Onychomycosis of the nails. Treatment with the best drugs at home. Treatment of onychomycosis of toenails. Mechanical damage to nails

27.04.2019

When a person has onychomycosis of the nails, home treatment promotes a speedy recovery. Indeed, very often people are faced with various diseases of the nails or skin, which are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, fungi or infections. And many, when choosing the type of treatment, give preference to traditional medicine. But before you learn how to treat nail fungus at home, it will still be correct to clarify a little the specifics of this disease, its causes, the main symptoms and methods of prevention.

What is onychomycosis?

So, onychomycosis is a disease that is provoked by a nail fungus. According to statistics, about 20% of the world's population suffers from this infection. The most common causative agents of the disease are dermatophytes. It is this type of fungal organisms that provokes cracks in the nails, delamination of the nail plate, discoloration, and deformation.

Many very often do not pay special attention to the condition of the nails on the hands and feet, and any signs of the manifestation of the fungus are considered a cosmetic problem that does not require special treatment. However, this is not a way to avoid further problems. Over time, the fungus on the nails will begin to progress, the nail itself will change shape, become thicker, which will lead to pain and irritation while walking.

Causes of nail fungus

One of the reasons for the manifestation of onychomycosis is the defeat of the nail plate with a fungal infection. The transmission of pathogenic organisms to humans is often carried out through the environment. However, very rarely, onychomycosis affects only the nails, most often it is a consequence of infection through adjacent areas of already diseased skin around the nail. Like other diseases, this one has 2 main reasons for its occurrence: a decrease in human immunity and inadequate nutrition of the body with useful substances.

There are several ways of contracting onychomycosis.

Onychomycosis of the nails occurs upon contact with people infected with a fungal infection. This can be the sharing of household items and personal hygiene products. For example, fungal spores can easily get on your shoes, body washcloth, towel, manicure supplies, and anything else that may come into contact with the nail plate.

Infection with nail fungus is possible through soil, water, plants. Pathogenic microorganisms can survive for several months in the soil, in the form of spores and also get on healthy human nails, therefore, the contact of a weakened human body with the environment can have negative consequences.

Infection is possible through animals. There are animal species that are not carriers, but act only as carriers of fungal organisms. It is not uncommon for a person, in contact with pets, to suffer from onychomycosis in the future. But this reason for the spread of the disease is still more relevant for tropical countries.

Of course, it would not be superfluous to mention such simple ways of infection with onychomycosis and other fungal diseases, such as visiting public places with high humidity. If you do not follow the rules of personal hygiene and lack of shoes, you risk leaving the bath, sauna, pool, shower already with fungus on your feet and subsequent nail diseases.

It is very difficult to defend against all the microorganisms that surround us every day. But, despite this, being in contact with many infections every day, most people are able to resist them. The following categories of the population can be attributed to the risk group:

patients with diabetes mellitus;
elderly people;
people with weak immunity;
patients with skin diseases;
lovers of pools and saunas;
people suffering from vascular disease;
Anyone with damaged nails and poor personal hygiene.

How to get rid of nail fungus?

Treatment methods

In order to get rid of nail fungus, you need to contact a specialist, for example, a dermatologist or beautician. Today, both are able to prescribe adequate treatment for you and take all preventive measures to prevent re-infection. The basic principle for any form is the complete destruction of the fungal infection.

If you are intimidated by the possible treatment options, then keep in mind that with this disease there is absolutely no need for hospitalization. You will need to visit your doctor from time to time and perform all the prescribed procedures at home. Of course, it is difficult to determine how long the treatment will take for each specific case. The answer to this question is determined by the type of fungus that affects the nail and the degree of progression of the disease.

In modern medicine, there are several treatments for fungus. This can be: drug treatment, complete removal of the nail, parallel treatment of pathologies, prescribing physiotherapeutic procedures by the attending physician, or the use of traditional medicine methods.

To date, there is more than one remedy for nail fungus. The most popular ones will be briefly described and listed below.

For example, patients with onychomycosis are often prescribed an ointment such as Mycospor. It must be applied daily to the nail plate, covered with a plaster and rewound with a bandage. After that, the bandage is not removed throughout the day. Further, the affected area of the nail is cleaned off, and the procedure is repeated. You can also buy a keratolytic patch at the pharmacy, which helps soften a sore nail, after which it can be painlessly removed using scissors or a dull scalpel. In addition to these remedies for nail fungus, you will find many others in the pharmacy, in the form of ointments, adhesive plasters, preparations for internal use.

But for those who are interested in how to cure nail fungus at home using traditional medicine, there are also a variety of methods. The most common and simplest method of traditional medicine is the use of tea tree oil and iodine. Even a separate treatment of a diseased nail with iodine, which is in every family, is considered sufficient. This procedure must be done twice a day, in addition, it is an excellent prevention of all possible fungal infections in the future. Tea tree oil can be used to lubricate a damaged nail plate in the same way. To enhance the effect, you can make a mixture of lavender and tea tree oils and treat not only the nail itself, but also the surface of the entire foot.

When treating onychomycosis, you can use any methods and means to eliminate fungus from the nail, the main thing is to be patient.

After all, the effect, especially when treated with folk remedies, can be noticed only after a week of regular use. And if during this time a slight burning sensation or pain around the nail plate begins to be felt, it means that you are doing everything right, and soon the unpleasant problem will disappear forever.

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nails caused by fungi from the Trichophyton rubrum family. Various factors can provoke the onset of the disease. As a rule, it develops slowly and can be easily transmitted from person to person. long-term and often requires surgical intervention.

Onychomycosis of nails: signs

The development of the disease begins from the tip of the nail. Longitudinal white or yellow lines (filaments of mycelium) appear on it, which merge over time and lead to the destruction of the nail plate.

The nail itself thickens strongly and begins to exfoliate. In advanced stages, it departs from the nail bed. The surface of the nail becomes rough and bumpy. In some cases, on the contrary, it can be smooth and even, but at the same time the nail plate itself becomes very thin and painful sensations are noted when pressed on it. In terms of its symptoms, onychomycosis, in principle, is no different from the usual symptoms. But it carries a more serious threat to human health, since the disease can spread to other parts of the body (skin, hair, etc.).

Onychomycosis of the nails is most often observed in people suffering from diabetes mellitus. Also, numerous studies have shown that smokers and those who regularly abuse alcoholic beverages are also at risk.

In addition, such a disease can very easily be picked up in public places where high humidity prevails. This includes baths, saunas, swimming pools and other similar premises.

You can also catch onychomycosis from relatives or simply by visiting a sick person. This happens by using common household items - towels, washcloths, slippers, etc.

You can also get infected in beauty salons by doing a nail extension procedure or a regular manicure. As you can see, there are quite a few ways to catch onyomycosis, so you need to take better care of yourself and follow some rules:

Do not walk on wet tiles without shoes or touch walls in wet areas (for example, when showering in a public place after a workout).
Do not use other people's personal hygiene products.
Eat and drink only with clean dishes.
Give up bad habits.
Wear comfortable shoes and wash your insoles regularly.
Carry out timely treatment of all diseases, as they can contribute to a decrease in immunity, and even if all the above rules are followed, the risk of contracting onychomycosis rises several times.

Treatment of nail onychomycosis

How to cure nail onychomycosis, your doctor will tell you. After all, this requires the use of various drugs, the selection of which is carried out strictly on an individual basis.

In the early stages of the development of the disease, local treatment gives a good effect, that is, the use of various ointments, creams and varnishes that are applied to the affected nail. But with severe damage, these funds are ineffective and there is a need for oral administration.

However, the doctor may decide to surgically remove the affected nail. Sometimes, only this method allows you to save the situation and prevent the infection from spreading further.

Various drugs are used in the treatment of onyomychosis. The most commonly prescribed ones are:

Ketoconazole;
Itraconazole;
Fluconazole;
Trebinafin.

Today, doctors most often prescribe the last three drugs to their patients. They are considered the most effective in treating this ailment. But it should be noted that it is impossible to take them without first consulting a doctor, since they have a different spectrum of action, and can also provoke the appearance of side effects.

Fluconazole is prescribed if the disease was caused by dermatophytes. In this case, the course of treatment for them is at least six months, and this is only if onychomycosis has struck the nail plates. If the lesion has spread to the skin, then the course of treatment with Fluconazole is increased to one year.

This drug penetrates deep into the nail plate. Its active ingredients are still active for several months. This drug is especially effective if the disease was caused by yeast-like fungi. Full recovery in this case is observed after a couple of months.

Often, doctors resort to a combined method of treating onychomycosis. That is, topical preparations are prescribed in combination with oral agents. In this case, the so-called pulse therapy is used. That is, taking antifungal drugs occurs intermittently, in small courses.

For this purpose, drugs such as Intaconazole and Terbinafine are most often prescribed. The first one is taken 2 capsules 2 times a day for one week, then they take a break for 2-3 weeks. The course of treatment is 3-4 months. Terbinafine is taken in the same way. But it is believed that its continuous use gives the greatest efficiency than carrying out pulse therapy with it.

In addition to special antifungal drugs, vitamin complexes are prescribed for the treatment of onychomycosis. They are taken with the aim of accelerating the growth and strengthening of the nail plates. After all, the faster the affected nail grows, the shorter the path to complete recovery becomes.

Folk remedies for the treatment of nail onychomycosis

Treatment of nail onychomycosis at home can be carried out only at the initial stages of the development of the disease. If the disease is already neglected, then not a single folk remedy will bring a positive effect.

Treatment of onychomycosis is very different from. The point is that the use of soda solutions in this case will be ineffective. More powerful means are required here.

Tool number 1

You can prepare the following remedy: take a clean half-liter jar, pour 250 ml of vinegar into it and put a fresh whole chicken egg in it (you may need a little less or more vinegar, it should cover the egg by 1-1.5 cm).

After that, you need to put the jar in a dark place and wait until the shell is completely dissolved in vinegar. After that, you need to remove the film that appears on the egg and add a little melted butter to the mixture (about 1-1.5 tsp).

Before using this product, you must first steam your feet in hot water, in which you need to put a piece of laundry soap. Then the feet should be wiped well and the affected nail should be lubricated with the prepared product. You need to wrap your finger on top with plastic and do not remove it throughout the night. You need to perform this procedure every day before going to bed for several weeks.

In the fight against onychomycosis, lotions with thyme are effective. To make them, you will need to take 4 tablespoons. chopped herbs and pour 200 ml of boiling water over it. Before using this remedy, it should be infused for about an hour and filtered.

In the resulting infusion, a small piece of bandage is moistened, which is then applied to the affected nail, wrapped with polyethylene on top and not removed for several hours. It is recommended to perform this procedure several times a day. Just remember that before making a lotion, your feet should be washed very well, preferably with laundry soap.

After using this remedy, the fungus disappears quickly, but cracks may appear on the nails. To eliminate them, you can use a remedy based on the same infusion of thyme and vegetable oil (1: 3). With this tool, you need to treat your finger every 3-4 hours.

Tool number 3

At home, for the treatment of nail onychomycosis, you can use the following remedy - take 1 tbsp. vinegar, mix it with one fresh chicken egg and 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. The resulting mixture must be treated with a sore nail every evening before going to bed. From above it must be wrapped with polyethylene.

Tool number 4

The most effective treatment for onychomycosis is burnt rubber. It must be burned to ash. It should be applied to the affected nail for several days. Do not forget to wrap the nail on top with plastic or a bandage.

Tool number 5

Every evening before bed, apply garlic gruel to the affected nails. From above, they need to be wrapped in plastic and a bandage. In the morning, the compress must be removed, and the nails must be treated with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar. The course of treatment is 4 to 5 weeks.

Remember that onychomycosis requires an individual approach. The same remedies can have different effects. For example, they help someone, but not for someone. Even if you decided to use traditional medicine, but did not see a positive result within a week, then you should seek help from a qualified doctor.

Only a comprehensive and correctly selected treatment will help you get rid of this ailment once and for all!

Video about the treatment of onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail plate, leading to its gradual destruction. This disease can be caused by pathogenic or opportunistic fungi. It is characterized by a gradually progressive development and contact spread - from person to person or through an infected object by contact.

Triggers and Symptoms

A person almost hourly encounters pathogenic fungi throughout his life. But in order for the disease to begin to develop clinically, a triggering factor is needed. With onychomycosis, they become:

injury to the nail plate;
disruption of the plate nutrition, due to which delamination and cracking occurs;
bed injuries (with manicure and pedicure), in which the fungus enters the body through the blood;
general diseases with impaired skin barrier function - immunodeficiencies, diabetes mellitus, blood diseases;
frequent violation of the rules of personal hygiene - the use of shared towels, washcloths, shoes.

The development of fungal infection on the toenails is facilitated by wearing narrow and tight shoes, especially in the hot season. Compression, poor ventilation and high humidity create favorable conditions for the growth and development of fungi.

The symptomatology of onychomycosis is the appearance of white or yellowish spots and stripes on the nail plate. Gradually, they fill the entire area of the nail. In addition to discoloration, the nail becomes dull, loses its transparency, and can thicken, crumble and deform. With an atrophic form, it becomes thinner and is rejected in whole or in part from the surrounding bed. In addition, the skin fold becomes inflamed. The patient may experience pain when walking due to changes in the shape and thickness of the plate.

How to get rid of the fungus?

When treating with folk remedies, formulations are prepared that soften the plate and fight against pathogenic fungus. It is necessary to use antifungal agents for a certain time, since these microorganisms are tenacious in the external environment, it is rather difficult to destroy them.

Steam your feet in hot water with the addition of laundry soap until the nails soften. Cut off all free edges of the plates, clean the feet with a pumice stone. This must be done at night. In the morning, rinse your feet with cool water and apply birch tar to the affected areas for 1–1.5 hours. Do not rinse off the tar, but simply wipe off the excess with a cotton swab.

Dissolve 100 g of sea salt in 4 liters of water (in the absence of, you can take cooking salt) and 4 tbsp. l. regular vinegar. Soak your feet in this solution until it cools. Then rinse your feet and wipe them dry. The concentrated salt solution has a destructive effect on the fungus and strengthens healthy plates.

Dissolve in 5 liters of water up to 50 ° C 100 g of salt, 20 g of baking soda and 10 drops of tea tree oil. Keep feet in this solution until the water cools. Do the procedure weekly. The fungus disappears within 3-5 months.

Compresses

Chaga birch mushroom is known for its powerful antiseptic effect. For the treatment of onychomycosis, you need to take a fresh mushroom, cut off a thin plate and apply to the affected area. Apply a compress overnight, fixing with a bandage and a thin toe on top. The dead and separated parts of the nail plate must be cut off, and the remaining part must be lubricated with iodine.

Grind 100 g of fresh rowan leaves into a thick, homogeneous mass. Apply it to the areas affected by the fungus and apply a bandage to fix it. Leave overnight, rinse thoroughly in the morning. Rowan leaves contain many organic acids that fight against pathogenic microflora and soften the affected plate.

Prepare a decoction from a mixture of herbs: 15 g of celandine, 30 g of lilac flowers, 30 g of calendula flowers and 50 g of oak bark pour 500 ml of water, boil and leave for 1 hour. Use the strained broth for compresses on the affected areas, wrapping it in plastic and fixing it tightly with a bandage. Keep the compress all night long. Oak bark tannins and calendula phytoncides have an antibacterial effect on areas infected with fungus.

Mix 30 ml of 70% vinegar essence, 30 ml of vodka and 3 chicken egg whites. Stir the composition until smooth. Every day before going to bed, moisten pieces of gauze in this solution and apply to the sore spot for 15 minutes. Do this until complete recovery. Acetic acid dissolves the affected plate and kills the pathogenic fungus in its thickness and on the surface of the surrounding skin. The product may tingle strongly during application due to the high concentration of acid.

Instead of table vinegar, you can take a more gentle analogue of it - apple cider. It must be mixed 1: 1 with an alcoholic tincture of iodine or with vegetable oil. Store the resulting mixture in a cool place without access to light. Lubricate the affected areas with an iodine-vinegar mixture every day with a gauze swab. Soak a gauze swab with a mixture of vinegar and oil, apply to sore spots, fix with adhesive plaster and put on a sock on top. Leave it overnight. Apple cider vinegar speeds up plate renewal and growth. It is important to cut off the overgrown free edges in time.

Alcohol tinctures

Golden mustache

Cut off 50 rings of golden mustache (over 3 months old) and infuse them in 500 ml of vodka for 2 weeks. Filter the tincture. For the treatment of onychomycosis, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1: 3 and lubricate the areas affected by the fungus 2 times a day.

Tincture of celandine is used for onychomycosis inside. To prepare it, pour dry crushed herb celandine with 40% alcohol in a ratio of 1: 2 by weight. Insist in a cool place without access to light for 12 days. Filter and take according to the scheme, diluting in water, from 5 drops per day, adding 1 drop every day, and reach up to 20 drops per dose. The course of treatment is up to 2 weeks.

An alcoholic tincture of propolis turned out to be effective in practice. To prepare it at home, you need to heat 100 ml of 70% alcohol in a water bath to a temperature of 50 ° C. Add 20 g of finely grated propolis to heated alcohol, mix, avoiding boiling and foam, strain through several layers of gauze, store in a tightly closed container made of dark glass. Or insist 20 g in 100 ml of alcohol for 2 weeks in a warm place without access to light. Moisten gauze with the resulting tincture and apply to the affected areas 1-2 times a day. The fungus can go away after 3 months.

Oil based recipes

You can make an effective homemade ointment using garlic and butter. Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic and mix with 1 tsp. ghee. Garlic phytoncides and ascorbic acid disinfect the surface and eliminate the fungus. Let the ointment harden and apply to the affected area.

Mix equal proportions of olive oil, tea tree and lavender essential oils, stir and apply to the affected area. Allow the oils to absorb completely. If this process turns out to be slow, then apply the mixture overnight and wear cotton socks. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, 6 times stronger than ethyl alcohol. It can be added to foot cream to enhance the healing effect.

To combat pathogenic fungus, you can use a powerful herbal antiseptic - eucalyptus oil. Mix it in an amount of 35 g with 10 g of apple cider vinegar and 15 g of honey, stir into a homogeneous mass. Insist this mixture for 3 days in a cool place, lubricate the affected areas 1 time per day in the evening.

Celandine oil absorbs 5 times more active ingredients than a decoction or infusion. To prepare it, take dry stems of celandine, place in a glass container (preferably dark glass). Chop the stems well, pour on top of the base oil - peach, almond, peeled sunflower or olive, so that it covers a layer of celandine by 2-3 cm. Put in a warm oven or oven for an hour, then transfer to a cool dark place for a week. Filter the infusion and bring with pure oil to twice the volume. Apply the agent to the affected plate and the surrounding skin. The oil is poisonous!

Acrid plant juices

Burning and caustic substances give a double effect in onychomycosis - they soften the nail plate and kill the pathogenic fungus. To treat the fungus, use the juice of onions, garlic or red hot pepper. Squeeze out the juice of one of the plants, taken fresh, steam your feet in hot water with the addition of potassium permanganate and rub the burning juice into the affected plates. After the procedure, cut off the exfoliated edges.

Grate onions (3 onions) and squeeze out the juice. Mix it with an equal volume of liquid honey. Store the mixture in a tightly closed glass container. Lubricate the affected areas 2 times a day until recovery. Phytoncides and caustic substances of onions fight the fungus, honey provides nutrition to areas of the plate that have remained healthy.

Celandine juice contains substances that can dissolve the affected plate. It also contains organic acids and flavonoids that act on pathogenic fungi. To prepare a remedy, you need to mix daily 5 drops of fresh celandine juice, 2 drops of calendula alcohol tincture, 2 drops of oregano herb juice and dilute it in 50 ml of water. Lubricate the affected areas 3 times a day.

Fungi are the most common microorganisms on the planet, there are thousands of different species. There is no organ or part of the body where a fungal infection - mycosis (from the Greek mikos - mushroom) could not settle. The feet are a favorite place for the development of fungal infections; they are most susceptible to contact with the external environment, the soil.

Due to the layered structure, the nail plates are a very convenient place for the settling and development of the fungus. The slightest damage, defects, dampness, leading to delamination, create favorable conditions for the settling of fungal spores and the development of onychomycosis (from the Greek onihos - nail).

There are many home treatments for nail fungus that are available and effective. But before using them, you need to know the disease, as they say, "in person."

How to recognize a disease?

Before starting the treatment of toenail fungus at home, you need to make sure that it is onychomycosis. You can suspect him on the following grounds:

Discoloration of the nail plate.
Deformation of the nail.
Layering.
Destruction and detachment of the nail.
Changes in the skin around the nail.

Important! An early symptom is discoloration. White or yellowish brown spots appear, usually at the corners or edges of the nail. Gradually, the entire nail takes on a yellowish brown color.

Deformation is expressed in the form of the appearance of protruding stripes, tuberosities, thickening or, conversely, thinning of the nail plate. A delamination begins along the edge of the nail, this is especially visible when it is cut. Gradually, the plate collapses, its sections peel off, a crumbling mass is formed.

Further, the nail rises above the bed, peels off, gradually comes off, in parallel with this, a new plate grows with the same signs. Peeling and itching of the skin of the fingers and other parts of the feet are also characteristic. The nail bed can also be affected when the nail is destroyed.

Important! On clinical grounds, it is impossible to independently diagnose. It is necessary to consult a doctor who will conduct a study and prescribe treatment.

information to read

Can onychomycosis be cured at home?

It must be remembered that the treatment of onychomycosis does not imply the use of only external agents. As a rule, systemic therapy is prescribed - antifungal drugs. Sometimes it is necessary to resort to surgical removal of the nail plates - in cases where there are gross changes in them, ingrowth, compression of the tissues of the finger.

At home, you can cure nail fungus, but only by combining medications and ointments prescribed by your doctor with other means. The exceptions are cases when the infection process is at its very initial stage, in the form of a discoloration of the nail, when there is still no deformation and delamination. Even in these cases, it is not always possible to remove nail fungus at home, but it is quite possible to stop the development of the disease with the help of traditional medicine. The choice of funds must be done in such a way that they do not damage the skin of the feet and do not cause complications.

Important! If you, following the advice of friends, publications in the press and the Internet, decide to treat nail fungus with home methods, you must first consult with your doctor.

What are the most effective home remedies?

Having looked through the books on traditional medicine, you can see that they have a myriad of tips on how to cure nail fungus at home. These include various foot baths and lotions, moxibustion, softening of the nail, ointments made from natural ingredients.

Where to start, how to cure nail fungus at home? Below are examples of the most effective, safe and popular home remedies.

Baking soda and propolis

Prepare a hot baking soda solution at the rate of 1 tablespoon per liter of water. It is good to steam the nails in a bath for 10-15 minutes, then dry and grease liberally with alcohol tincture (solution) of propolis. The procedure is repeated daily until the disappearance of the manifestations of the fungus.

Using garlic

Garlic has long been known for its antifungal properties due to the presence of biological antibiotics - phytoncides. For the treatment of nail fungus at home, garlic tincture and garlic compresses are used. To prepare the tincture, the garlic gruel is poured with medical alcohol 96 ° in a ratio of 1:10, insisted for 3 days. Affected nails are smeared with tincture 2-3 times a day.

A compress is applied to the nail from fresh garlic gruel, diluted in half with water. The resulting mixture is moistened with a tampon, put on the nail, covered with a film - for 30-40 minutes.

Bow application

Onions are also famous for the presence of phytoncides. To remove the fungus on the nails, grated onions are used in the form of applications for 30-40 minutes, or lubrication of the affected nails with fresh juice from the cut of the bulb several times a day.

Horseradish root

It is very popular for treating fungus. You need to use it only fresh, grated, or passed through a meat grinder. You can make a tincture or apply compresses, similar to garlic.

Onions, garlic and horseradish root are affordable and effective home remedies for nail fungus

Important! When applying compresses from irritating, burning skin products (onions, garlic, horseradish), healthy skin should be covered with a film or plaster beforehand to avoid burns.

Infusion of celandine

Treatment with celandine is one of the best home treatments for nail fungus, due to the high toxicity of this plant in relation to microorganisms. An aqueous infusion is prepared: 1 glass of the crushed plant is poured with 1 liter of boiling water. After cooling to room temperature, baths are made for 10-15 minutes daily.

Apple vinegar

Effective baths of apple cider vinegar diluted 3 times with water. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes, the duration of treatment is 1-1.5 weeks.

Tea mushroom

The question is quite natural: to treat a fungus with a fungus? This is exactly how, observing one of the most ancient principles of homeopathic medicine - like can be cured by like. A piece of kombucha should be placed on a sore nail, fixed and left overnight. Kombucha allows not only getting rid of the fungus, but also restoring the color and shape of the nail plate due to the presence of bioactive stimulant substances.

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is one of the best antifungal agents

Calamus root

A decoction is prepared: a tablespoon of the crushed root is poured with a glass of water, heated and boiled for 1 minute. This broth is taken orally for half a glass 2 times a day. It can also be used for baths.

There are many ways to treat nail fungus at home; their choice is made individually. And if at the initial stage of the disease you can choose the remedies yourself, then with pronounced changes in the nails, the doctor should decide the issue of treatment.

Pay attention to your nails. What do you see? Regular transparent plates located on the back of the tips of the fingers and toes. Women, for sure, will also note beautiful manicure and pedicure. Did you know that nails are a rather vulnerable part of our body? They can serve as an external indicator of the general state of the body, or they themselves can suffer from the aggression of various pathogenic bacteria. The most unpleasant and one of the most common ailments is onychomycosis, or, more simply, nail fungus. According to statistics, every 5 people faced a similar problem, and some more than once.

Photo from the site: zomba.com.ru

Due to the fact that this problem does not pose a threat to life, many let it take its course, as a result, further exacerbate the pathogenic process. "Ideal Manicure" will tell you about the danger of fungus and how toenail onychomycosis is treated.

Onychomycosis of nails: characteristics of the problem, causes, consequences, photo

Onychomycosis belongs to a group of one of the most common diseases. Fungal lesions of toenails are more common in men due to the fact that they are constantly forced to wear closed shoes, and suffer from more sweating of the feet. Also at risk are patients with diabetes mellitus, obesity, vascular pathology, the elderly, and persons suffering from excessive sweating.

Photos from the site: lechim-gribok-nogtei.ru

Photos from the site: school185.spb.r

Often, fungal infections of the nails begin asymptomatically and are almost invisible, but without proper medical intervention it progresses, and can manifest itself as relapses throughout life. Therefore, it is important to identify the problem in time. The main signs of fungal nail infection are:

Loss of natural transparency, alternating with yellow, gray and even black nails, depending on the stage of the disease;
Brittle crumbling nails, a large amount of "debris" formed during the processing of nails;
Thickening and deformation of the plates due to the growth of keratinized masses;
Cracks and chips;
Itching, tissue hyperthermia and peeling of the skin near the nails;
A characteristic sourish-rotten smell from the feet.

Photos from the site: kak-poschitat-sredniy

The main causes of nail fungus are direct contact with an infectious person, or indirectly through things and household items. Also at risk are people with weakened immunity or who have had a serious viral disease. In healthy people, as a rule, the body is resistant to fungal attacks. However, you should consider what can increase your risk of getting nail fungus:

Disregard for personal hygiene rules. A frivolous attitude to hygienic procedures is a direct path to the defeat of fungal diseases. Make it a rule to wash your feet, change your underwear, and handle your shoes daily.
Close contact with a patient whose nails are affected by fungus. The risk group primarily includes relatives and household members.

If someone in the family is affected by a fungal disease, be careful about personal hygiene. Do not share things and hygiene items with the patient and regularly carry out antifungal sanitation of the premises. Remember - it is at the household level that fungal infection most often occurs.

Visiting common areas with high humidity. Baths, swimming pool, beach - all these are the objects where you can easily pick up the fungus. Therefore, always wear rubber slippers in such places.
The presence of open wounds on the legs, an ingrown toenail and purulent diseases of the nails will serve as ideal "gates" for the penetration of the fungus. Try to timely treat wounds on the legs, carry out preventive procedures, preventing infection with a fungal infection.
Long-term wearing of artificial nails and gel coat can also trigger fungal infections. Therefore, keep your manicure devices clean and avoid injury to the nail plates and the periungual area of the fingers.

Forms of onychomycosis of nails: photo and treatment

Without treatment, the fungus progresses and threatens with the complete loss of the nail plates. The slightest suspicion of the occurrence of a fungal infection is a reason to consult a doctor who will do a scraping for sowing mushrooms. If the suspicions are confirmed, special drugs will be prescribed for the treatment of toenail onychomycosis.

But before treating onychomycosis of the toenails, the form of the fungal infection should be determined. So, the following types of onychomycosis are distinguished:

Normotrophic. With this type, there is no thickening of the nail itself and the subungual region. Brittle nails are observed, and the formation of yellow-gray stripes in the skin of the plates. With this form, conservative and traditional local treatments are effective - ointments, varnishes, gels, etc.

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Hypertrophic. This form occurs in the absence of long-term treatment or ineffective impact on the problem. With this type, thickening of the nail plates and the nail bed occurs, which persist for a long time even after successful treatment of hypertrophic onychomycosis of the nails. Such a lesion is typical for a severe stage and requires more serious drug treatment - pills and antibiotics.

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Atrophic. It manifests itself as a violation of the growth of nails with subsequent detachment of the plate from the nail bed. Unfortunately, this form does not respond to conservative treatment and requires surgical removal of the affected plates.

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At the place of localization of the fungus, onychomycosis of nails is divided into:

Distal. The most common form of development of fungal infection. Infection begins in the area of the free edge of the plate. Initially, the nail bed is exposed to infection. Outwardly, this manifests itself in the form of a splinter or a yellow spot that has entered under the nail. Wearing shoes in patients with this form causes discomfort.

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Side. In this form, the fungus affects the lateral parts of the nail plate and periungual ridges. Often accompanied by an ingrown toenail.

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Proximal. A lesion in which the base of the nail is initially affected.

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Total onychomycosis. Signs - the entire plate is affected, it thickens, fades, its color becomes yellow or even brown. As the disease progresses, the nails become deformed and become beak-shaped. Furrows of a dirty gray color appear, the free edge of the nail is loosened.

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How to treat toenail onychomycosis

Treatment of fungal infections of the nails is a rather complex and lengthy process that requires an integrated approach. In the arsenal of antifungal measures - treatment with tablets, ointments, baths, applications, in difficult cases - removal of the nail plate. Traditional home methods have also received fairly good reviews in the treatment of nail onychomycosis, but it is worth remembering that they act only as auxiliary measures that complement the main treatment.

Remember that there is no universal remedy for nail onychomycosis. Each form of the disease requires an individual approach. Only the doctor, guided by the results of the analysis, will determine the appropriate treatment regimen. Self-medication for foot fungus is dangerous!

Medical treatment of nail onychomycosis: drugs and reviews

The basis for the treatment of nail fungus is the following:

The use of general and local antifungal drugs, as well as drugs aimed at improving blood circulation in the capillaries.
Thorough antimicrobial processing of personal items and common household items.
The use of medicinal varnishes that prevent recurrence of fungal diseases.

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As for medications, there are many inexpensive but effective drugs for the treatment of nail onychomycosis:

So the treatment of fungal lesions proceeding in a mild and moderate degree, local therapy drugs are prescribed - ointments, creams, lotions, etc., which are directly applied to the affected plates and the skin around them ("Lotseril", "Nizoral", "Lamisil "," Exoderil ", etc.)
The severe course of the disease is always accompanied by treatment with tablets for nail onychomycosis. Their admission should be carried out under close medical supervision due to the side effects they have.
In severe recurrent manifestations of fungal infections, when conservative medical interventions are unsuccessful, a decision is made to surgically remove the damaged plates.
If the nail fungus is additionally complicated by a bacterial infection, antibiotic treatment is prescribed.
With mild courses of the disease, the impact of the usual folk remedies is sometimes sufficient.

Treatment of onychomycosis of nails with folk remedies

Do not discount traditional methods either. So even among doctors, you can find good reviews about the treatment of fungus with folk remedies. The main thing to remember is that alternative therapy cannot replace the medical treatment of the fungus, but it serves as a good adjuvant to the main treatment. Consider some recipes for dealing with onychomycosis, obtained from a home "piggy bank":

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Treatment of nail onychomycosis at home with tea tree oil has proven itself well. The concentrated oil should be applied under the affected plates (at the rate of one drop for each nail). These manipulations should be performed at least three times a day. In order to achieve the best effect, it is recommended to glue properly treated nails with a plaster.
A fairly effective remedy in the fight against nail fungus is the usual alcohol solution of iodine. It is recommended to paint the nail plates with iodine regularly, twice a day. After about a week, a slight itching and burning sensation will appear - a sure sign that the fungus is beginning to recede. In general, the course of such treatment is designed for 2 - 3 months.

Before any medical procedures, you should first steam the affected area and remove the stratum corneum. Otherwise, drugs will not penetrate well through the thickness of dead cells.

Vinegar baths are a good prophylactic and therapeutic agent. For such procedures, you will need the usual 9% acetic acid solution diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 8.
A simple yet powerful anti-fungal agent is regular garlic. It is recommended to apply garlic juice to nails pre-steamed in a potassium permanganate bath. Hot pepper or onion juices are an effective alternative to garlic juice.
In addition to external folk remedies, medicinal tinctures and decoctions have proven themselves well. One of the most effective is a decoction of calamus root. 1 - 2 tbsp. l. finely chopped calamus root must be filled with 100 ml. boiling water. The resulting mixture should be boiled for 1 - 2 minutes. After which the solution should be thoroughly filtered. Take 2 - 3 times a day, one teaspoon, washed down with plain water (the broth has a rather bitter taste).

As you can see, nail fungus is a rather insidious and complex disease that requires long and careful treatment under medical supervision. In addition, even after a full course of recovery, preventive procedures should be followed continuously to avoid the risk of relapse.