How to treat nail fungus

Nail fungus (onychomycosis) is a very common dermatological disease, of which up to 20% of the planet's population suffers in one form or another.

One or more nails can be affected by each of the varieties of dermatophytes (microorganisms parasitizing on the human body), both on the hands and on the legs. Onychomycosis pathogens are quickly multiplied in a moist and warm environment, in shaded places. Infectious dermatophytic mushrooms can corrode not only nails but also skin and hair. Older people have a higher level of spread of the disease.

Let's take a closer look at why the fungus appears and we will also review the 5 most effective medicines for the treatment of nail fungus on the feet at home.

The source of infection can be:

1. A sick person. Some types of mushrooms are parasites only per person, so you can only become infected by the patient. You can get infected with a fungus of the toenails with both direct contact with the patient and when you use common objects - shoes, towels, etc.
2. Animals. There are types of fungi that amaze both humans and animals. People are generally infected in contact with sick pets.
3. Wednesday. Another variety of fungi can be multiplied outside living organisms. You can become infected in contact with soil or water.

This way you can get infected everywhere. But, of course, not every contact with the pathogen ends with the fact that the fungus develops on the toenails. The following provocative factors can lead to the development of onychomycosis:

• age after 60 years;
• Diabetes sugar;
• bleeding disorder in the lower limbs;
• weakening of immunity caused by chronic disease or other factors;
• Wearing an uncomfortable shoe that does not transmit air.

How does the nail fungus start? The initial stage of the fungus of the legs does not cause physical discomfort, the changes refer to the appearance of nails. The nail fungus at the initial stage is manifested by the appearance of spots or stripes of an unnatural color. If the nail fungus is not treated at the initial stage, then the progression of the disease will begin.

The stages of the fungus

All mushrooms are prone to aggressive colonization of their carrier. The germination of the mycelium in the fabric is similar to the growth of the roots of the tree in the building. By branching the body of the sponge destroys the cellular structure of the tissues, causing destruction.

Everything is in their way of absorbing food. Mycelium distinguishes the enzymes that destroy dead keratinocytes, nail cells and absorb nutrients. Unfortunately, these enzymes not only affect dead cells, but also disturb the work of the healthy ones.

The progression of the disease takes place in five stages:

1. Infection. The fungus is attached to the dead skin flakes, gradually reaching the nail. No symptoms are observed.
2. Normorophic. The nail fades and turns to the edges, thickening a little in the corners. The smell and unpleasant sensations appear.
3. Hypertrophic. Yellowness covers the entire nail, the nail plate is deformed with the appearance of transverse color. In 60 % of cases, it is accompanied by thickening of the entire nail. The edge of the nails is loose, delaxed.
4. Atrophic. Pieces of nails disappear, exposing the nail covered with loose horn tables. The nails are dumb, yellowish gray.
5. Onycholisis. The nail plate becomes sharper and disappears. If the matrix is not injured, the nail will grow.

For us, the good news is that mycelium does not penetrate live fabrics. He sufficiently dead cells and if he enters the nails, the sponge immediately attacks with immunity and dies. However, with prolonged infection, impaired nail trophic leads to a weakening of barrier function and pieces of mycelium can enter the bloodstream in search of a new fertile place. In addition, the constant fight against the sponge has exhausted the reserves of immunity.

Diagnostics

To confirm the diagnosis, the specialist gives the patient a testing for tests:

1. Microscopy. The scraping, removed from the nails, processes a special substance to destroy keratin. In this form, the material is easier to examine under a microscope. The disadvantage of microscopic studies is the inability to determine the type of fungi. However, the answers to the analysis already serve as the basis for the appointment of antifungal a wide range of action.
2. Cultural studies. Under laboratory conditions, the material is placed in the Saburo nutrient environment - sowing for the rapid development of the fungus. The causative agent is identified by color, growth rate and the shape of the parasitic colonies. The technique also reveals the sensitivity of strains to drugs. But the patient receives the results of the analysis only 3-5 days after his or her behavior.
3. DNA diagnostics. The detection of DNA cells of a fungal infection occurs when scraping nails affected by dermatophytes or candidates. The method does not determine the forms. The results of the patient's analysis are given within 1 to 2 days. The disadvantage of DNA diagnosis of onychomycosis of the stop is the high cost due to the need for use of special equipment.

The external symptoms of the fungi are not specific, they only show damage to the toenails. The cause of the disease becomes clear only after diagnostic studies. In order to prescribe adequate therapy, the onychomycosis of the stop is differentiated by red flat lichen, nail psoriasis, keratoderma and other diseases that cause disruption of nail feeding.

How to treat fungus at home

Do not hope that the fungus will pass on its own. The longer a person suffers from this disease, the more complicated the more treatment will be.

The duration of treatment and the selection of drugs depends on:

1. Stages of the disease.
2. The degree of damage to the nail.
3. Clinical form of the disease.

Before the start of the active actions, it is necessary to minimize the negative effects of the external environment, to eliminate the reasons why the fungus appears under the toenails:

1. The warm and humid environment is ideal for the growth of various microorganisms, try to dry the shoes all the time after walking, wear socks only from natural materials that provide normal thermal and air exchange;
2. The fungus of the feet often occurs due to poor immunity, you can simply step on the floor with the bare leg and take the infection, take vitamins to avoid this;
3. Frequent nail extension can become one of the causes of onychomycosis, limit the procedure to 1 session in six months;
4. The most complicated is the sympathy - it is a fungus caused by active disputes. They penetrate the hollows between the nails and fingers, can be in a sleep stage for a while and then grow sharply. Most often, they are infected in public areas (swimming pools, showers, solariums), during the work of other people's shoes, etc.

It is advisable to administer medicines for external use after keratolytic nail treatment.

Before each procedure for administration of the medicine, it is necessary:

• Make a soapy bath. Add a tablespoon of soda and salt and 50 g of laundry soap to a small bath. Keep your feet in the solution for about 15 minutes.
• Processes a damaged nail. Using a special saw, the top layer of the nail is undermined so that the medicine is better absorbed.
• Apply a medicine. The drug is used for dry clean toenails and skin around them.

When using solutions, ointments and creams, the drug is administered 2-3 times a day, varnishes-2 times a week. The course of treatment is established by the doctor depending on the existing damage. If the nail plates are completely affected and local medicines have no positive effect, it is recommended to combine them with systemic antifungals. The preparation of the system has a large list of contraindications and should be prescribed by the attending physician. Most of them are forbidden to take during pregnancy and lactation, in childhood and chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys.

In severe cases, the selection fungus may require nail removal. The procedure can be performed both surgically and with the help of keratolytics containing salicylic acid and urea. The removal of the affected nail with keratolytic plasters is distinguished by its painlessness and convenience. After stewing the legs, the patch is applied neatly to the affected nails and sealed with a glue plate. After a few days, the patch is removed, the affected areas of the plaque are cut, one of the antifungal medicines is administered. The procedure is performed several times.

To get rid of the fungus of your feet, it will not work as fast. It will take about 6-12 months to treat onychomycosis, depending on the form of the disease, stage and its course. Ultimately, complex therapy involves the use of various drugs and recovery periods during which the dermatologist prescribes a maintenance course. Nail fungus is not only a cosmetic disadvantage, but also a serious illness that reduces the body's protective functions. Against the background of weak immunity, dangerous pathologies can develop. Timely diagnosis and treatment will avoid problems associated with onychomycosis. Therefore, you should follow your health carefully.

5 best folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus

Natural folk remedies are quite effective for onychomycosis in its early stages. Most of them are used at home really help to get rid of the disease.

 Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide perfectly removes the nail fungus in the neglected (chronic) form, but the treatment will be quite long. Dermatologists recommend lubricating perhydrote every day (once every 2 days) and healthy nails in the process of release from pathology to prevent their infection.

So, how to cure a neglected toenail fungus using hydrogen peroxide?

1. Method 1. In the pool (bucket), smell your feet and try to remove (cut, scrape) from the nails of the affected bark. Dip the gauze in the perhydrol and attach to the treated nail. Wrap with a movie on top. Repeat the procedure twice a day before growing healthy nails.
2. Method 2. Combine perhydrol to apple cider vinegar in equal quantities. To impregnate the gauze, the napkin with the resulting composition and attach it to the corrosive disease to the nail. Wait the end of the spike effect. Rinse your feet with running water, dry thoroughly. Then apply a pharmaceutical medicine prescribed by doctors.
3. Method 3. Wrap your feet in hot water by adding liquid soap for washing or copper sulfate, dry. A cotton pad, impaired in an abundance of peroxide, put on the affected nail, covering with a piece of film, straightens the bandage with a bandage. Keep the compress for 35-40 minutes, scrape the softened tissue eaten by a fungus. Then treat the surface with an antifungal medicine prescribed by a specialist in infectious diseases.

 Vinegar

Treatment of onychomycosis in advanced vinegar (wine, apple) is a proven and effective manner. In order to get the expected result, it is important:

1.  Use a natural product without chemical additives;
2. Observe the proportions in the compositions;
3. Follow the treatment regimen;
4. Use only your things.

We take pickles

Prepare a pool (bucket) where you can comfortably place your feet. Pour heated water and vinegar into it (in equal quantities). The fingers should be completely covered with purifying fluid. The duration of the session is 40-50 minutes. The sessions should be repeated until the wounded cornea is completely replaced. In the complex stage of onychomycosis, the bath should be performed with the simultaneous use of pharmaceutical products that the mycologist will prescribe.

We make vinegar compresses

Pour in a 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a bowl, prepare a cotton swab (disc), polyethylene film. Drill the cotton wool with vinegar, attach to the infected cornea, wrap (not too tight! ) Film. Leave for 3-3. 5 hours. The total duration of vinegar therapy is 2, 5-3 months. You can only stop sessions when new nails are fully formed. Even a small amount of left infected tissue can cause the return of the pathological process.

 Tea tree

Before use, make sure you have no allergy to this medicine. Apply some oil to the wrist and leave for 12 hours. If the irritation has not happened, you can safely use. The whole course lasts two months and includes steam or direct application. 5 drops of oil per liter of water are added for the bathroom. Uninvolved extract is applied with a cotton swab on the surface of the nail after stewing the feet in soapy water. You do not need to rinse it.

Fungus prevention

One of the most effective means that the fungus is "fear" is a high quality prophylaxis.

It is very important to maintain the normal function of the immune system, which requires the right diet (minimum alcohol and coffee, maximum vegetables, proteins). In a weakened body, the infection spreads very quickly. It must be known and clearly follow the rules of personal hygiene. Those who do this sharply reduce the likelihood of infection. You do not need to explain why you cannot wear someone else's shoes, use personal hygiene products. In addition, you can't go barefoot in pools, saunas, baths, on the beach. You will have to wipe your feet dry after shower. You will know how to disinfect the places where the fungus can be theoretical. In the absence of special products against fungi, plain white can be used for this. Remember that the manifestation of nail fungus is always much easier to prevent than to get rid of this unpleasant disease.