance the antifungal effect.
Baths can be taken for a long time, it is important to monitor the state of health and the dynamics of recovery.
A slight burning sensation on the surface of the skin is acceptable, but the pain should not be tolerated. If the pain syndrome is severe, it is recommended to reduce the concentration of vinegar or temporarily abandon the baths and use other means.
People with serious violations of the integrity of the skin of the foot (cracks, ulcers) are told to use the vinegar baths carefully.
Lotions and compresses.Wet gauze pads soaked in vinegar solution are applied to the affected surface for 3 hours until dry. It is important not to create a greenhouse effect by covering the wardrobe with plastic wrap, ventilation is necessary.
First solution:
- 100 ml water.
- some drops of iodine.
- a teaspoon of vinegar.
Second solution:
- 2 tablespoons water.
- tablespoon glycerin.
- 2 tablespoons 3% vinegar.
The course of treatment will last from 2 months to a year.
If the use of vinegar causes irritation and an allergic reaction, discontinue therapy.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree has a powerful fungicidal effect, contains about one hundred fractions of terpene - substances that have a toxic effect on fungi and microorganisms.
it is more effective to use 100% crude oil than cosmetic, it contains 40-50% tea tree oil in half with other vegetable oils.
Undiluted oil is rubbed into the nail plates and the rough skin around them. There is no need to rinse or wipe the product, it partially dries, partially penetrates into fabrics. Use the medicine twice a day for 2 months and longer.
A refreshing dip in warm water and a few drops of tea tree oil can be used to soothe and deodorize the skin.
Hydrogen peroxide
Most often, a standard 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is used in therapy, sold in pharmacies in a ready-made form. Peroxide is known as an antiseptic, hemostatic and deodorant agent, and its antimicrobial and antifungal effects are also known.
Peroxide treatments.
Baths: add 2-3 ml of peroxide to 3 liters of warm water, keep your feet in the solution for 10-15 minutes, then dry them without wiping.
You can buy hydrogen peroxide in powder or tablet form, add a little water to the substance to turn it into a slurry. This woman is gently applied with a cotton swab to the affected nail for no more than 5 minutes, and then washed.
Propolis
Propolis is a sticky substance produced by bees from pollen using their enzymes. Thanks to its unique chemical composition, it successfully fights fungal infections.
Pharmaceutical preparation of propolis tincture can be used as follows:
Trays are prepared in the amount of 1 teaspoon of product per 1 liter of hot water. It should be tolerable, but hot, to keep the feet in the juice for 20 minutes. It is important not to rinse the solution off your feet.
Lotions are made from a cotton swab soaked in tincture, which is bandaged for several hours (preferably overnight).
An oil can be made from pure, untreated propolis: mix 50 grams of the substance with 100 grams of oil jelly. The ointment is applied generously to the affected nail and absorbed gradually, the residue can be cleaned with a paper towel or wait until completely absorbed.
All propolis products are applied daily for 2 months and longer as needed.
Iodine tincture
The complex use of iodine has already been observed in the composition of various products. Iodine has the ability to coagulate protein: fungi, composed of protein compounds, stick together and die.
Even if the patient does not have any other medicine on hand, he can start treatment using only the alcoholic iodine tincture in the pharmacy.
Iodine lotion. The therapy is very simple:
It is also necessary to moisten a cotton pad with tincture and fix it on the affected nail for an hour, trying to avoid getting the substance on the skin. For the skin, iodine is unsafe, can cause a chemical burn, also avoid contact with mucous membranes.
A slight burning sensation is appropriate. The procedure can be performed daily for 1, 5-2 months.
Celandine
Since celandine is a highly toxic herb, a tolerance test should be performed. To do this, a small amount of the product with celandine is applied to the skin of the wrist and waits for a reaction. In case of intolerance, the skin will react with redness, redness and itching, a few minutes will be enough.
With good tolerance, celandine can be used in the form of liquid, decoction, oil or tincture.
You can make your own liquidby choosing fresh grass and rubbing it well with rubber gloves. This juice can not be stored for a long time; it is better to prepare each piece separately. The pure liquid is applied to the affected nails for 10-20 minutes, then washed off. You can repeat the procedure every day, but this is only available in the summer.
Celandine oil is sold in a pharmacy and used for rubbing on the nail plate twice a day, morning and evening. From the product, nails can turn yellow, this is normal.
Trayswith celandine decoction are made from pharmaceutical raw materials and water.
To begin, add 7 tablespoons of dried herbs to 2 liters of boiling water, the composition is kept in a water bath for 15 minutes.
It is then filtered and used for a bath, being filled with hot water if necessary. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes, the soup does not need to be washed.
Celandine tincture can be bought at the pharmacy or made by yourself. Used to treat affected nails, lubricating 2 times a day.
Potatoes
Potato tubers contain substances that can help fight fungal infections, but they are not potent. Against mushrooms, use raw potatoes or potato soup.
it is necessary to grate the raw potatoes on a fine grater, place the resulting particle on the sore nails and bandage for an hour. Rinse with water.
For convenience, you can replace the grill with thin slices of potatoes.
Option: squeeze the liquid out of the hole, dip the cotton pads in it and place it on the nails.
Potato soup is used in the form of foot baths after partial cooling. Potato procedures should be performed daily for 2 months.
Most effective medicines
Pharmaceuticals are essential for the complex treatment of advanced complex infections.
Tablets or capsules are prescribed inside.
Locally applied:
- ointments and creams; llaqe
- ; solution
- ;
- natural preparations.
If folk remedies can be used relatively quietly, then drug therapy should be prescribed by a physician, based on analysis data and symptoms. Do not self-medicate and prescribe the pill yourself.
Best treatments for nail fungus
If you are an educated reader, then start reading from the bottom. Therefore, especially for you, the main useful conclusions:
- When treating onychomycosis, it is necessary to understand that the fungus always affects the whole body, and not any particular part of the body, therefore complex therapy is needed.
- No medicine can be considered a cure for fungal infections. You will need medication therapy, simple daily hygiene procedures and adherence to a nutritional protocol.
- Many treatment regimens for onychomycosis are set up for up to 2 months, during which time the nail plate has time to completely renew. It is important not to leave the therapy prematurely.
- Mycoses are difficult to cure, it is impossible to completely eliminate fungal infections in the human body, but you can significantly reduce the pathogenic effect of the fungus and maintain a healthy level of immunity.
Be healthy!