Any fungal disease has an infectious soil. That is, it is caused by pathogenic fungi, which most often affect the skin or nails (nail plates, in essence, are modified, keratinized skin). But, if fungal lesions of soft tissues (including skin) can be treated without any special problems, if it is chosen correctly, then nail fungus is treated much more difficult and longer. In particular, if it is running, that is, for a long time no one paid due attention to the disease, hoping that "it will go away anyway. "Therefore, rather than treating a neglected, already rooted disease, it is much better to suppress it at the initial stages of development. And even more optimal is to prevent infection! This article will help you with this.
The legs are no less aesthetically important part of the body than the hands, or even the face. Especially in the warm season, when open shoes and the beach season come.
But, at a time when for some they become an object of pride, and even general admiration, for others they can cause the strongest aesthetic discomfort.
It's all about the fungus. By affecting the nail plates on the feet, one by one, it makes them not only unattractive, but aesthetically unacceptable.
Legs change color and structure, lose integrity and can emit a fetid odor. These are all the results of the activity of pathogenic fungi. This cannot be allowed!
And the first thing that needs to be done is to assimilate the information about where exactly this ailment can be picked up.
Fungus Infection Methods
Since this is an infection, the infection itself occurs upon contact with it: either with the direct carrier, or else - with the place to which he touched. That is, you can get infected:
- In the bathroom, bath or pool.
- When wearing shoes, socks or other items of a sick person.
- With direct bodily (physical) contact with him.
- In the gym or on the river and so on.
If the situation has already occurred, then it is important to know how to get rid of toenail fungus at home. It is important to know what pharmaceutical preparations are.
How does nail fungus infection occur?
There are a lot of ways of infection. And if mushrooms enter a humid and hot environment, then, for some time, they can reproduce even in it, outside of their biological carrier, which will only increase their population (concentration) in this particular place and significantly increase the risk of infection of a healthy person withcontact with such a place.
Therefore, if you visit public places, especially those, the examples of which were given above, always pay attention to the quality of cleaning in them, the degree of disinfection and the level of service provided in general.
And one more, also very important point: carefully monitor your own hygiene (hygiene of the feet).
After all, even if the mushrooms come to you, then you have up to 24 hours to get rid of them, without any negative consequences for your health, in general.
So, it is recommended to perform preventive procedures every time you are at risk (after visiting the gym, sauna, contact with a sick person, and so on). Choose for yourself what suits you best.
The best remedy for toenail fungus
Speaking about how to get rid of toenail fungus, one cannot fail to mention folk remedies, along with pharmaceutical preparations that have been used for a long time by different generations.
1. Acetic acid (9%)
This is ordinary table vinegar. For 1 liter of warm clean water, take 30, and for hardened skin of the legs - 45 milliliters of vinegar, dissolve it in water and immerse your feet in this solution for 15 minutes.
After that, if you have sensitive skin, it is recommended to rinse them under warm running water and be sure to dry thoroughly.
After that, you can apply a moisturizing nourishing cream to your feet, or a special antifungal prophylactic cream, or a remedy in another form.
2. Preparations
You can also use antifungal drugs, as well as their analogues, after any situation that increases the risk of your infection.
And yet, it will be better, in terms of your security, if you use drugs from the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry after you have pretreated your feet with one of the products prepared according to folk recipes, such as in paragraph number 1, or in the following paragraphs. . .
3. Hydrogen peroxide
You can buy it at almost any pharmacy. For 1 liter of warm water, you will need about 15 milliliters of peroxide. Apply in the same way as vinegar. It is not advisable to resort to such procedures more often than once every 3-4 days.
4. Tea tree oil
It can be used in pure form (if your body accepts it well) or diluted (for 1 liter of water - up to 20 drops of oil).
In its pure form, the oil is applied to the foot, especially carefully - on the nail plates and the area around them. You don't need to wash it off. If you decide to use the oil diluted with water, then you can do this about once every two days.
It is necessary to keep your feet in the solution for up to 20 minutes. Before using undiluted oil, the feet should be steamed in warm water, preferably with the addition of small amounts of laundry soap.
5. Strong natural coffee
A very unusual method, considering the fact that you should not drink coffee, but keep your feet in it. It turns out that this drink, beloved by many, has pronounced antifungal properties.
Do you want your feet to exude the most pleasant coffee smell and not be susceptible to fungal infections?
Then keep your feet in strong natural coffee for 15-17 minutes. The procedure can be performed daily. The coffee should be slightly warm, but not hot!
Prevention measures
So, from the above, you can draw several conclusions that will definitely help in prevention:
- Avoid visiting potentially dangerous (in terms of contamination) places.
- If the first rule has been missed, take all measures to reduce the risk of fungus (vinegar, peroxide, coffee, and so on).
But, and that's not all! These tips will help you protect yourself even more and complete the big picture of prevention:
- Strengthen your immune system in affordable ways: spend more time in the fresh air, avoid severe stressful situations, eat rationally.
- Get enough sleep and get a good rest, exercise, or stay fit.
Always wear clean and fresh shoes, socks, never borrow them from other people, observe the prevention of feet (it is advisable to wash them with household or special bactericidal soap, which will also help in the fight, prevention of fungi).
Shoes can also be treated (about once a week) with a special antifungal agent, or with vinegar, peroxide dissolved in water (if this does not damage the shoes).
At least once every six months, visit a dermatovenerologist for preventive examinations!
How to get rid of toenail fungus with medications
Despite the high effectiveness of those folk remedies that are currently available in the arsenal of alternative medicine, the funds produced at pharmaceutical factories according to modern recipes are in high demand.
And last but not least - thanks to its really obvious and proven effectiveness.
Let's take a look at the most popular, secure, and fastest ones. They come in a variety of forms. Most often these are ointments, creams, sprays.
And also - can be applied both externally and externally. If the fungus is neglected, then it is best to combine the use of internal drugs with the use of external agents.
A qualified doctor will undoubtedly help you to choose the best option for their combination. We will consider what options exist in general.
- Oral (for oral administration) drugs. They, as a rule, are not used for prophylaxis, but serve for high-quality treatment of the fungus.
- Healing liquid. This is already quite old, but, nevertheless, has proven its effectiveness, means. Now it is not as popular as, say, several decades ago. But, some of the pharmacies still make this liquid on request - with a doctor's prescription. It can be used both for prevention (occasionally) and for treatment.
- Paste. This drug, by and large, does not have a direct destructive effect on pathogenic fungi and harmful microflora. But, he excludes their reproduction, since it completely deprives them of a nutrient medium: the legs, with regular use of this paste, do not sweat.
- Antifungal special nail varnishes. Today they are an alternative remedy to many pharmaceuticals, since they allow both to avoid infection and, at the same time, to take care of their nails.
- Sprays for prophylaxis. They can be used both for treatment and for preventing the development of an ailment. But, if you used the drug for prophylaxis, then you need to go through the full shortened course, otherwise the next time the remedy may be ineffective.
Disinfection of shoes for nail fungus
This is one of the important points: shoes must always be dry and clean. It needs to be cleaned, washed, dried on time. The above sprays can be used to treat the inside of the shoe.
Above in the article, advice was given on treating it with solutions of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. You should have several pairs of shoes for the season so that you can change them using the next pair while the previous one is in the disinfection stage.
Prevention is very important in keeping your nails healthy. But, if you notice signs of infection: the nail plate has become thinner or, conversely, thickened, changed color, began to exfoliate, and so on, then it may already be advisable to talk about treatment.
But remember, the best remedy for nail fungus is to prevent it from appearing. Folk remedies will help you with this.
Check all medications with your doctor.
Take care of yourself and your health. Be healthy!