Every fifth person develops a fungus on the legs, the treatment of which can be delayed at home. In most cases, this pathology does not threaten the patient's life, but causes a lot of discomfort. If the rules of personal hygiene are not followed, the fungus red trichophyton affects the foot. Candida often settles in the colonies of this microorganism. As a result of the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, toxic toxins are produced, which are carried throughout the body by the bloodstream. They disrupt metabolism and increase the body's sensitivity to external negative factors.
It is necessary to understand in more detail how to treat a fungus on the legs at home in order to quickly get rid of this problem.
How to distinguish a fungus from other diseases?
Before starting treatment, it is important to make sure that the feet really do have the fungus and not another infection. As a rule, infection with this microorganism is accompanied by dryness and peeling of the feet. In some cases, the skin may turn red and scales may appear between the folds. When a person suffers from excessive sweating, diaper rash can occur. They are often accompanied by itchy blisters and corns.
Particular attention should be paid to the color and shape of the nails. Fungal spores tend to penetrate deep under the nail plate. First, yellow stripes appear on the nails, over time the latter begin to crack and lose color. Then voids or a crumbling mixture form under the nail. All this is usually accompanied by an unpleasant smell.
If a person has found these signs in himself, then treatment should be started immediately. At this stage, the infection is much easier to cure. A course of antifungal therapy will be enough to get rid of this problem.
If the fungus is ignored, it can develop into a mycosis. It is able to disrupt movement, sometimes due to the pathology that has arisen in a person, body temperature can rise. In some cases, a neglected fungus can provoke the development of psoriasis or eczema.
Treatment of nail fungus at home should continue to begin only after consulting a specialist. The dermatologist will tell you which baths and ointments should be used to remove pathology.
Since products of animal and vegetable origin are used in the treatment of athlete's foot with home remedies, it is imperative to pass all tests that exclude the risk of an allergic reaction.
Methods for treating nail fungus at home
Treatment of athlete's foot at home should begin with disinfection. At the same time, it is necessary to disinfect not only the affected areas of the skin, but also all items for the care of the feet, shoes, clothes and the bathroom. The lack of regular disinfection negates the effectiveness of treatment and contributes to the infection of other family members with this disease.
To disinfect the skin, you can use Australian tea tree oil. It perfectly removes the inflammatory processes provoked by the fungus, moisturizes and softens dry skin. Tea tree oil should be rubbed into the damaged areas 2 times a day for 1-2 months. Constant use of this natural component will help to forget about forever not only the fungus, but also cracks and corns.
It is recommended to boil clothes with the addition of detergents. For 5 liters of boiling water you need to take 1 tsp. Soda and ¼ bar of laundry soap. If possible, it's a good idea to get rid of old socks altogether.
Shoes should be treated regularly with 40% acetic acid. With a cotton swab dipped in the substance, it is necessary to wipe the entire interior of the shoe well. Then the used discs should be thrown away and the new ones re-soaked in acetic acid, slipped into a boot or shoe, and tied with a plastic bag. It is advisable to do this at night so that in the morning the entire infection is destroyed. It is better to wash the insoles regularly. This will help get rid of the pathogenic microflora that lives in the shoes.
There are no less fungi in the bathroom than on shoes and clothes. Tiles and all furnishings must be cleaned regularly with chlorinated water. You can add some washing powder. Make sure all surfaces are dry and free from moisture. It is recommended to constantly ventilate the bathroom to prevent fungal growth.
Scissors, brushes and other cosmetic items used to treat nails and feet must be soaked in alcohol. If the metal composition allows, you can disinfect them with fire.
All methods of treating nail fungus will be in vain if you do not follow the rules of personal hygiene and do not disinfect.
foot baths
Home remedies for toenail fungus can be applied topically (rubbed into the skin) or taken in baths. This is the most common way to treat this disease. It not only helps to disinfect the skin and nail plate, but also relieves fatigue and swelling. It is best to do foot baths at night. Immediately after this procedure, you need to wrap the limbs with a clean towel and go to bed. There is no point in the baths if, for example, a person immediately puts on shoes and goes to work.
It is required to consider several proven recipes for foot water treatments that will get rid of the fungus. The most common method is a bath with salt and soda. To prepare it, you need to mix these components in equal parts in hot water and put the limbs in a basin for 30 minutes. When the water cools, add hot water. After such a bath, the feet should be rinsed with a cool, clean liquid.
Potassium permanganate and mustard baths are also popular. To prepare them you need to take:
- 0. 5 tsp potassium permanganate;
- 1. l. crushed laundry soap;
- 1. l. Lemonade;
- 2 TBSP. l. Mustard.
All these components must be mixed in 5 liters of warm water. It is necessary to lower the legs into a basin with the composition for 20 minutes, then rinse them with warm liquid and wipe dry with a clean towel. This procedure can be done daily until the symptoms of a fungal infection completely disappear.
Every day you can bathe your feet in a sea salt bath (100 g per 5 liters of water). For a greater effect, you can add 4 tbsp. l. Apple Cider Vinegar.
An effective home remedy for toenail fungus is a milkweed bath. To prepare it, you need to grind 100 g of the leaves and stems of this plant and pour the resulting dry mixture into 3 liters of hot water. In such a mixture, the legs should be kept for about 30 minutes, keeping the temperature of the liquid constant. You should not do this procedure every day, it is enough to raise your legs in this way 2-3 times a week, and after 1-2 months there will be no trace of the fungus.
lotions and compresses
Home remedies for toe fungus can be rubbed into damaged skin on a regular basis. Onion juice or horsetail herbal infusion is often used for this. This procedure is painless, it is recommended to wipe the skin with medicines 3-4 times a day in order to forget about the fungus forever in a month.
From lilac flowers you can prepare a special alcohol tincture. 10 mg of raw materials must be infused with 100 mg of alcohol and left to infuse for 10 days. With this solution you need to lubricate the damaged areas of the skin and nails for a week.
It is good to make compresses from alcohol tinctures. The easiest way is to stir 1 tablespoon into 1 glass of warm water. l. Ammonia. This mixture should be thoroughly soaked in gauze and applied to the affected area of the foot. Then the leg must be wrapped in polyethylene and wrapped in a towel. Instead of the latter, you can use ordinary warm socks. Such a compress should be done at night 2-3 times a week until full recovery.
An alcohol tincture of propolis has also proven to be an excellent antifungal. She has to wipe the affected nail daily for 2 months. The result is noticeable after the first 2 weeks: the diseased nail plate gradually begins to peel off, and a healthy nail appears in its place.
Garlic is often used in the fight against fungi. It must be finely grated and mixed in equal proportions with melted butter. This mass must be prepared immediately before applying it to the skin, do not store it for a long time. The resulting slurry should be applied to the sore spots every day for 2 weeks.
You can make a therapeutic peroxide blend. For this you need:
- 0. 5 cups slaked soda;
- 4 glasses of hot water;
- ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide (3%);
- 0. 5 cups magnesium sulfate;
- ¼ cup vinegar.
All components, except vinegar, must be mixed well. Vinegar must be added last. It is necessary to impregnate a cotton pad with this therapeutic solution and apply it to the nail plate affected by the fungus. You can stick it with glue. It is desirable to apply such a bandage every 10 hours for 1 month.
At night it is recommended to make lotions from novocaine. It is enough just to moisten a cotton swab in the preparation and apply to a sore spot at night. You can use such lotions no more than 2 times a week until the symptoms of the disease completely disappear.
Antifungal ointments
If a person has started the disease and does not know how to cure the fungus of the skin of the legs at home, in order to avoid surgery, it is recommended to make an ointment from tar. It is necessary to mix in equal parts a pure substance, powdered yellow sulfur and burnt blue vitriol. The finished mass must be boiled. Then it must be cooled and smeared with sores until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Vinegar ointment helps to overcome the fungus. To prepare it you need to mix:
- 70% acetic acid;
- dimethyl phthalate;
- glycerin;
- Olive oil.
When preparing the ointment, you must adhere to the proportions 2: 1: 1: 1. The components do not need to be heat treated, just mix them well. Vinegar ointment must be applied to the affected areas with a cotton swab, kept for about 8 hours, and then carefully removed with detergent. It is recommended to apply the drug to sore spots at night.
It will be possible to cure the fungus with the help of celandine ointment. For the preparation you need:
- 5 drops of celandine juice;
- 2 drops oregano juice;
- 2 drops of calendula tincture.
- 4 tbsp. l. Water.
All components must be mixed well. This ointment should be treated with nails and affected skin three times a day.