Fungus in a small pattern (onychomycosis) always crawls inconspicuously.First, the infection affects the skin of the toes, then it crawls up to the nail, and if it is not caught in time, it spreads throughout the entire foot.Even in the early stages, treatment can take 2-3 weeks, so it is very important to recognize the insidious fungus as early as possible.Moreover, today the disease can be treated in various ways - both pharmaceutical drugs and proven folk recipes.
Symptoms and stages of ringworm
Both men and women are at risk of onychomycosis - anyone who wears tight shoes, regularly visits the pool and sauna, and likes to relax on public beaches in the summer.
Children suffer the least from onychomycosis, and after 60 years, every second person is already infected.Weak immunity, chronic diseases, endocrine diseases are to blame...
Fungal infection is a disease with many faces.There are several types of fungi and each pathogen causes different symptoms.To understand whether you are a victim of a fungus, you need to take a closer look at your thumb, examine the skin around and between the fingers.
The following symptoms indicate that it is time to treat the nail:
- the skin of the feet dries and cracks;
- small bubbles filled with ichor appear between the fingers;
- thickening of the nail plate began;
- the nail became brittle, crumbled and broke;
- nails have lost their shine, their usual shade and become uneven;
- yellow spots and stripes appear on the nail plate (these are dermophyte fungi);
- the nail suddenly turns green or black (mildew);
- on the sides, the nail plate began to turn yellow and remain behind the skin (yeast fungus);
- The nail began to grow under the skin and caused serious discomfort.
- Onychomycosis develops gradually, each stage of the disease has its own symptoms.Although each pathogen behaves differently at different stages, in general the stages of athlete's foot can be presented as follows:
- Early stage.Here, the fungus almost does not show itself.Sometimes the skin of the feet itches and begins to crack, and barely noticeable spots and stripes appear on the nail of the thumb.
- The second stage.The nail loses its healthy pink color and the plate begins to deform (on the sides and outside).
- Advanced stage.The nail plate eventually changes color, thickens and loosens, sometimes falling off.It affects the skin of the toes and between the toes.At this stage, the pathogen penetrates the body, so signs of intoxication appear.These are weakness, drowsiness, dysbacteriosis, weakened immunity.
Treatment with pharmaceutical drugs
If you find a fungus on your thumb, self-treatment is far from the best option.There are several types of this infection, and the medication you choose may not be effective against a particular type of fungus.Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor who will prescribe tests and choose an individual course of treatment.
Before treating a disease with traditional medicines, it is necessary to destroy all escape routes of the pathogen.And for this - disinfect shoes, bedding, socks.Textiles can be boiled, open shoes can be wiped from the inside with lemon, and closed slippers should be thrown away.These methods will not only speed up recovery, but also prevent family members from becoming infected.
It will take 1-2 months to eliminate a fungal infection in the early stages.In advanced cases, treatment lasts up to a year or more.
Athlete's foot can be successfully treated with three groups of drugs:
- antimycotic varnishes;
- local preparations: ointment, cream, spray;
- drugs for oral administration.
Antimycotic varnishes for the treatment of fungus
Antifungal varnishes are recommended in the early stages, when the disease has not yet reached an advanced stage.
The main advantage of medicated varnishes is versatility.They can be used for prevention, treat existing fungi and even remove the diseased part of the nail.Some medicines can be applied not only to the nail, but also to the painful skin of the feet.The only disadvantage of these funds is their high price.
Most antifungal varnishes fight several types of fungi at once.It takes 2 months to a year to get rid of all the symptoms of the infection.
Creams and ointments for the treatment of fungi
Using ointments and creams for onychomycosis is the most effective and simple way.It takes up to a year to completely get rid of the infection at home (depending on the stage of the disease).Doctors recommend changing the ointment (or an alternative) every 14 days, otherwise the fungus will get used to the medicine and it will have no effect.When all the symptoms disappear, you should continue the treatment for another 2 weeks to strengthen the effect of the drug.
Antifungal drugs for oral administration
In advanced forms of onychomycosis, it makes no sense to treat the disease only with ointments and varnishes - the fungus has already penetrated the blood.In this case, the doctor prescribes antifungal drugs and immunomodulators.
Treatment with home remedies
You can cope with large toenail fungus at home not only with pharmaceutical varnishes and ointments.In the early stages, folk, "grandmother" methods will be quite effective.
However, it should be understood that treatment with folk remedies, although cheaper, will take more time than using antifungal varnishes and special creams and ointments.
Traditional medicine methods are widely used in the treatment of fungal infections.It is recommended to use them as additional measures to the main treatment.They cannot replace medicines.
Common recipes:
- The simplest method of home treatment is cauterization with iodine.You just need to apply iodine to the nail plate and the surrounding skin with a cotton swab twice a day (in the morning and before going to bed).Remember: iodine dries the skin.Therefore, it is better to take a short break every week and treat the fungus with other folk remedies.
- If you catch the infection at a very early stage, you can treat it with a proven army method - laundry soap.We simply rub a regular soap dish through a coarse grater, dilute it in a bowl of hot water and organize foot baths every evening.Until fully recovered.
- The antibacterial properties of garlic are also great in fighting fungi.There are two garlic recipes that you can use at home.The first is to rub garlic until it becomes a paste, spread it on the painful nail, wrap it with a film, and put a sock on it.Do it 2 times a week at night, antifungal course - six months.The second recipe is 2 crushed garlic for 100 grams of soft butter.Use in a similar way, but every evening after washing.Use for 1-2 months.
- Treatment of mycosis of the big toe with folk remedies is impossible without potato peels.We take fresh pods, boil them, drain the water and knead them by hand in a pot.Then we transfer the legs damaged by the fungus to a basin and steam them in the cleaning.After 15-20 minutes, wash the remaining peels with potato juice and put them in clean socks.Do this every evening until the fungal symptoms disappear.
Vinegar essence, lemon compresses, birch bark baths, herbal mixture of chamomile, violet and string, celandine, etc.is also considered an effective folk remedy against thumb fungus.
Removal of thumb nail
If the fungal infection has already progressed to the second or third stage, the complete treatment must necessarily include the removal of the nail.You can remove the entire nail plate or just a part, and the new nail will grow smooth, pink and healthy.
Removing the nail plate using folk methods requires special care and precision - complete sterility must be maintained in order not to introduce a new infection.Homemade keratolytics act in a similar way - they soften the nail plate infected with fungus and it can be removed.The most popular recipes at home are soap and soda baths and birch tar compresses.
Nail removal is possible in different ways: at home, in hospitals or in beauty salons.If you decide to carry out such a responsible procedure yourself, there are four options:
- keratolytic varnishes;
- special ointments and creams;
- keratolytic gypsum mixtures;
- removal of nails with folk remedies.
All varnishes, patches, creams and other traditional means work on the same principle.A keratolytic mixture is applied to the steamed nail (daily or several times a week, depending on the instructions), the top is sealed and removed after a while.It is recommended to remove patches once a day, ointment and cream - once a day or 3-4 days, varnish - once a week.At this time, the damaged part of the nail is removed together with the product.
Remember: nail removal is not the cure-all.The fungus itself lives and multiplies in the nail bed, so after removing the nail plate, you need to treat the painful finger with other antifungal drugs.Otherwise, the infection will become more active and infect the new, growing nail.
Treating fungus is more difficult than preventing it, so prevention of fungal infection should always be done.For this, you need to follow simple hygiene rules.You should not wear other people's shoes, do not use a separate towel for your feet, take only your own shoes to the pool, sauna and bath and regularly disinfect them.No matter what you wear - shoes, boots, sneakers - shoes should be made of comfortable, breathable, natural materials.
You also need to take care of your feet: cut your nails in time, prevent the nail from extending into the skin, heal all cracks and small wounds in time.Also, check your fingers regularly for any suspicious symptoms.