Fungal diseases of toenails and feet cause severe discomfort and can significantly affect the quality of life. In addition, nail fungus is characterized by a long and complex treatment process if it is discovered in later stages.
However, treatment is easier and relatively uncomplicated if you start treatment in time when the first symptoms of a fungal infection appear.Traditional medicine suggests adopting some recipes that can solve the problem of fungal development.
Iodine protects nail health
Dermatophyte fungi have a protein structure and parasitize on the nails, the skin of the feet and between the toes, feeding on the horny scales of the skin and the keratin that is part of the nail plate.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the most popular remedy for treating onychomycosis at home is an alcoholic iodine solution. An iodine solution has a detrimental effect on the structure of protein cells and destroys them. In addition, iodine is a fairly strong antiseptic and has pronounced fungicidal properties (resistance to mold formation).
Do not forget that iodine is a very active substance and if handled improperly it can cause damage such as chemical burns, etc.
The affordable price of iodine makes this drug attractive to consumers for both nail fungus treatment and prevention. It is worth remembering the rules that should be followed when using iodine solution for medicinal purposes.
Safety rules when working with iodine
- Treating the skin with iodine solution can cause irritation and allergic reactions.
Reaction. Therefore, before starting use, check the reaction of the skin by smearing the area at the crook of the elbow with an iodine solution. - Regular use of iodine solution causes the nail to become heavily pigmented yellow, which can only be eliminated by growing a new nail.
- If used incorrectly or if the permitted dosage is exceeded, chemical burns or inflammatory skin changes (dermatitis) can occur.
- Only affected nails and areas of skin should be treated and only at the stage of primary symptoms.
Recipes based on iodine solution
- Recipe 1. An alcoholic iodine solution (5%) is applied with a cotton swab in one drop to each affected nail twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime. To prevent the disease, as well as for additional strengthening, the same solution, but in a smaller dosage, can be smeared on healthy nail plates.
- Recipe 2. The six-week treatment is divided into three sections of fourteen days each. During the treatment, infected skin and nail areas are treated alternately: Castellani liquid in the first two weeks, iodine solution in the second stage, vinegar solution (9%) in the last two weeks.
- Recipe 3. First, a solution is prepared consisting of the following components: iodine, chloronitrophenol, vinegar essence, garlic juice, a teaspoon of each component in equal parts. This solution should be used every day before bed to treat the infected nail. The nail should first be steamed and the softened part removed. Before use, the medicinal mixture must be shaken.
When treating nails with manicure accessories, you should pay attention to the following: To avoid infection of healthy nails, the affected areas should be treated with separate tools.
Treatment with copper sulfate
Copper sulfate, also popularly known as copper sulfate, is most often used as an adjunct to the traditional treatment of fungal infections. It is in the form of crystals, dissolves easily in water and is non-toxic. There are two possible forms of treatment.
- Copper sulfate solution. Can be made at home. A teaspoon of copper sulfate crystals is dissolved in 1 liter of boiling water. The resulting solution is very concentrated, therefore it should be used for treatment in a diluted form: 1 tbsp. l. solution per 1. 5 liters of water. Take ten-minute foot baths with this solution before treating the affected skin and nail areas with medications recommended by your doctor.
- Copper sulfate ointment. Copper sulfate crystals are calcined on a hot surface until the color changes to gray or white. Then mix with the other ingredients: yellow sulfur, tar or goose fat, one teaspoon each. The resulting ointment is used daily to treat painful nails until complete recovery.
Sea and table salt to treat fungal infections
Sea and regular salt can be added to therapeutic foot baths. At the same time, the affected skin areas on the feet and nails are disinfected. Such antiseptic procedures are usually aimed at infections living on the skin and are needed to prepare the nails for subsequent application of medicinal ointments.
Salt alone cannot cure fungus, but it is often used as a component of medicinal ointments and mixtures prepared according to folk recipes.
Garlic water, for example, is good for advanced fungal infections; it is used twice a day to treat feet and affected nails. This water can be easily prepared at home. The ground garlic clove is mixed with salt until a paste is formed. The resulting mixture is dissolved in 200 ml of water. After the final cooling, dissolve another 4 tbsp. l. Salt.
Unusual uses of ordinary lemonade
Regular soda can be a good helper in the treatment of another type of fungus - yeast. These fungi also attack the feet and parasitize skin and nails. It is recommended to use baking soda in several quite effective recipes.
- Recipe 1. Daily use of soap and soda baths helps the medicinal components contained in the medications better penetrate directly into the lesions. This can often be difficult because the affected nail is quite thick, grows quickly and resists penetration, and soap and soda baths soften the nail plate. Mix 3 cups of soda and 3 tbsp. l. grated soap, then dissolve the resulting mixture in 7-10 liters of water. Feet float 20 minutes a day for 4-5 days.
- Recipe 2. A certain amount of baking soda is diluted with water to form a paste that is used to cover the infected nail. A few minutes after applying the baking soda paste to the nail, add some lemon juice. The mixture is then removed, the nail is washed with soap and treated with antifungal agents. This drug is also only used as an accompanying treatment.
Birch tar treatment process
Birch tar is an effective remedy for treating all types of skin diseases. Therefore, you can treat your feet with natural birch tar. However, the feet are already prepared. The feet, steamed in soapy water, undergo further treatment: the rough and affected skin on the feet is peeled and infected nails are shortened. Then the already dry skin of the feet is lubricated with birch tar, which is applied to a cotton swab with rubbing movements. You should not wear socks or shoes for the next hour and a half. Give the tar time to penetrate the skin.
Tar is no less effective as a treatment in ointments or mixtures. You can make your own tar ointment, with a tar content of 5-10% in the first steps. You need a rich nourishing cream or some kind of fat. Natural tar is added to the cream and everything is mixed thoroughly. The ointment is ready for use.
Another effective option for treating fungus is sulfur-tar ointment, consisting of tar, sulfur powder, a base in the form of cream or fat - each in a ratio of 3: 2: 10. Apply a thin layer of ointment to the affected areas, let it dry and put a plaster over it.
The use of tar soap is useful for preventing any skin diseases as it contains up to 12% pure tar and has antiseptic properties. You should choose handmade tar soap, the composition of which is beyond doubt.
Celandine for clear skin
Celandine is a poisonous plant whose juice is successfully used against fungi and other skin diseases.
- Celandine juice. Celandine juice is used to treat diseased skin and nail surfaces. Freshly squeezed juice is mixed with alcohol (70%) in a 1: 1 ratio and infused over the next 24 hours. The treatment process takes about a week, treatments are carried out regularly 3-4 times a day on previously prepared nails and feet.
- Infusion of celandine. Add 100 g of dry celandine leaves to 1 liter of boiling water. After half an hour, the resulting infusion is added to the foot bath and the feet are steamed for 20 minutes every day.
- ointment. Celandine is part of a medicinal herbal ointment to combat fungal infections. Add 5 drops of fresh celandine juice, 2 drops of oregano and 2 drops of prepared calendula tincture to cooled boiling water (4 tablespoons). Treatment with such an ointment lasts about 10 days, but damaged areas should be treated at least three times a day.
- Celandine oil. You can use celandine oil, which is available at any pharmacy, or make it yourself at home, although this process is quite labor-intensive.
It is still better to use folk remedies for nail fungus in combination with traditional medicine - the effect will be stronger and the treatment time until complete recovery is significantly reduced.