Few people know that the use of vinegar can solve the rather complex medical problem of eliminating nail fungus. Thanks to the availability of table vinegar (9% acid solution) and even vinegar essence (70% acid solution) available at hardware stores or on the market, there are many ways to treat athlete's foot with this product.
Of course, self-medication with vinegar should be carried out only if the disease has not yet progressed to an advanced stage, and it is advisable to combine it with specially designed medications. However, if there is an urgent need to treat nail fungus and there is neither money nor time for a visit to the doctor or drug therapy, you can use vinegar yourself. The main thing is that you adhere to the appropriate safety rules.
Features of using vinegar to treat fungus
The main effect of using vinegar is to create an acidic environment in the area of fungal infection, which prevents the growth of hyphae and the spread of spores. Gradually, the fungus dies because it has no access to new sources of nutrients, and the lack of much more resistant spores prevents the possibility of the disease relapsing.
At first glance, everything is quite simple - how to destroy bacteria with an antiseptic. However, in fact, the fungus turns out to be very stubborn, since its body is not located on the surface of the nail or skin, but penetrates deep into the tissue. In this regard, a positive result of treatment of oncomycosis can be expected only with strict regularity of procedures, which does not give the parasite time for rehabilitation and penetration under the skin.
Before treating nail fungus, make sure that the concentration of acetic acid used matches the concentration specified in the recipe. When a recipe mentions vinegar essence, it is a 70 percent solution that needs to be dissolved or spot applied. Table vinegar and table vinegar contain 6 and 9% acid, respectively. Failure to comply with these data may result in treatment ending in chemical burns.
Apart from this point, there are no particular contraindications to treatment with vinegar. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is such a common substance that patients are usually aware of this property of the body. There may be a burning sensation during the first few procedures, but this is normal and will subside over time. Otherwise, vinegar does not pose a health risk if safety rules are followed.
Vinegar baths
Warm foot baths are considered an effective antifungal remedy; with regular use, you can get rid of onychomycosis early and without additional medications. Vinegar baths are also an excellent prevention against fungal infections. The process requires warm water at around 50°C and a glass of table vinegar with a concentration of 9%. The water level in the pool should not be high, but only up to your ankles. The feet are dipped into the solution and left there for 15 minutes.
Before the vinegar bath, it is recommended to do a full pedicure, during which the affected areas of the nail plate and dead skin layers, calluses and corns on the feet are removed, but without applying a decorative coating to the nails. If you trim and file your nails yourself, you must do so very carefully, as microdamage to the skin can contribute to the spread of a fungal infection.
Immediately after the vinegar bath, wipe your feet dry with a towel and put on cotton socks. Repeat three times a week.
Vinegar lotions
It is best to apply lotions to the areas affected by the fungus after vinegar baths. Both pharmaceutical products and pure 9% vinegar are suitable for this, where a cotton pad is moistened and applied to the nail for fifteen minutes.
A more complex recipe: A mixture of vodka or forty percent medical alcohol, glycerin and acetic acid 70% in equal proportions, stir until smooth. A cotton swab moistened with the solution is held on the affected areas for fifteen minutes, after which cotton socks are put on. The duration of treatment is one week; if necessary, it can be repeated after a few days.
Vinegar-based ointments have a long shelf life and are more convenient to use than products with a liquid consistency. To prepare a vinegar ointment, you need to take 70% acetic acid, dimethyl phthalate, glycerin and olive oil in a 2: 1: 1: 1 ratio. After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, the ointment is ready to use.
To prevent the spread of a fungal infection and kill its pathogens, you need to apply the ointment to the affected areas daily with a cotton swab, leave it on for 8-10 hours, and then wash it off with laundry soap. This recipe can be used not only to treat oncomycosis of toenails, but also affected fingernails.
Preventive measures against fungi consist in compliance with hygiene rules, especially in public places - bathhouse, swimming pool, bowling club. Choose comfortable shoes and socks made from natural materials, as poor blood circulation in the feet combined with high humidity creates the conditions for the development of onychomycosis (read also: Onychomycosis - causes and prevention). Gymnastics exercises, moderate physical activity and running can improve blood circulation and strengthen immune defenses, making the body immune to fungal and other infections.
Treating toenail fungus with tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is an effective remedy for onchomycosis and acts directly on the cause of the disease - dermatophyte fungi. Tea tree essential oil contains alpha-terpinene, alpha-phellandrene, limonene, sabinene, cineole and other substances that give it antiseptic properties and anti-inflammatory effects.
An allergy test must be done before using essential oil. Apply a little product to the skin of the wrist. If no irritation, redness or other reaction occurs within 12 hours, the product can be used for medicinal purposes. Otherwise, it must be diluted to a safe concentration, otherwise this technique should be abandoned altogether.
Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil:
Foot baths with tea tree oil. Warm water is poured into a basin up to the level of the ankles, 15-20 drops of essential oil are added and the feet are left in it for twenty minutes, maintaining a high water temperature (45-50 ° C). The duration of treatment is two months, baths must be taken daily. During treatment, it is necessary to remove the affected areas of the nail plate with a file, nail clippers or scissors.
Apply oil to the nail plate. If you do not react to undiluted tea tree oil, it is applied in pure form to the affected nail areas to enhance the effect. First, the feet are steamed in warm water with the addition of laundry soap (this can be rubbed for better dissolution). The oil is rubbed into the nail plate with a cotton swab twice a day; rinsing off the product is not necessary.
How to cure toenail fungus quickly?
The internal and external use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of infectious and other diseases was described by Professor Neumyvakin in a book based on personal experience. He mentions hydrogen peroxide as a preventive agent with antibacterial properties.
External use of hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of fungal infections is carried out after steaming the feet in warm water with dissolved soda at the rate of one teaspoon per liter. If the nail plates become soft, cut off a small fragment of the affected nail area with nail clippers and apply it to the nail plate after soaking in a 3% peroxide solution. Leave on fingernails for 10-15 minutes or on toes for 40 minutes to an hour. Carry out the procedure twice a day until the symptoms of the fungal infection disappear.
To reduce the evaporation of peroxide and increase the intensity of the effect, the nail plate with the lotion is wrapped in plastic wrap. After the exposure time has elapsed, rinse your toes and hands thoroughly under running water.
For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, it is recommended to instill hydrogen peroxide into the nail cavity three times a day.
Hand and foot baths (depending on the location of the onychomycosis) with hydrogen peroxide achieve good results. Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide in water at a temperature of 40-50 ° C at the rate of two tablespoons per liter of water. The procedure time is fifteen minutes, the frequency is twice a day for a week.
Instead of hydrogen peroxide, you can also use dead water with negative redox potential, also called anolyte water, in this recipe. Anolyte water is safe for use on sensitive skin, but has antiseptic properties that reduce fungal growth.
Effective treatment for advanced toenail fungus
This extreme method of treating fungal infections is used for severe injuries to the nail plate; it must be used with caution so as not to damage the skin.
To get rid of the fungus, the nail is treated with a rust neutralizer (you can buy this at an auto parts store). This product contains phosphoric acid, which effectively destroys fungi, but can damage skin tissue if used carelessly. Therefore, safety precautions must be observed when using it: work in a well-ventilated area, wear safety glasses and rubber gloves, and avoid contact of the product with skin and mucous membranes.
It would be safer to use kerosene, which also has a high penetrating power and has a very strong effect on the fungus.
Other folk remedies for toenail fungus
Complex treatment of toenail fungus with folk recipes based on hydrogen peroxide allows you to destroy the fungus and permanently eliminate the unpleasant odor and other accompanying symptoms.
Two effective folk remedies for fungal infections:
Peroxide Recipe 1. To prepare the healing mixture, you will need slaked lemonade (0. 5 cups), hot water (4 cups), 3% hydrogen peroxide (0. 25 cups), and half a cup of magnesium sulfate or Epsom salt. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and add another quarter cup of vinegar. Soak a cotton swab in the resulting solution and attach it with a plaster to the nail plate affected by the fungus. The bandage must be renewed every ten hours and the duration of treatment is one month.
Recipe with peroxide 2. The procedure for treating fungus according to this recipe consists of three steps. First you need to prepare a solution for treating the nail and skin surfaces affected by the fungus - mix 3% vinegar and peroxide in a 3% concentration in a 1: 1 ratio. This mixture is applied to the feet while they sizzle. The second step is to dip the fingers with a fungal nail infection in a weak solution of bleach in water for half a minute, then wash them thoroughly under running water and wipe dry with a towel. Finally, tea tree oil mixed with Vaseline in equal proportions is applied to the nail plate. Wear warm socks or gloves (if this technique was used to treat fingernail oncomycosis). The duration of treatment is one week.
Novocaine lotion. A very simple but effective folk remedy for treating fungus is novocaine lotion. Simply soak a piece of cotton wool with novocaine and apply it to the fungus overnight. Just two of these lotions are enough to get rid of the fungus forever.
Tincture of apricot resin: pour 1 tablespoon of resin removed from the tree with a glass of vodka and leave for three days. Lubricate the skin of your feet and nails with this solution. Shake before each use. The treatment lasted a month; the affected nails were cut off as they peeled off and new, healthy ones grew. During the examination, the doctor confirmed the fact of recovery. Here too I can recommend using old, thickened sunflower oil.
Garlic Applications: I took a clove of garlic, squeezed it with a garlic press, applied the mixture to the nail, covered it with cellophane and wrapped it in a bandage or placed it on a fingertip. I left the bandage on until morning; In the first few days I felt a throbbing pain, like an abscess, but I had to endure it. I repeated the procedures daily and new nails grew.
Strong coffee. Few people know that regular but strong coffee is a very good folk remedy for treating fungus. Make yourself a stronger cup of coffee and simply dip your hands or feet into the cup, depending on where the fungus is located. This procedure is best done in the evening before going to bed. The fungus completely disappears after several such evening procedures. At the same time, the skin becomes smoother and the pain quickly disappears.
Nail fungus in adults: symptoms, causes, treatment
In medicine, nail fungus is officially called onychomycosis. This is a fungal disease that affects the nail plates of the fingers or toes. According to the WHO, it is a fairly common disease. It occurs in about 27% of people and the pathology is diagnosed on the legs 2 times more often than on the arms. The problem of nail fungus is very delicate, since the unpleasant appearance of the affected plates makes the patient feel uncomfortable and hides them from others.
Symptoms and signs of nail fungus
Onychomycosis is very easy to recognize because its signs on the nails cannot be missed. Firstly, the nail plates become dull and rough and lose their glossy shine. Then the nail turns dirty yellow, whitish or gray instead of pink. Then other characteristic symptoms of the fungus appear:
- increasing plate thickness;
- Defects in the form of stripes, bends, irregularities and waves;
- delamination and crumbling of the panel;
- unpleasant smell of nails.
This completely destroys the nail and even causes it to flake off, exposing the nail bed. The skin next to the plates turns red and causes severe itching.
Only a doctor can accurately diagnose the disease. Do not delay your consultation – contact a specialist as soon as possible.
causes
The main reason for the development of fungal infections is the penetration of a pathogen into the human body. As a rule, these are microspores, trichophytons and epidermophytons. These are the fungi that are particularly common in causing onychomycosis.
When they penetrate the body, such fungi localize on keratinized skin derivatives, i. e. H. nails and hair. This is explained by the parasites' diet, for which they use the fibrillar protein keratin, which is found in nails and hair.
The main cause of mycosis is infection with a pathogenic fungus. At the same time, many types of fungi are constantly present in the body and their growth is usually inhibited by the immune system. When control weakens, the fungus begins to grow on the skin or in the tissues of internal organs. This often happens for the following reasons:
- a chronic illness that weakens the body;
- non-compliance with hygiene rules;
- inadequate or unbalanced diet;
- smoking and alcohol abuse;
- Exposure to external factors that weaken the body – hypothermia, excessive ultraviolet radiation, poisoning, radiation damage, etc. ;
- Long-term use of antibiotics or certain other medications.
The only exception here is the so-called mycosis fungoides, which is not a fungal disease. This is an oncological tumor pathology based on the degeneration of T lymphocytes into a malignant form.
Routes of infection
The risk of fungal infection is particularly high in public places with high humidity. These are saunas, swimming pools, gyms, public pools, etc. The most common routes of infection:
- direct contact with an infected person. Here the fungus migrates from its habitat to healthy areas, causing an infection;
- Household wise. In this case, infection occurs when the patient uses personal items: shoes, personal hygiene items, etc.
There are many ways to become infected with fungal diseases. Most often this happens:
- in direct contact with the affected skin areas of another person;
- when sharing towels, slippers and personal hygiene items;
- by a contaminated manicure instrument;
- through contaminated clothing and shoes;
- through the soil, especially in the presence of microtrauma to the skin;
- in contact with pets.
Skin mycoses often occur in people who visit swimming pools, saunas, showers in sports clubs, etc. An infection is more likely the worse the person's immune system is functioning.
Risk factors
The incidence of onychomycosis increases with age 60. At this time, the probability of developing such an infection is 60%, which is explained by a slowdown in metabolism, especially in the distal (distant) parts of the body, that is, the fingers and toes.
Other risk factors for the development of nail fungus include:
- diabetes mellitus;
- varicose veins;
- injuries to nails and adjacent tissue;
- HIV and other immunodeficiency diseases;
- long-term use of antibiotics;
- weakened immune system;
- Vascular and skin diseases, dermatitis, diaper rash;
- Disturbances in the blood supply to the extremities;
- inadequate hygiene.
Complications
If the course is uncomplicated, the disease causes the symptoms typical of the fungus, which only cause severe discomfort in humans. But without treatment, onychomycosis can lead to complications. Most often they manifest themselves in addition to a bacterial infection.
Sometimes onychomycosis is very acute and blisters, ulcers and weeping spots appear on the skin next to the nail. In severe cases, the disease takes a generalized form. This means that nail fungus spreads to internal organs and systems and then the patient requires emergency hospitalization.
When should you see a doctor?
Many who have experienced onychomycosis know that the disease develops slowly and is incredibly difficult to treat. That is why it is very important to see a doctor at the first signs of the disease. A dermatologist treats onychomycosis of the nails in the clinic. The specialist will advise you competently and accompany you until you fully recover.
Preparing for the doctor's visit
Before visiting a dermatologist, it is important not to treat the affected areas of the nails with anything, i. e. H. Do not use medications, including iodine and brilliant green. The use of creams and ointments against fungi should also be avoided. At your appointment, you should complete all tests that have already been carried out, including for other diseases. Affected nails should not be cut for 3-4 days before the consultation.
Diagnosis of nail fungus
First, the patient is sent for microscopy to determine the presence of the pathogen. In the future, it is necessary to determine its type in order to choose the right treatment for toenail fungus. The specialist clinic practices the most modern and common methods for diagnosing onychomycosis:
- cultural examination of a biological sample of the affected tissue. To do this, it is placed in an artificial culture medium in which the pathogen is cultured to determine its type;
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detecting pathogen DNA in a sample of affected tissue.
As part of the diagnosis of mycoses, depending on the type and location of the lesion, examinations can be carried out on skin and nail formations, sputum, blood, hair, mucous membrane abrasions, feces and other biomaterials. For skin diseases, the following is usually carried out:
- Dermoscopy – Examination of affected areas of skin, hair or nails to identify characteristic signs;
- microscopic examination of scratches to detect fungal mycelium;
- Bacterial culture on nutrient media, which allows you to identify not only the type of fungus, but also the optimal drug for treatment;
- serological blood test;
- PCR test to detect the fungal genome.
Some types of fungi can be diagnosed quite easily using UV radiation produced by a Wood lamp.
Simultaneously with determining the type of fungus, the patient undergoes a general examination to identify the cause of weakened immunity that led to the infection.
Treatment
In the early stages of the disease, local therapy is usually prescribed, which consists of the use of creams and ointments with antifungal effects.
Antiseptic solutions are also used as external remedies for nail fungus. In addition to effective remedies for nail onychomycosis, antihistamines and desensitizing drugs are prescribed that relieve swelling, inflammation and tenderness.
If the nail is completely affected by the fungus and drug treatment does not bring positive results, the plate is subjected to surgical removal. Even with the general form of onychomycosis, antifungal drugs are prescribed orally in tablet form, which have a systemic effect on the body.
When choosing drugs, the dermatologist must take into account the individual sensitivity of the pathogen to a particular drug. Taking certain medications alone often does not lead to the desired result, since the type of causative agent of the disease must be determined before starting treatment. For certain fungal infections, the patient's diet is important. Therefore, when treating yeast and mold, it is necessary to exclude foods containing fast carbohydrates (sweets, flour products), fermented foods, alcohol and potatoes.
home remedies
Before using home remedies, you should consult your doctor. With his permission you can use the following recipes:
- Iodine. Before use, the feet must be steamed, washed with laundry soap, and then the affected areas of the nail plates are removed. Next, treat the nails and skin between the fingers with iodine, place them in a bath with soda solution for 20-30 minutes and dry thoroughly.
- Vinegar. For 3 liters of water take 1 tbsp. Add apple cider vinegar and a little potassium permanganate. Soak your feet in the bath for 20 to 30 minutes and then dry them thoroughly.
- Hydrogen peroxide. After thoroughly steaming your feet, remove the affected areas of the nail plates. Place cotton pads soaked in hydrogen peroxide on top, wrap them with a bandage and leave for half an hour.
prevention
To prevent the development of onychomycosis, it is necessary to exclude the negative effects of risk factors on the body:
- treat systemic diseases in a timely manner;
- Do not wear someone else's shoes.
- wear slate tiles in the pool and sauna;
- Change socks daily and observe personal hygiene rules;
- Do not wear wet shoes – dry them thoroughly;
- Avoid direct contact with potential carriers of the fungus.