To cure nail fungus at home, you must use special medications.Treatment methods differ in the initial and advanced stages of the disease.Each of them can be recognized by certain symptoms.The disease itself is called onychomycosis.It should not be left to chance, because the pathology lasts a long time and is difficult to treat.Depending on the severity of the symptoms, a specific medicine for toenail fungus is selected.
What is nail fungus?
Onychomycosis is one of the most common infectious diseases caused by microorganisms in the form of yeast and mold.Due to their rapid spread, the nail plates begin to turn yellow, crack, crumble and thicken.Fungal growth can cause you to lose your nails completely.If left untreated, they will crumble.It is easy to become infected with fungi in public places.This is especially true for saunas, swimming pools, beaches, nail salons and fitness clubs.
Where does it come from?
Most cases of infection occur through household items or shoes shared with a sick person.People with excessive sweating on their feet are more susceptible to nail fungus.Athlete's foot is more common in adults;It occurs much less frequently in children.The causes of the development of the disease are:
- wear tight shoes;
- inadequate hygiene;
- Endocrine and nervous system disorders;
- weakened immune system;
- poor blood circulation in the lower extremities;
- frequent visits to places with high humidity;
- chronic infectious diseases;
- foot deformities;
- Vascular diseases.
Types of Toenail Fungus
There are different types of fungi that can affect toenails.The following are considered the most important:
- Moldy.People weakened by a long illness are more likely to suffer from it.The nail takes on a bluish, yellowish or greenish hue and may even turn black.Toenail fungus can be completely removed in 1-2 months.
- Yeast.The nail becomes uneven, covered with grooves and waves, and turns yellow or brown.As the disease progresses, the plate lags behind the bed.At the same time, the nail folds fester and thicken.
- Dermatophytes.They appear as yellow spots on the nail plate.The edges of the nail protrude away from the nail bed.As the condition worsens, the yellowness burns the nail completely.
Sign
The disease initially affects the big toes.Over time it destroys the nail.As the fungus spreads, other fingers are also affected.The person feels intense itching between themselves.The skin begins to peel and crack.In addition, the pathology is manifested by the following symptoms:
- Change in color of the nail plate.In normal state it is translucent and has a pinkish hue.After a fungal infection, the color of the nail changes to yellow, brown or black.
- Thickening of the nail plate.Increased keratinization occurs, making it thicker.In advanced cases, this even affects treatment.
- Crumbles.Without appropriate therapy, the nail plate is destroyed and completely discolored.
Steps
The signs of a fungal infection differ depending on the stage of onychomycosis.The infection occurs quickly and the pathology is recognizable by the following symptoms:
- First stage.It is very difficult to see with the naked eye.This can only be done by a doctor who is able to see small pale spots under multiple magnification.
- Second stage.The pathology continues to progress.Small stripes and dots develop into entire grooves.This leads to the destruction of the disk.The shine of the nail plate disappears and it begins to turn yellow.
- Third stage.If you ignore the previous symptoms, complete nail loss may occur.The skin around them will be red and scaly.The nail has completely peeled off.Against this background, an unpleasant smell appears
How to diagnose a fungus
External manifestations of the disease only confirm that the toenails are affected by a fungal infection.The cause of the disease can only be determined through laboratory tests.In order to prescribe adequate therapy, onychomycosis is differentiated from psoriasis, lichen planus, etc.If you have any symptoms, you should consult a mycologist or dermatologist.Diagnostic methods are as follows:
- Microsporia.It involves scraping the nail plate.To collect the material, the nail is treated with a special substance that destroys keratin.The material is easier to study in this form.
- Bacterial research.The material is placed in a nutrient medium.The causative agent of the infection is determined by the growth rate, color and shape of the colonies.This study allows us to determine the sensitivity of a microorganism to drugs.
- DNA diagnostics.This method reveals areas affected only by dermatophytes and Candida fungi.Diagnostics are carried out using special equipment and are therefore expensive.
How to treat toenail fungus
Depending on the clinical form of the disease, the size of the affected area and the degree of nail change, the doctor prescribes comprehensive treatment.Therapy may include:
- Ointments, creams, lotions, drops, sprays for disinfecting and treating shoes that help with mild to moderate fungal infections;
- tablets if the disease reaches a severe stage;
- surgical removal of the nail plate for severe or recurrent infection;
- Folk remedies, for example, soda, garlic, hydrogen peroxide, birch tar ointments, tea tree oil, celandine tincture, propolis, acetic acid.
In the early stages
For small lesions, local therapy helps cure onychomycosis.These include peel-off plasters, medical varnishes, creams, gels and ointments.Such drugs are effective only in the initial stages of onychomycosis.They are applied directly to the damaged nail and surrounding tissue over a longer period of time.Sometimes it takes about a year to fully recover.
neglected fungus
If the disease is already advanced, external remedies are hardly effective.It is necessary to use medications for internal use.These include antifungal medications in the form of tablets and capsules.They inhibit the development of the pathogen and block its spread.In addition, the tablets have a prolonged effect, reducing the likelihood of re-infection.
How to treat toenail fungus
Depending on the stage of the disease, the doctor prescribes certain medications to the patient.The main groups of antifungal drugs are:
-
drugs for systemic use;
- Products for topical use.
The last group of medications includes various medications that are applied directly to the affected nail.The most important are:
- varnishes;
- sprays;
- solutions;
- cream
Special paints
In the early stages of the disease, antifungal varnishes can be used.They help soften the nail plate and increase the concentration of the drug contained in it.
Ointments and creams
The effectiveness of local drugs is due to the direct contact of the drug with the lesion.In the first stage of the disease, only those medications are prescribed, since tablets have more side effects.
Antifungal tablets
If signs of toenail fungus indicate an advanced stage of the disease, the doctor will prescribe more serious antifungal medications in tablet form.
Laser therapy
If the toenail fungus is in an advanced stage and cannot be treated with medication, more radical methods are used.One of the most effective methods is laser therapy.When exposed to radiation, fungal spores die.In addition, the laser does not damage the surrounding tissue.Even an advanced stage of onychomycosis can be cured in 3-4 treatments.
Treatment of toenail fungus with folk remedies
Methods of treating toenail fungus with folk remedies should be used along with taking medications.This is particularly true in the advanced stages of the disease.In this case, using only folk recipes will not help.At the first signs of onychomycosis, you can use vinegar, iodine, kombucha and celandine tincture.
Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is used to combat fungi.It must be mixed with warm water in a 1:1 ratio.You need to soak your feet in this solution for about 15 to 20 minutes.Your feet should then be able to dry completely.It is recommended to repeat the process daily for 2 weeks.During this time, you may see a new nail begin to grow that has not been damaged by the fungus.
iodine
Effective treatment of toenail fungus is also carried out with the help of iodine.The duration of treatment is 3 weeks.It is necessary to treat the affected nail plates with iodine every day.It is important to constantly remove the grown nail tip.This remedy for athlete's foot gets good reviews.Iodine can also be used for hot baths.To do this, dissolve 10 drops of the product in 0.5 liters of water and soak your feet in it for 10 minutes.
Kombucha
Kombucha is used to make compresses.To do this, a plate of this product must be applied to the sore nail, wrapped in cellophane and bandaged with a bandage.You must wear socks over this.It is better to carry out the procedure at night, and in the morning rinse your feet under warm water, then remove the affected areas and lubricate them with iodine.Many patients report severe pain, but if you are patient, you can recover from the fungus quickly.
Celandine
Fresh celandine must be passed through a meat grinder and the juice extracted from the resulting pulp using 3-4 layers of gauze.You need to consume enough herbs to make 200ml of liquid.Add 200 ml of 70 percent alcohol and let it steep for a whole day.Apply the prepared product to the affected areas after steaming the feet for 10 minutes and drying them completely.The duration of treatment is at least 10-12 days.Nail plates need to be treated 3-4 times a day.