The defeat of the nails 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 various species (there are thousands of them) successfully live 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 is too much of it, they show their toxic properties and have a negative impact on health.
Onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nails) indicates that the body is not able to resist the fungal infection, maintaining the necessary acid-base balance of the skin and internal environments (pH).
Appropriate comprehensive treatment will include both external agents and adherence to a specific nutritional protocol that will help reduce the activity of the infection.
Effective treatments
- Drug treatment.
- Radical methods with softening and gradual removal of the nail plate.
- Conservative methods that do not require nail removal: ointments, lotions, compresses, baths.
Antifungal diet
During the treatment period, it is recommended to refuse any type of products containing fungal cultures:
- baked goods and bread on yeast dough (you can use bread or pita bread without yeast);
- almost all types of cheese, except Adyghe cheese, mozzarella, feta and burrata;
- fermented dairy products (kefir, yogurt).
You should also limit or temporarily excludesugar and sweets from the diet, as well as sweet fruits and starches (potatoes, beets).
These supportive measures will strengthen the effect of the external drugs and the treatment will go faster.
Important! If the patient treats anemia and takes iron supplements, it should be remembered that iron strengthens the protective fungal membrane.
It is best to stop these medicines while taking antifungal drugs.
Pharmaceuticals or folk remedies
If the infection is 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 believe that it is quite dangerous to affect fungi with drug treatment, as it causes a powerful response of microorganisms, which leads to resistance. The stronger the attempts to eliminate the fungal infection, the stronger the resistance and resistance to chemical attack. When a doctor chooses drug addiction treatment, he tries to change medications periodically so as not to be addictive.
Treating toenail fungus at home
Treating a fungal infection at home will be beneficial with good hygiene and practices, but you may need to be patient.
Andriasyan method
Usually the infection becomes noticeable after the color or shape of the nails changes. In fact, the fungus thrives in the bed under the nail plate, where it enters through the infected sole of the foot or enters under the edge of the nail.
That is why the method of doctor Andriasyan is aimed at removing the nail plate and further processing.
The affected nail is gradually dissolved with a pharmacy agent, which is a powder of 15 parts of barium sulfide and 85 parts of talc.
- The powder is mixed with water, applied to the nail in the form of a slurry for 30-40 minutes, moistening it all the time from 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 oatmeal is washed off, the softened layer of the nail is removed with a scalpel, trying not to damage the nail bed, and then the onycholysin is reapplied. In 2-3 applications you can remove all the plaque, this is important, because the fungus affects all the tissue of the nail.
- The exposed surface is treated with a 5% iodine solution.
- The paste on a petrolatum base is applied to the nail bed. It is prepared from salicylic, lactic (or benzoic) acid 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.
In addition to the paste, 2-3 layers of gauze and compressed paper are applied, the dressing lasts 48 hours. In 3 applications, the affected surface is completely cleansed of the keratinized layers of the affected skin and tissues. - Salicylic Vaseline is applied to the bed for another 48 hours under the bandage.
- The nail bed is treated with tincture of iodine 1-2 times a day until the nail is restored.
Quick and effective alternative recipes for the treatment of yeast infection
Using herbal fungicides and simple home remedies can help fight fungal infections.
It is important to wash the feet thoroughly before all wellness procedures, to trim the nails in a timely manner and to get rid of the epithelium, as the condition of the skin on it is important. allows.
Table vinegar
Vinegar has a pronounced antifungal effect, as the acidic environment has a destructive effect on the ability of the fungus to reproduce.
For home procedures, you can use apple cider, 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 should be diluted with water so as not to cause chemical burn.
Example for 70% vinegar essence:
- to obtain a 3% concentrate, the proportion is 1: 20 (1 part of vinegar and 20 parts of water);
- 6% acetic acid is diluted 1: 11; The 9% solution
- is diluted to 1: 7.
It is recommended to start treatment with acetic acid at low concentrations, gradually increasing it to 9%.
Trays.Before using this method, you should wash your feet well, cut your nails and remove the keratinized epithelium as much as possible.
During the treatment, the hardened skin will soften, gradually it will be possible to eliminate it completely.
For 3 liters of heated water, you will need 1 liter of apple cider vinegar or a glass of 3% vinegar essence. Soak clean feet in the bath for 15 to 20 minutes until the solution cools. After bathing, 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 severe violations of the integrity of the skin of the foot (cracks, ulcers) carefully use vinegar baths.
Lotions and compresses.Wet gauze dressings soaked in a 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 dressings with plastic wrap, ventilation is necessary.
First solution:
- 100 ml of water.
- a few drops of iodine.
- a teaspoon of vinegar.
Second solution:
- 2 tablespoons of water.
- tablespoon of glycerin.
- 2 tablespoons of 3% vinegar.
The course of treatment will take from 2 months to a year.
If the use of vinegar causes irritation and an allergic reaction, discontinue treatment.
Tea tree oil
The tea tree has a strong fungicidal effect, it contains a hundred fractions of terpenes - substances that have a toxic effect on fungi and microorganisms.
It is more efficient to use 100% crude oil, rather than cosmetic, it contains 40-50% tea tree oil in half with other vegetable oils.
Undiluted oil is rubbed onto the nail plates and the rough skin around them. It is not necessary to rinse or wipe the product, it partially dries, partially penetrates the tissues. Use the drug twice a day for 2 months or more.
A refreshing soak with lukewarm 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, it is sold in pharmacies in a ready-to-use 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 lukewarm water, keep the feet in the solution for 10-15 minutes, then dry them without wiping.
You can buy hydrogen peroxide in powder or tablet form, add some water to the substance to turn it into porridge. This slurry is gently applied with a cotton swab to the affected nail for up to 5 minutes, then washed off.
Propolis
Propolis is a sticky, gummy substance produced by bees from pollen using their own enzymes. Thanks to its unique chemical composition, it successfully fights fungal infections.
The pharmaceutical preparation of tincture of propolis can be used as follows:
The trays are prepared at the rate of 1 teaspoon of the product for 1 liter of hot water. It should be tolerable, but warm, to keep the feet in the liquid for 20 minutes. It is important not to rinse the solution off your feet.
Lotions are made from a cotton swab soaked in dye, which is bandaged for several hours (preferably overnight).
An ointment can be made from pure, untreated propolis: mix 50 grams of the substance with 100 grams of petroleum jelly. The ointment is liberally applied to the affected nail and is gradually absorbed, the residue can be blotted with a paper towel or wait until completely absorbed.
All propolis-based products are applied daily for 2 months and more as needed.
Tincture of iodine
The complex use of iodine has already been noted in the composition of various products. Iodine has the ability to coagulate (stick) proteins: fungi, made up of protein compounds, stick together and die.
Even if the patient has no other medicines on hand, he can start treatment using only alcoholic tincture of iodine from the drugstore.
Iodine lotions. The therapy is very simple:
It is necessary to soak a cotton ball with dye and fix it on the affected nail for an hour, trying to avoid getting the substance on the skin. For the skin, iodine is dangerous, it can cause chemical burn, also avoid contact with mucous membranes.
A slight burning sensation is appropriate. The procedure can be carried out every day for 1. 5-2 months.
Celandine
Celandine being a highly poisonous herb, a tolerance test should be performed. To do this, a small amount of the celandine product is applied to the skin of the wrist while waiting for a reaction. In case of intolerance, the skin will react with redness, rashes and itching, a few minutes will be enough.
With good tolerance, celandine can be used as a juice, decoction, oil or tincture.
You can make your ownjuiceby scooping up the fresh grass and rubbing it well with rubber gloves. This juice does not keep for long, it is better to prepare each portion separately. Pure juice 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 summer.
Celandine oil is sold in pharmacies and is used to rub the nail plate twice a day, morning and evening. From the product, the nails may turn yellow, this is normal.
trayswith celandine decoction are prepared from dry pharmaceutical raw materials and water.
To begin with, add 7 tablespoons of dry herb to 2 liters of boiling water, the composition is kept in a water bath for 15 minutes.
Then it is filtered and used for a bath, topping up with hot water if necessary. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes, the broth does not need to be washed off.
Tincture of celandinecan be purchased at the drugstore or made by yourself. It is used to treat affected nails, lubricating twice a day.
Potatoes
Potato tubers contain substances that can help fight fungal infections, but they are not potent. Against the fungus, use raw potatoes or potato broth.
It is necessary to grate raw potatoes on a fine grater, apply the resulting gruel to sore nails and bandage for an hour. Rinse off with water.
For convenience, you can substitute the oatmeal with thin slices of potatoes.
Option: squeeze the juice from the porridge, soak cotton pads and apply to the nails.
Potato broth is used in the form of foot baths after partial cooling. Procedures with potatoes should be carried out every day for 2 months.
The most effective drugs
Pharmaceuticals are essential for the complex treatment of advanced complex infections.
Inside are prescribedtablets or capsules.
Applied locally:
- ointments and creams;
- varnish;
- solutions;
- natural preparations.
If folk remedies can be used relatively calmly, medical treatment should be prescribed by a doctor, based on the data of analyzes and symptoms. Do not self-medicate and do not prescribe pills
The best treatments for nail fungus
If you are a literate reader, then you start reading from the end. Therefore, especially for you, the main useful conclusions:
- When treating onychomycosis, it is necessary to understand that the fungus always affects the body as a whole, and not a particular part of the body, therefore, complex therapy is required.
- No cure can be considered a panacea for fungal infections. You will need medication, simple daily hygienic procedures, and adherence to a nutritional protocol.
- Many treatment regimens for onychomycosis are designed for up to 2 months, during which time the nail plate has time to completely renew itself. It is important not to stop treatment in advance.
- Yeast infection is difficult to cure, it is impossible to completely eliminate fungal infections in the human body, but you can significantly reduce the pathogenic effect of fungi and maintain a healthy level of immunity.
Be healthy!