Onychomycosis (nail fungus) is one of the most common infections on our planet. She watches for us in the bathhouse, in the pool, in the beauty salon during a pedicure procedure, on the beach and during fitting in a shoe store. The disease develops rapidly and very soon affects not only the nail plates, but also the areas of skin surrounding them. It is important not to miss the onset of the disease, when it is still possible to treat nail fungus with folk remedies.
Therapy of fungal diseases in general, and onychomycosis in particular, still remains one of the most complex and not fully resolved problems in medicine. Every third inhabitant of our planet suffers from this disease (according to WHO).
Symptoms of the disease
It is impossible not to notice this disease even in the earliest stages of development. This greatly facilitates diagnosis and allows treatment of the pathology to begin in a timely manner. First of all, the color of the nail begins to change: from pale pink it turns into yellow, brown, and sometimes black. Other typical symptoms of this disease include:
- itchy skin around the nail;
- grooves, spots or inclusions on the nail plate;
- soreness;
- peeling of the nail;
- putrid odor;
- departure of the plate from the nail bed;
- A white coating appears under the nail plate on the soft tissues.
How does infection occur?
Nail fungus is possible in people with weakened immune systems and with age-related skin changes. The risk of contracting an infection increases significantly in patients suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland. At the first signs of infection, you should immediately consult a doctor to establish a diagnosis and begin treatment. Otherwise, the infection will spread to other areas. All family members of an infected person are at risk. During the treatment period, you must stop walking on the floor barefoot. It is necessary to strictly follow simple hygiene rules when taking a shower (rinse the bathroom well after yourself, use a personal towel).
Is it possible to get rid of nail fungus using folk remedies?
This is a very common question. Yes, in the early stages of the disease this is not difficult to do. The situation is much worse with an advanced form, when the disease can seriously harm health:
- weaken the immune system;
- cause an allergic reaction;
- provoke exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Witch doctors and healers know how to treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. Of course, it will not be possible to fix the problem quickly (in a couple of days), but there will still be a positive result. Traditional medicines are divided into two groups:
- for internal use – teas, tinctures, decoctions;
- for external use - solutions, compresses, ointments.
By combining these methods, you can get rid of the disease and restore health. We will describe below how to treat nail fungus at home using folk remedies.
Preparations based on celandine
This plant is well known not only to specialists in the field of herbal medicine, but also to ordinary townspeople: many have seen small bushes covered with small yellow flowers near houses and along roadsides in the spring. But not everyone knows that the plant has disinfectant and wound-healing properties. It is also used to treat nail fungus. Most often, celandine is used in the form of a tincture. It is also possible to use pure plant juice.
Fresh Juice
The simplest way to use celandine is to lubricate the damaged nail plate and cuticle with the juice of the plant three times a day. Treatment continues for a week.
Vodka tincture
Wash and dry the celandine herb well, chop it and place it in a glass container. Fill the raw material with vodka (1: 2). Close the jar tightly and place it in a dark place for two weeks. The tincture is taken according to the following scheme: for the first three days – 3 drops, diluting them in ½ glass of water. Then every day the dosage is increased by 1 drop. When it reaches 20 drops, it is also gradually reduced to three.
Celandine and calendula
How else can you cure toenail fungus? Folk remedies, for example celandine and calendula, are very effective in combating this pathology. To a teaspoon of celandine juice, add two drops of calendula and oregano tincture. Add 4 tbsp to the resulting mixture. l. water. The composition is applied to the affected nail plate three times a day.
Vinegar in the treatment of fungus
Healers claim that vinegar can help cure nail fungus. Folk remedies based on it can be different. Next, let's look at a few popular recipes.
Vinegar essence
Treat the affected nail plate with 70% acetic acid. However, this rather aggressive method is not suitable for people with disorders of the heart and blood vessels, suffering from allergic reactions to this substance, and hypertension.
Egg and vinegar
Perhaps this is the most common folk method of treating nail fungus, allowing you to get rid of the pathology quickly. To make the medicine you will need apple cider vinegar and a chicken egg, preferably a homemade one. Pour vinegar into a 200 ml glass jar, place the egg in it and place in a dark place. When the egg has completely dissolved, remove the film remaining after it, pour the resulting mixture into another glass container, add a teaspoon of butter (teaspoon) and mix thoroughly.
Steam your legs, apply the product to the affected areas, cover with a bandage folded several times, wrap with plastic wrap and secure. After 12-14 hours, the nail will lift and soften. It must be cut with pre-disinfected scissors. The procedures are repeated until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Ointment
Mix one part of glycerin, o-phthalic acid dimethyl ester, olive oil with two parts of acetic acid (70%). The ointment is applied to the affected nails for 8-10 hours. It is recommended to carry out the procedure before bedtime.
Foot baths
Table vinegar (200 ml) is added to water heated to 50 °C. Its level should reach the ankles. Your feet float in this solution for a quarter of an hour. The procedure is carried out three times a week.
Uses of iodine
Many people are interested in how to quickly treat toenail fungus with folk remedies. At the beginning of the article, we said that a positive result can only be achieved at the initial stage of the disease. Onychomycosis can be treated using ordinary iodine. This is an affordable but painful procedure that is preferably performed on weekends.
Steam well and dry your feet. Lubricate infected nail plates with iodine, bury it in the cracks until it stops being absorbed. After some time, you will feel a strong burning sensation that you should endure. If the discomfort is unbearable, lower your feet into a basin of cold water. At the onset of the disease, one procedure is enough to cure.
Baking soda
Traditional methods are often used in the treatment of onychomycosis. How to treat nail fungus with baking soda? The powder is used for warm baths at the rate of two tablespoons per three liters of water. To make the procedure more effective, add half a spoon (teaspoon) of laundry soap, grated, to the water. The procedure lasts at least a quarter of an hour. Upon completion, your feet should not be wiped: let them dry naturally. Then you need to put on cotton socks. For complete cure, such procedures should be carried out every three days for a month.
Essential oils
Many people say that if the disease is advanced, it is quite difficult to cure toenail fungus with folk remedies. Healers believe that essential oils cope well with this task. They are compared in terms of their level of impact with expensive antifungal medications. In addition to the antifungal effect, oils have numerous beneficial properties:
- cleansing;
- regenerating;
- anti-inflammatory;
- bactericidal.
Essential oils not only destroy fungal cells, but also restore the normal condition of the nail plate. These remedies for the treatment of nail fungus are used in various procedures:
- Compresses.Heat the tea tree oil to 30°C and dilute it with two teaspoons of warm water. Soak a cotton pad in the resulting mixture and place it on the nail plate for an hour. After the procedure, it will become soft and elastic, which will allow it to be trimmed.
- Baths.Pour three liters of hot water into a basin, drop in ylang-ylang essential oil, add rosemary or lavender (10 drops). Immerse clean feet in the solution for a quarter of an hour. After the procedure, wrap your feet in a warm towel for a quarter of an hour.
- Use in its pure form.If there are no allergic reactions to the oil, you can use it to lubricate the nail plate, previously steamed in hot water with 72% laundry soap. Soak a cotton swab in the oil and lubricate the affected nails. It should not be washed off.
Propolis tincture
There are many traditional methods for treating nail fungus. A universal and safe remedy is propolis, or more precisely, its alcohol tincture. The drug has fungicidal, wound-healing and bacteriostatic properties.
With onychomycosis, propolis does not allow the pathogen to multiply. Judging by the reviews, itching and inflammation disappear after just a few procedures. Gradually, the affected nail is replaced by a healthy one. There are several ways to treat pathology with propolis:
- A piece of propolis is applied to the affected nail, previously steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate, for half an hour. The procedure should be carried out twice a day for a month.
- Moisten a cotton pad with an alcohol solution (20%) of propolis and apply it to the nail plate, covering it with dry cotton wool on top. At the end of the procedure, bandage your finger. The bandage can be removed after a day and the softened nail can be removed.
Tea mushroom
The healing properties of this unique remedy are used in the treatment of many infectious diseases. You can use this folk remedy to treat nail fungus. Use it as follows:
- separate a thin layer from the mushroom, soak it in water for an hour, then apply a piece to each affected nail;
- cover the compress with plastic wrap and put on a wool sock;
- Leave the compress overnight.
The procedure, during which burning and itching may be felt, is repeated every two days until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Garlic
Many patients are interested in what folk remedies can treat nail fungus. Many of the remedies are always available in every home. For example, garlic, which is no less effective than special antifungal drugs.
- Pour a glass of apple cider vinegar over a clove of garlic in a glass container with a lid and place it in a dark place for two weeks. The finished composition is applied to nails affected by the fungus in the evening, a gauze bandage is applied on top and left until the morning. Treatment continues until the symptoms of the pathology disappear.
- Squeeze the juice out of five cloves of garlic. It should be diluted in 30 ml of boiled water. This product is used to lubricate sore nails, which must first be steamed and dried.
Hydrogen peroxide
How to quickly treat nail fungus with folk remedies? Traditional healers claim that there are methods that help get rid of the disease in a very short time. These include preparations based on hydrogen peroxide. It can be used in different ways and in different combinations:
- A mixture of several products.Dissolve 1/2 cup of soda, slaked with vinegar, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 cup of magnesium sulfate in four glasses of water. Secure a cotton swab soaked in this mixture onto the affected nail with a band-aid. The bandage remains on the affected area for 10 hours. Then it is replaced with a new one. Treatment continues for 10 days.
- Peroxide and vinegar.Mix equal parts peroxide and 6% vinegar. Dip your fingers into this mixture and hold it until it sizzles. Then the feet are washed with warm water, and tea tree oil mixed in equal parts with Vaseline is applied to dry nails. This procedure should be carried out every day for a week.
Anesthetic based on procaine
Yes, this is not exactly a folk remedy, but it would be wrong not to mention it in this article. Cotton swabs are moistened with anesthetic and secured to the affected nails. Some patients claim that this simple method can get rid of fungus in just two procedures.
Herbs
How else can you treat nail fungus? Folk remedies based on herbs and medicinal plants have a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effect.
Recipes:
- Mix equal parts of wormwood, burdock leaves and chamomile flowers. Pour one tablespoon (tablespoon) of the mixture with a glass of boiling water. After 20 minutes, when the composition has cooled slightly, immerse your fingers in it for 15-20 minutes.
- Chamomile flowers, oak bark and calendula should be taken in equal proportions. Pour boiling water (one liter) into three spoons of the mixture. Let the mixture sit for half an hour. Then add a tablespoon of sea salt to the broth. Place your feet in it. The procedure continues for a quarter of an hour.
- Blackberry leaves, verbena grass, horsetail, calendula flowers and oak bark in equal parts are crushed and mixed. Pour boiling water (200 ml) into one spoon (teaspoon) of the mixture. Place the container with the herbal mixture in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Strain, cool and moisten cotton pads with the resulting decoction. They are applied in the form of lotions to sore nails at night.
- Gently beat the burdock leaf with a spoon so that the juice comes out. Pieces of the sheet are placed on the nail plate, the finger is bandaged and a sock is put on. The dressing should be changed every 12 hours. Continue treatment for 10 days.
- The leaves of Kalanchoe and golden mustache must be ground to a pasty state. The mass is applied to the infected surface and fixed with a bandage. In the morning, remove the bandage and wash your feet with warm water. Treatment is carried out until symptoms disappear.
- Pour 150 ml of vodka with 10-15 g of lilac flowers. The raw materials are infused for two weeks in a dark place. Wipe the damaged nail plate with the prepared tincture twice a day for a week.
Fungus in advanced form
If the nail is completely yellowed, does not fit tightly to the nail bed, crumbles, the nail folds are red, or hurt, this means that the nail fungus is advanced. Treating this form of pathology with folk remedies is impractical and ineffective. In this case, alternative medicine is used only as an adjunct to drug treatment.
Affected nails are washed with tar soap at night. Sprinkle salt on top and bandage with a sterile bandage. In the morning, remove the bandage and wash your feet with warm water. Repeat the procedures for at least a week.
Disease prevention
If you are an opponent of traditional medicine or for some reason cannot purchase pharmaceutical drugs, you can try to cope with the disease with folk remedies. In this case, it is necessary to treat nail fungus when the first symptoms of the disease are detected.
Prevention of this pathology is no less important. The causative agents of onychomycosis are inert to conventional disinfectants. Powders, soaps, and detergents do not affect the viability of spores. In this regard, nail fungus is a dangerous disease; treating it at home is quite difficult, and preventive measures are often ineffective.
However, it is necessary to follow basic preventive rules:
- Do not use other people's hygiene products. This rule must also be observed within the family circle, since, judging by medical statistics, more than 60% of cases of infection occur at home.
- Treat the bathroom and rugs with disinfectant solutions.
- Use a 5% chloramine solution to treat bedding and washcloths used by the patient.
- Stockings or socks should be changed daily. Fungal spores migrate to the fabric, and you can only get rid of them by boiling, and this is not always possible.
- After visiting the pool, treat your nails and feet with a 40% hexamethylenetetramine solution.
- Dry or sweaty skin is an ideal place for infection to breed. Doctors have proven the high effectiveness of boric acid, hexamethylenetetramine, and talc in helping to cope with excessive dryness or sweating of the feet.
If treatment of the fungus with alternative medicine does not give a positive result, you should consult a doctor who knows exactly how to treat nails with the help of medications.
Alternative treatment for nail fungus: patient reviews and doctors' opinions
Many people claim that they were able to completely get rid of this pathology using only folk remedies, the recipes for which are given in this material. True, they all claim that they managed to achieve a positive result, because treatment was started after the first symptoms of the disease were detected.
Doctors are not so optimistic. They believe that treating nail fungus with folk remedies is not always safe. The fact is that many of them are quite aggressive, and doctors have more than once had to deal with the consequences of their uncontrolled use - burns, inflammation, etc.
Therefore, doctors recommend that if you suspect a fungus, consult a doctor, do a scraping, identify the susceptibility of the causative agent to various drugs, and then begin treatment. If in your case the doctor considers it possible to treat nail fungus using traditional methods, he will include effective remedies as part of complex therapy.