Fungus on the feet and nails can be a real problem. There is an opinion that foot infection is a common pathology of disadvantaged segments of the population. It's a delusion. Everyone can get infected - regardless of age, gender and lifestyle. Folk antifungal agents can bring relief if used correctly.
Mycosis infection routes
Onychomycosis - this is what infection of a fungal infection is called in medical language. This pathology is quite common, and if no action is taken to treat it, it will progress. Appearing on the tip of the nail, onychomycosis a week later spreads to the cuticle and nearby tissues. If you do not start treatment at this stage, physical manifestations, such as itching, cracking of the skin, and allocation of the uterus, will begin. The defeat can spread to large areas.
Of course, you can try to prevent the infection process. Some people naively believe that if you always walk in socks or shoes with a closed toe, then you can not be afraid of mycosis. In fact, there are various ways of transmitting mycosis:
- swimming in the pool, river, pond;
- fitting shoes in stores;
- washing clothes in the same water as things of an infected person;
- Pets;
- locker rooms;
- beauty salons ;
- contact with household items common to an infected person.
Onychomycosis is an unpleasant and unaesthetic disease. However, he does not bear the actual threat to life. In the treatment of folk remedies can help . Antifungal remedies for the legs, prepared at home, are especially effective in the initial stages of the development of mycosis. The therapy should be started already at the moment when a white coating appeared on the edge of the nail or on the cuticle. If the disease spread over a large area, the skin cracked, pain appeared or pus began to be secreted, then treatment should be carried out with medical methods.
It should be noted that onychomycosis affects the tissues of people who have weak immunity. Therefore, the best prevention of the disease is a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and proper regular rest.
In addition to a weakened immune system, the following causes can lead to chronic onychomycosis:
- endocrine disorders;
- physical overwork;
- chronic alcoholism;
- uncontrolled intake of antibiotics;
- injuries to nails and fingers;
- autoimmune diseases.
Methods for herbal medicine of the fungus
Folk antifungal agents have both external and internal effects. The method of herbal medicine has proven itself - this is the preparation of infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs. There are many plants that have excellent astringent, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Folk antifungal agents are cheap and effective. A little time should be spent to prevent the development of onychomycosis and its spread over a large area of the skin.
The following antifungal agents for nails on the arms and legs, which will be very cheap and require a minimum of time from the patient:
- infusions of herbs for oral administration;
- baths with the addition of anti-inflammatory components;
- compresses.
It is optimal to use all these methods of exposure to the infected area of the skin in a complex. Only such an approach will provide the most rapid reduction in the severity of symptoms and will not allow to prevent the spread of infection.
Principles of Home Therapy
The main condition for effective treatment without the use of medications (tablets, ointments, compresses) is regularity. For example, in the morning and evening, take an antifungal folk remedy inside, make a therapeutic bath at lunch, and a compress before bedtime. This approach will allow you to get rid of the manifestations of onychomycosis within a few days.
In order to avoid relapse of the disease, you should adhere to a healthy lifestyle - eat right, perform adequate physical exercises, and avoid stress. Infusions of herbs are best taken in courses - that is, not only when a relapse of onychomycosis has occurred, but also in between exacerbations. Herbs are a great way to increase vitality and strengthen immunity. A healthy person is not afraid of any dermatological diseases - a strong immune system will simply suppress the slightest infection in the root.
If you suddenly have an allergy on one or another remedy, you should immediately stop the procedure and rinse your limb with plenty of clean, cool running water. If swelling or rash occurs, you should consult a dermatologist. However, patient reviews indicate that allergic reactions develop relatively rarely and most often the procedures are successful.
Antifungal Foot Care
Folk remedies of plant origin provide the following effect:
- Herbs with an anti-inflammatory effect help relieve itching, swelling, pain, discomfort and dryness. This is chamomile, oak bark, hemlock, calendula, yarrow, marigold, meadowsweet, fireweed.
- Herbs with antibacterial effect allow you to kill the fungus, destroying its cells. and also strengthen local immunity, preventing the development of relapses of onychomycosis (dubbing, wormwood, plantain and nettle).
- Herbs that can increase the overall immunity of the body (mint, ginseng, echinacea, eleutherococcus) can contribute to the overall restoration of the skin - the epidermis and also the nail plates will take on a healthy look as quickly as possible.
It is optimal to take the infusion every day before eating - so bioflavonoids are absorbed as fully as possible. In some cases, just baths and compresses are enough. But if the patient wants to avoid a recurrence of symptoms in the future, it is better to drink antifungal folk remedies once a quarter. This will contribute to improving well-being, strengthening immunity, improving the appearance of skin and hair.
Plants that can help fight mycosis
List of plants that should be in the medicine cabinet of each house:
- Oak bark is famous for its unique tanning, astringent properties. It can be prepared independently or purchased in a pharmacy in crushed form. To prepare a folk antifungal agent for oral administration from oak bark should be as follows: mix a tablespoon with a slide with a glass of boiling water, cover with a saucer and let it brew. Then take on an empty stomach two to three times a day. You can also add infusion to the foot bath with salt. A compress from oak bark is also good. It is necessary to moisten the cotton pad with infusion, apply to the affected area of the limb and leave for half an hour. The product does not cause pain or tingling, even if the skin has cracked.
- Chamomile is good as an anti-inflammatory. Trays from the infusion of chamomile will allow you to achieve quick healing of cracks in the event that pus and the mother of pearl have already begun to stand out. Also, this plant should be taken orally, having prepared the most concentrated broth - about two tablespoons per 200-250 ml of water. You should not boil for a long time - you can simply pour dry crushed stems and inflorescences with boiling water and let it brew.
- Celandine is effective as an antimicrobial agent. Use it should be as an infusion for baths or compresses. It is undesirable to take inside, since there is a high risk of developing an allergic reaction and poisoning. There is a popular folk antifungal remedy for toenails - you need a fresh stalk of celandine. Squeeze the juice directly onto the affected area. You should be careful - if the skin is cracked, then this procedure will cause severe pain. it is optimal to use celandine juice if onychomycosis is only at the first stage of development. In some cases, two or three of these procedures are enough - and the disease will recede for a while. During this period, preventive measures should be taken to increase local and general immunity.
Reviews of antifungal products for toenails
Patient reviews about herbal infusions are positive. By the way, even experienced dermatologists often recommend herbal medicine.
If onychomycosis has not yet passed into the second stage, timely use of infusion baths often helps to completely get rid of the manifestations of the disease. Folk antifungal agents from dried powdered herbs are safe and almost never lead to the development of an allergic reaction or other negative consequences.
Not very positive reviews about celandine. This plant has quite controversial properties in terms of dermatology. Reviews suggest that in people with sensitive skin, celandine juice in some cases provoked a burn. To prevent this from happening, you can dilute pure concentrated juice with petroleum jelly or baby cream. This will reduce the concentration of acid, and, accordingly, it will be almost impossible to get a burn.
Onions and garlic in the fight against mycosis
Antifungal folk remedies for the skin based on onions and garlic are able to stop the development of onychomycosis even at the last stage. Dermatologists are negatively inclined to such remedies, since concentrated onion juice can cause pain, especially in the presence of cracks and discharge of anemone and pus.
How to use onions as an antifungal medicine? Grate or chop a small onion in a blender. The resulting slurry is applied to the affected area of the skin. You should prepare for the unpleasant sensations: burning and pinching. If they become intolerable, you must stop the procedure and thoroughly rinse your foot under a stream of cool water.
Garlic can be used in a similar way. One head is enough. It is better to use those fruits in which the maximum amount of juice is still preserved. if the head of garlic is already dried, there is not enough juice in it. Accordingly, the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect will be less.
Onion-garlic dressings reviews
About this antifungal folk remedy for nails, the reviews are not very good. patients testify that even if burning does not occur when using a compress, an unpleasant odor is absorbed into the skin.
For people who are forced to regularly go to work and visit crowded places, this method is unacceptable. The smell of onions and garlic can also soak into shoes, and then it will be very difficult to etch. This method is only good if the patient is going to be at home for some time.
Onions and garlic are one of the most powerful enemies of pathogenic microflora of fungal infection. If you can use them, you should try these compresses. Alas, due to the unpleasant odor, reviews about onion and garlic compresses are not always positive.
Antifungal therapy with salt and soda
This is a safe and even enjoyable method. 500 grams of sea or ordinary edible salt should be diluted in a liter of warm water. You can carry out the procedure both in the bathroom and in the ordinary basin. Immerse your feet in the solution and go about your business - for example, watch TV or sit at the computer. The procedure time is from half an hour to an hour. During this time, the skin of the feet softens, and it, along with the fungus, can be easily scraped off with scissors or any other sharp object. Manipulation should be carried out as carefully as possible, since if you damage the skin, then residual salt can pinch the cut site for a while. In this case, rinse the feet under a stream of cool water.
Soda has similar properties. The optimal proportion of dilution of soda in water is 200 grams per liter of water. The procedure with soda is about forty minutes. You can add in the bath the infusion of a medicinal plant - for example, oak bark, chamomile, yarrow, mint. Similar procedures in terms of effectiveness can replace medications. Antifungal folk remedies are much cheaper, but no less effective.
Reviews about the baths with salt and soda in the fight against fungus are positive - people like the cheapness and simplicity of this method. The main disadvantage is that the procedure takes a relatively long time compared to ingestion of herbal infusions or the use of compresses.
Iodine in the fight against mycotic infection
Iodine is known to everyone as a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory drug for topical use. Its cost is low, and you can purchase it at any pharmacy.
Moisten a cotton pad or stick with iodine, and gently draw on the affected area of the nail or skin with onychomycosis. If there is no obvious pain and tingling, then you can also treat nearby areas of the skin at a distance of about one centimeter from the focus. If the procedure causes excessive burning, pain and discomfort, you should rinse the limb with cool running water and no longer experiment with iodine. This is really quite aggressive for the epidermis.
Compared with traditional antifungal herbal remedies, the use of iodine is less time spent on the procedure. In addition, iodine does not have an unpleasant odor, unlike onions and garlic. This tool is ideal for busy people who are forced to devote a lot of time to work daily.