How to cure nail fungus at home is the first question a person asks when faced with unpleasant symptoms. Simple and affordable traditional medicine recipes are effective at the initial stage of fungal infection.
Pharmaceutical companies are constantly working to improve old antifungal drugs and release new ones. The assortment of antimycotics is huge, and it inspires the hope of easily getting rid of an unpleasant disease. At the same time, the number of victims of the bacterial attack does not decrease. Paradox? No, quite understandable fact. Microscopic fungi are constantly mutating and adapting to negative survival conditions. New strains resistant to drug therapy are emerging. It becomes more and more difficult to eliminate the fungus. But there is an alternative to traditional treatment. Reliable and proven traditional medicine recipes effectively remove the fungus on the nails of the feet and hands even before the discovery of the first pathogenic virus by scientists.
How and how to cure a fungus at home?
Not a single person is immune to onychomycosis infection. Already wearing shoes increases the risk of infection by 50%. Impaired immunity, going to gyms, swimming pools, public baths and saunas are the most common causes of the development of nail fungus. At the first suspicious symptoms (change in the shape or thickening of the nail plate, the appearance of spots, detachment from the bed, itching, redness, peeling), emergency measures should be taken. The most affordable treatment option is to use homemade formulations. But it should be remembered that traditional medicine is effective only in the early stages of onychomycosis.
All home remedies can be roughly divided into three groups:
- drugstore antiseptics - this includes all over the counter drugs that affect the life of the fungus. These are creams, ointments, solutions with a synthetic and natural formula of the active substance.
- herbal preparations - essential oils, tinctures and decoctions for baths of medicinal plants can significantly improve the condition of the affected nails within a week.
- household solutions and substances - soda, salt, edible vinegar, effectively eliminate the main symptoms of the fungus, but require long-term use.
You should be prepared for the fact that it is always difficult and time consuming to treat nail fungus. Methodology and consistency are the main prerequisites for successful home therapy.
How to quickly cure nail fungus with pharmaceutical preparations
For the treatment of onychomycosis, the simplest antiseptic drugs are often used, which can be purchased at any pharmacy for literally a penny. But dermatologists warn that using antiseptics can cause burns and allergic reactions. A high concentration of antiseptic does not guarantee effectiveness. Moderation and caution are the main principles of treating fungus of the feet and hands with the simplest solutions.
| Active substance | Mode of application |
|---|---|
| Iodine | A solution is prepared from iodine and alcohol in the proportions 1: 1. Apply with a cotton swab to the affected areas of the nail 2 times a day. |
| Medical hydrogen peroxide | Mix equal amounts of peroxide and water, apply compresses for 30 minutes 2-3 times a day. |
| Formaldehyde | Wipe the affected nails morning and evening. |
| Zinc oxide (ointment) | Apply a thin layer on the nails in the evening and cover with a sterile bandage. |
| Aluminum-potassium alum | 0, 5 teaspoon of powder is diluted in a glass of hot water. Treat your nails several times a day. |
How to cure nail fungus at home with plants?
Nature is the best help in the fight against pathogenic microorganisms. Medicinal plants have antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. An ideal set for the prevention and treatment of onychomycosis. But in large herbaceous plants, only a few species are effective against most strains of fungal infection. The table shows the strongest plants.
| Medicinal plant | Medicinal composition form | Mode of application |
|---|---|---|
| Rowan tree | Grind the fresh fruit into a homogeneous oatmeal | Apply the mixture to the nail affected by the fungus, apply a gauze bandage on top, leave the compress overnight |
| Celandine | Alcohol tincture | Gently lubricate the nail with dye every night before going to bed. |
| Oak | Dried bark | Pour 1 tablespoon of bark with 1 liter of water, insist in a water bath for 50-60 minutes. Soak every night for 10 days |
| Tea plant | Essential oil | Moisten a cotton swab in oil and wipe the affected nail twice a day, morning and evening |
| Garlic | Grind the cloves into a mush | Apply oatmeal to the nail, cover with cling film and apply a gauze bandage |
| Tea mushroom | Dried mushroom soaked | A piece of kombucha is applied at night to the infected nail and tied tightly with cling film, then fixed with a bandage. Perfectly softens the plaque and facilitates subsequent removal |
How to treat nail fungus with household solutions?
You can try to eliminate the fungus with familiar products like vinegar or salt. The recipes are very simple:
- The vinegar. The treatment uses regular table vinegar, apple or wine 9% and 70% gasoline. The latter is preferable due to the possibility of adjusting the concentration. For 10-14 days it is necessary to soak his feet or hands in medicinal solutions daily. 250 ml of vinegar or 3 tablespoons of essence is diluted in 1 liter of boiled water (temperature - the hotter, the better). Keep your feet in the solution for 20 to 30 minutes or until the water cools completely. After 3-4 baths, the affected nails will begin to flake, they should be removed with orange sticks. Do not cut or tear the plate.
- Salt. You can treat nail fungus with saturated saline solution. Dissolve 5-6 tablespoons of table salt or sea salt in 2 liters of hot water and take a bath for 30 minutes (until the water cools completely) every night, before going to bed. Doctors recommend to enhance the therapeutic effect of the composition with a pinch of potassium permanganate. Add a few crystals to the bath so that the water turns light pink. The course of treatment is at least 10 days, even if the symptoms disappeared after 3-4 procedures.
- A soda. An alkaline environment is detrimental to microscopic fungi. Compresses and soda baths will help control the infection. There are several effective baking soda recipes. Rub the affected nails with a solution: mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 50 grams of warm water, moisten the nails with a cotton swab several times a day. Soda-salt bath: thoroughly mix 3 tablespoons of salt and soda in 2 liters of hot water, soak your feet or hands in the solution, perform the procedure for at least 10 days. Compress: soak 1 tablespoon of baking soda with vinegar, apply oatmeal to the nails, wrap tightly with cling film and secure with a gauze bandage.
It will only be possible to cure nail fungus with readily available means if no more than a week has passed after infection. With advanced onychomycosis, all home methods are used in addition to systemic drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully examine the nails and feet on a daily basis, especially after visiting public locker rooms, wearing professional or sports shoes for a long time.