How to cure nail fungus at home is the first question a person faces when faced with unpleasant symptoms. Simple and affordable traditional medicine recipes are effective at the initial stage of fungal infection.
Pharmaceutical companies are constantly working to improve old antifungal drugs and release new ones. The assortment of antifungals is huge and inspires hope to easily get rid of an unpleasant disease. At the same time, the number of victims of the bacterial attack does not decrease. Paradox? No, a fairly understandable fact. Microscopic fungi constantly mutate and adapt to negative survival conditions. New strains that are resistant to drug therapy are emerging. It is becoming increasingly difficult to remove the fungus. But there is an alternative to traditional treatment. Reliable and time-tested recipes of traditional medicine effectively eliminate the fungus on the nails of the feet and hands even before the discovery of the first pathogenic virus by scientists.
How and how to cure a fungus at home?
Not a single person is immune from onychomycosis infection. Wearing shoes already increases the risk of infection by 50%. Weakened immunity, visiting gyms, swimming pools, public baths and saunas are the most common causes of the development of nail fungus. At the first suspicious symptoms (change in the shape or thickening of the nail plate, the appearance of spots, detachment from the bed, itching, redness, peeling), emergency measures should be taken. The most affordable treatment option is to use homemade formulations. But it should be remembered that traditional medicine is effective only in the initial stages of onychomycosis.
All home remedies can be roughly divided into three groups:
- pharmacy antiseptics - this includes all over-the-counter medications that affect the life of the fungus. These are creams, ointments, solutions with a synthetic and natural formula of the active ingredient.
- plant-based preparations: essential oils, tinctures and decoctions for medicinal plant baths can significantly improve the condition of the affected nails in a week.
- household solutions and substances - soda, salt, food vinegar, effectively eliminate the primary symptoms of the fungus, but require long-term use.
You should be prepared for the fact that it is always difficult and time-consuming to treat nail fungus. Methodology and consistency are the main conditions for successful home therapy.
How to quickly cure toenail fungus with pharmaceutical preparations
For the treatment of onychomycosis, the simplest antiseptic drugs are often used, which can be bought at any pharmacy for literally a penny. But dermatologists warn that the use of antiseptics can cause burns and allergic reactions. A high concentration of antiseptic does not guarantee effectiveness. Moderation and caution are the basic principles of treating foot and hand fungus with the simplest solutions.
| Active substance | Application procedure |
|---|---|
| Iodine | A solution is prepared from iodine and alcohol in proportions 1: 1. Apply with a cotton swab to the affected areas of the nail 2 times a day. |
| Medical hydrogen peroxide | Mix equal amounts of peroxide and water, apply compresses for 30 minutes 2-3 times a day. |
| Formaldehyde | Clean the affected nails in the morning and evening. |
| Zinc oxide (ointment) | Apply a thin layer on the nails in the evening and cover with a sterile dressing. |
| Aluminum-potassium alum | 0, 5 teaspoons of the powder is diluted in a glass of hot water. Treat your nails several times a day. |
How to cure nail fungus at home with plants?
Nature is the best aid in the fight against pathogenic microorganisms. Medicinal plants have antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory properties. An ideal set for the prevention and treatment of onychomycosis. But in large forms, only a few species are effective against most strains of fungal infection. The table shows the strongest plants.
| medicinal plant | Form of medicinal composition | Application procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Rowan | Grind the fresh fruit into a homogeneous gruel | Apply the mixture to the nail affected by the fungus, apply a gauze bandage on top, leave the compress overnight |
| celandine | Alcohol tincture | Gently lubricate the nail with the tincture every night before going to bed. |
| Oak | dried bark | Pour 1 tablespoon of bark with 1 liter of water, insist in a water bath for 50-60 minutes. Soak every night for 10 days |
| tea tree | Essential oil | Soak a cotton ball in the oil and clean the affected nail 2 times a day, morning and evening |
| Garlic | Grind the cloves into gruel | Apply gruel on the nail, cover with cling film and apply a gauze bandage |
| Tea mushroom | Dried soaked mushrooms | A piece of kombucha is applied to the infected nail at night and tied tightly with cling film, then fixed with a bandage. Perfectly softens plaque and facilitates subsequent removal |
How to treat nail fungus with home solutions?
You can try to get rid of the fungus with familiar products like vinegar or salt. The recipes are very simple:
- Vinegar. The treatment uses normal table vinegar, 9% apple or wine vinegar and 70% essence. The latter is preferable for the ability to regulate concentration. For 10-14 days, it is necessary to raise the feet or hands in medicinal solutions every day. 250 ml of vinegar or 3 tablespoons of essence are diluted in 1 liter of boiled water (temperature: the hotter, the better). Keep your feet in the solution for 20-30 minutes or until the water cools completely. After 3-4 baths, the affected nails will begin to flake off, they need to be removed with orange sticks. Do not cut or tear the plate.
- Salt. You can treat nail fungus with a saturated saline solution. Dissolve 5-6 tablespoons of table or sea salt in 2 liters of warm water and take a bath for 30 minutes (until the water cools completely) every night, before bed. Doctors recommend enhancing the therapeutic effect of the composition with a pinch of potassium permanganate. Add some crystals to the bath so that the water turns light pink. The course of treatment is at least 10 days, even if the symptoms disappeared after 3-4 procedures.
- Drink. An alkaline environment is harmful to microscopic fungi. Soda compresses and baths will help control the infection. There are several effective recipes for baking soda. Rub the affected nails with a solution: mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 50 grams of warm water, moisten the nails with a cotton swab several times a day. Sodium-salt bath: thoroughly mix 3 tablespoons of salt and soda in 2 liters of hot water, immerse your feet or hands in the solution, carry out the procedure for at least 10 days. Compress: extinguish 1 tablespoon of baking soda with vinegar, apply gruel on the nails, tightly wrap with cling film and fix with a gauze bandage.
It will be possible to cure toenail fungus with quickly available means only if it has not been more than a week since the infection. With advanced onychomycosis, all home methods are used in addition to systemic drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully examine the nails and feet on a daily basis, especially after visiting public locker rooms, wearing professional or sports shoes for a long time.