Nail fungus, although a serious health problem and not threatening, is very unpleasant in all other respects.It seems repulsive, it is quite difficult to get rid of it, and it damages the immune system, constantly undermining it.Below we will discuss how to get rid of nail fungus and what means to treat it.
Fungus appearing on nails and feet can cause a lot of trouble.Here, the main thing is not only the repulsive appearance, which is the first thing you think about, but also the negative effect of the pathology on the human immune system as a whole.In medicine, this disease is called onychomycosis, and to ordinary people it is sometimes simply called "mycosis".The specialist is a dermatologist.You can treat the manifestations of fungal diseases in various ways, including home treatment.Both traditional and folk medicine offer a wide range of effective drugs for quick treatment.However, before looking at how to treat nail fungus, you need to understand where it comes from.
Reasons
The origin of the disease has long been known and well studied.People mostly trust that it does not affect them, but infections occur quite often, but at first there are almost no symptoms.The cause of the disease is exposure to harmful microorganisms, called fungi, which are called yeasts or molds.When they get on the nail, they begin to multiply, leading to cracks, brittleness, discoloration and death of the nail.Increased sweating, metabolic problems, diabetes, overweight and a general decrease in immunity, for example, after a course of antibiotics can significantly increase development and reproduction.
As you might guess, the easiest way to treat nail fungus is to avoid infection.For this, it is important to follow a few simple rules:
- Avoid walking barefoot in public places.
- Don't use someone else's or someone else's worn shoes.
- Thoroughly clean the bathtub with disinfectant once every 2-3 months.
- Use antifungal sprays occasionally.
- Maintain foot hygiene.
- It is important that your feet are dry.
- Diabetic foot syndrome.
The lower limbs are always in direct contact with the environment, so there is a risk of infection when, for example, traveling on public transport, walking barefoot on the beach or visiting a swimming pool.
Symptoms and manifestations
In the initial stages of the disease, there are practically no symptoms, but without taking any measures, the following symptoms of nail fungus become noticeable:
- Turbidity and yellowness of the surface of the nail plate.
- The appearance of peeling, separation from the nail area.
- It thickens, takes on an irregular and disorganized shape.
- Formation of cracks between the fingers, pain in the nail area.
- Around the peeling of the skin.
- Itching of the skin occurs between the fingers.
It is better to start the treatment of athlete's foot as soon as the disease manifests itself, because fungal microorganisms are very tenacious, and their large population is very difficult to remove.In the early stages of the disease, external preparations such as ointments, varnishes and various folk methods are sufficient for quick treatment.To get rid of and cure a more advanced version of the pathology, the external application must be supplemented by taking special tablets.Also, don't expect quick results in this case.
Prevention of athlete's foot
Prevention methods are very simple, but at the same time they help prevent the entry of pathogenic microorganisms, which are very difficult to get rid of.We list the main ones:
- Use special cosmetics for foot care.For example, the use of dusting powder can effectively reduce sweating, and moisturizing creams prevent skin cracks.It is important to prevent moisture between your fingers for a long time;for this, after washing, these places must be wiped dry.
- When moving in public places, such as saunas, changing rooms or swimming pools, it is mandatory to wear shoes, such as slippers.
- It is important to observe hygiene in the bathroom at home.If there is a person with the disease in the family, treatment should be started.During this period, in order to avoid the manifestation of the fungus in other members, regular disinfection of the bathroom is necessary.
Bed linen, shoes, floors and carpets can also be disinfected.The most effective way to do this is boiling, vinegar treatment and ironing.For shoes, you can use a formaldehyde bag placed inside.
How dangerous is the neglected mushroom?
This disease always scares me with its external manifestations, which have a repulsive image.Antifungal products do not even use real pictures of the affected nail plates in their advertisements.However, fungal microorganisms affect the entire human body, so untreated pathology gives way to other infections in time.In addition, fungal spores are excellent allergens, and can cause severe hypersensitivity and allergies in susceptible individuals.Onychomyosis can complicate the condition of people with chronic diseases such as diabetes.The most serious consequence is the penetration of fungal microorganisms into the human blood and through it into the internal organs.This situation is possible if the very long existence of nail fungus is combined with a sharp decrease in human immunity.
How to get rid of nail fungus?
All products used to treat affected nails can be divided into two subgroups:
- The first group includes drugs intended for local external use in the form of varnishes, ointments, peel-off patches and creams.They are effective in the initial period, when the affected area is not very large.
- The second group includes a wide range of antibiotics, sometimes called 'antimycotics', taken by mouth.The drug for the treatment of nail fungus belonging to this group is used when it is sufficiently neglected, when it is impossible to achieve success with external influence.In this case, the drug is sold in capsules or tablets, which contain an active element that combats fungal spores, preventing their reproduction and transfer to nearby tissues.Also, products containing antibiotics are good at preventing relapses.
When choosing a specific treatment, you must remember that an antibiotic is a poison with high toxicity and side effects and can only be prescribed by a doctor.In addition, fungal infections of the toenails often show a different clinical picture, which also greatly influences the selection of the given drug.
Treatment of toenail fungus
Hoping that in this case everything will go away by itself, this is the most useless exercise;mushrooms are very hardy.Waiting for the disease to stop progressing is also a futile exercise.Gradually, the area of infection expands, after a while the nail is completely affected and destroyed, and then it spreads through the skin around the fingers and around the adjacent fingers.
Just a few decades ago, the pathology was considered incurable, but today special anti-fungal drugs have made it possible to get rid of it completely.But there is no need to hope for a quick effect, especially in advanced cases;such treatment requires a systematic approach;the necessary measures must be implemented over a long period of time.The process of such therapy usually takes no less than 15-20 days, and in case of severe damage, it can take several months.Let's look at the most popular tools and techniques.
Nail fungus varnish
The traditional remedy used in the initial stage is the use of special varnishes and solutions.
Its use consists of applying the varnish every few days or according to the instructions.The varnish contains active ingredients that destroy pathogenic microorganisms, but this can take a considerable amount of time, sometimes several months.During such treatment, the most important thing is to observe the systematic application, despite the long treatment, otherwise there will be no effect.
And once again, we note that this type of medicine is used when the development of nail fungus is at an early stage
Tablet against nail fungus
In the case of an advanced form, characterized by a wide area of infection or rapid development of the disease, systemic antibiotics must be included in the course.
The use of any oral antibiotic must be approved by a physician;therefore, independent selection and prescription of such a drug is not allowed, since such a drug always has many contraindications and side effects.
With proper and timely treatment of fungal diseases, the symptoms gradually disappear, the diseased nail gradually grows back, is replaced and gives a healthy, beautiful appearance.
Laser therapy
Laser therapy is used when the combination of the previous two treatment methods is low.This type of therapy is very effective, the result is achieved very quickly, with a few procedures, but you should not stop taking the prescribed pills orally.The main advantages of laser therapy:
- Fungal cells are destroyed very quickly by the laser.
- The healthy tissues around it are not damaged.
- Very fast healing speed.
Folk remedies in the treatment of nail fungus
The pathology in question is serious enough to be successfully treated with folk remedies and methods, therefore the advice and recipes in this section are only suitable at a very early stage or as a preventive measure.
- Apple cider vinegar.Take a foot bath, place your feet in a small pool where warm water and apple cider vinegar are mixed in a 1/1 ratio.The procedure lasts no more than half an hour, then rinse your feet and dry them completely.After about 15 days, the positive result will be noticeable.
- Tea tree oil.Not recommended for children and pregnant women.Apply the indicated oil to the affected nail and the surrounding skin several times a day.The duration of therapy is 15 days.
- Fresh celandine juice.Get juice from fresh celandine 0.2 liters.This can be done by turning it in a meat grinder and pressing it through cheesecloth.Mix it with an equal amount of ethyl alcohol and let it stand for a day.Apply the prepared mixture to the affected nail plates after steaming in slightly hot water for 10 minutes and drying.Repeat the process three times a day for two weeks.
- Iodine.One of the easiest ways.Apply iodine to the nail plate every day for 3 weeks.
- Kombucha.An effective remedy to get rid of nail fungus.The effect is carried out by poultice.Apply kombucha to the site of pathology, wrap in cellophane and bandage.You can also use socks.Leave the poultice overnight, rinse thoroughly in the morning and apply iodine.This technique may cause pain, but quickly leads to a positive result.
During these procedures, it is recommended to regularly cut the ingrown nail in order to naturally remove part of the fungal infection.
Reviews of nail fungus treatment
Selected reviews from real people who successfully got rid of the disease:
- Female, 35 years old.The agony lasted all autumn, at first I didn't think much of it, but as it progressed, I went to the doctor.He prescribed me a good medicine, but as soon as he stops taking it, it all comes back.I was treated this way for almost half a year, then I decided to try traditional medicine.I tried celandine and used it for about three weeks.The result is very good!!Now I am taking a prophylactic course and hope to forget about this disease!
- Male, 42 years old.I admit that I am very lazy, and when I decided to fight the fungus, I often missed the time of the next application of the ointment, because of this I suffered for a very long time.It will get better and then it will grow back.I finally asked my wife not to get off me until I applied it exactly on schedule.After a month it was all over.I think all ointments are about the same, the main thing is not to skip applications.