Fungal diseases affecting the nails and feet cause serious discomfort and can significantly impair a person's quality of life. In addition, when nail fungus is detected in the later stages, it is characterized by a long and complicated treatment process.
However, if you start treatment in time when the initial symptoms of fungal infection first appear, it is easier and relatively simple to fight it.Traditional medicine suggests taking some recipes that can solve the problem of fungal growth.
Iodine protects the health of nails
Dermatophyte fungi, which have a protein structure, parasitize the nails, the skin of the feet and between the fingers, and feed on keratin, which is part of the horny scales of the skin and the nail plate.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the most popular remedy for the treatment of onychomycosis at home is an alcohol solution of iodine. Iodine solution has a harmful effect on the structure of protein cells, destroying them, moreover, iodine is a fairly strong antiseptic and has clear fungicidal properties (resistance to mold formation).
Remember that iodine is a very active substance, and if it is not used correctly, it can cause some damage, for example, chemical burns, etc.
The affordable price of iodine makes this drug attractive to consumers for the treatment of nail fungus, as well as prevention. It is worth remembering the rules that must be followed when using iodine solution for medical purposes.
Safety rules when working with iodine
- Treatment of the skin with iodine solution can cause irritation and allergic reactions.
reaction. Therefore, before starting to use, check the reaction of the skin by rubbing the area of the elbow bend with iodine solution. - Regular use of iodine solution makes the nail strongly pigmented in yellow, which can only be saved by the growth of a new nail.
- Chemical burns or inflammatory skin lesions (dermatitis) may occur when used incorrectly or when the permitted dose is exceeded.
- Only affected nail and skin areas should be treated and only at the initial symptom stage.
Recipes based on iodine solution
- Recipe 1. Using a cotton swab for comfort, one drop of iodine (5%) alcohol solution is applied to each affected nail twice a day, in the morning and before going to bed. To prevent disease, as well as for additional strengthening, the same solution, but in a smaller dose, can be lubricated on healthy nail plates.
- Recipe 2. The six-week course of treatment is divided into three stages of fourteen days each. During the course, infected areas of the skin and nails are treated alternately: in the first two weeks, Castellani liquid, in the second stage, iodine solution, in the last two weeks, vinegar solution (9%).
- Recipe 3. First, a solution consisting of the following components is prepared: iodine, chloronitrophenol, vinegar essence, garlic juice, in equal parts, one teaspoon of each component. This solution should be used daily before going to bed to treat the infected nail. The nail must first be steamed and the softened part removed. Before use, the medicinal mixture should be shaken.
When treating the nails with any manicure accessories, you should remember: the affected areas should be treated with separate means in order not to infect healthy nails.
Treatment with copper sulfate
Copper sulfate, or copper sulfate among humans, is most often used to accompany traditional treatment of fungal infections. It is in the form of crystals, easily soluble in water and non-toxic. Two forms are used for treatment.
- Copper sulfate solution. It can be prepared at home. A teaspoon of copper sulfate crystals is dissolved in 1 liter of boiled water. The resulting solution is very concentrated, so it should be used in a diluted form for treatment: 1 tbsp. l. 1, 5 liters of water solution. Using this solution, take foot baths for ten minutes before treating the affected areas of the skin and nails with medicines recommended by the doctor.
- Copper sulfate ointment. Copper sulfate crystals are calcined on a hot surface until the color turns gray or white. Then mix it with other ingredients: yellow sulfur, resin or gas oil, one teaspoon of each. The resulting ointment is used daily to treat painful nails until complete healing.
Sea and table salt to treat fungal infections
Sea and common salt can be added to therapeutic foot baths. At the same time, the affected areas of the skin of the feet and nails are disinfected. As a rule, such antiseptic procedures are directed against infections living on the skin and are necessary to prepare the nails for the subsequent application of medicinal ointments to them.
Only salt is not able to treat fungus, but it is often used as a component of medicinal ointments and mixtures prepared according to folk recipes.
For example, garlic juice works well against advanced fungal infections, and is used to treat feet and affected nails twice a day. This water is easy to prepare at home. A ground clove of garlic is mixed with salt until a paste is obtained. The resulting mixture is dissolved in 200 ml of water. After the final cooling, dissolve another 4 tbsp. l. salt.
An unusual use of ordinary soda
- Recipe 1. Daily use of soap and soda baths will help better penetration of the medicinal components contained in the drugs 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 baking soda and 3 tbsp. l. grated soap, then dissolve the resulting mixture in 7-10 liters of water. Feet fly 20 minutes a day for 4-5 days.
- Recipe 2. A certain amount of soda is diluted with water and forms a paste, which is used to cover the infected nail. A few minutes after applying the soda paste on the nail, add some lemon juice. Then the mixture is removed, the nail is washed with soap and treated with antifungal agents. This tool is used only as an adjunctive treatment.
Treatment process using birch tar
Birch resin is a powerful remedy for all kinds of skin diseases. Therefore, you can treat your feet with natural birch resin. However, the legs are prepared beforehand. Feet steamed in hot soapy water undergo further treatment: the rough and affected skin of the feet is exfoliated and the infected nails are trimmed. Then, the already dried skin of the feet is lubricated with birch resin, which is applied to a cotton swab using rubbing movements. You should not wear socks or shoes for the next hour and a half. Allow time for the tar to absorb into the skin.
Tar is not effective as a treatment in ointments or mixtures. In the first stages, you can prepare your own tar ointment with a tar content of 5-10%. You will need a rich nourishing cream or some type of oil. Natural tar is added to the cream and everything is mixed well. The ointment is ready for use.
Another effective option for the treatment of fungus is sulfur-tar ointment, which consists of a base in the form of tar, powdered sulfur, cream or oil - respectively, in a ratio of 3: 2: 10. Apply a thin layer of ointment to the affected areas, let it dry and stick a patch on it.
The use of tar soap is useful for preventing any skin diseases because it contains up to 12% pure tar and has antiseptic properties. You should prefer handmade tar soap, the usefulness of which is not in doubt.
Celandine for clean skin
Celandine is a poisonous plant, its juice is successfully used against fungus and other skin diseases.
- Celandine juice. Celandine juice is used to treat diseased surfaces of the skin and nails. Freshly squeezed juice is mixed with alcohol (70%) in a ratio of 1: 1 and brewed for the next 24 hours. The treatment process takes about a week, treatments are performed regularly 3-4 times a day on previously prepared nails and feet.
- Celandine infusion. Add 100 g of dry celandine leaves to 1 liter of boiling water. After half an hour, the infusion is added to the foot bath and the feet are steamed for 20 minutes daily.
- Ointment. Celandine is part of medicinal herbal ointment to fight fungal infections. Add 5 drops of fresh celandine juice, 2 drops of oregano and 2 drops of pre-prepared calendula tincture to cooled boiled water (4 tablespoons). Treatment with such an ointment will last about 10 days, but the affected areas should be treated at least three times a day.
- Celandine oil. You can use celandine oil sold at any pharmacy or prepare it yourself at home, although this process requires considerable labor.
It is still better to use folk remedies for nail fungus in combination with traditional medicine - the effect will be stronger and the duration of treatment until full recovery will be significantly reduced.