Effective treatment for foot fungus. Fungus on the feet is a fairly common disease; according to statistics, at least up to a quarter of all people on Earth suffer from it. The situation is aggravated by the fact that most people do not even suspect that they are carriers of the fungus, because it both settles and develops imperceptibly.
The fungus brings not only aesthetic and physical inconvenience, but also synthesizes toxic substances that can accumulate in the body and poison it. That is why it is so important to know about ways to prevent and combat this disease in order to maintain your health. How does the fungus affect the legs and what contributes to this?
Causes of foot fungus
Easy ways for parasitic fungus to penetrate the skin can be cracks and abrasions between the toes that occur with excessive sweating or, on the contrary, dry feet, all sorts of abrasions from wearing too narrow shoes, poor wiping of the feet after taking water procedures. In addition, various endocrine and vascular diseases, varicose veins, diabetes, flat feet, as well as a decrease in immunity or stress can cause a fungal infection.
The fungus is transmitted through close contact with the patient, through objects that he used - a towel, a washcloth, shoes, clothes, manicure devices and even a comb. Especially in this regard, common areas, such as baths and pools, become dangerous, because heat and moisture are ideal. conditions for the development of the fungus. Once in the nail plate, almost entirely composed of keratin, the fungus begins to slowly grow and multiply. It gradually takes the place of the nail, dissolving it, and begins to spread further to the skin around. With a fungal infection, first cracks and peeling form between the toes, and later the skin begins to redden and itchy.
Signs of foot fungus
The characteristic signs of foot fungus are:
- darkening of the nail
- nail platinum becomes brittle and exfoliates
- the shape of the nail itself is deformed
- pain at the tips of the toes
- bad smell
Therefore, at the first manifestations of a fungal infection, it is urgent to take measures to combat the fungus in order to stop its spread further along the skin. If the fungus is not treated at all, then it will move from one nail to another and further to nearby areas of the skin, in very advanced cases, even internal organs are damaged.
If you doubt whether you have a fungus, then you can conduct such a screening test at home: dilute potassium permanganate crystals in warm water to make a purple solution. Dip your feet into it and hold for a while. The affected areas of the nail will remain light, and the unaffected areas will become brown.
You can contact a specialist in skin diseases - a dermatologist, who, most likely, will send you to do an analysis - scraping to determine the type of fungus, after which he will prescribe the necessary treatment.
Treatment of foot fungus folk remedies
You can effectively treat the fungus on the legs using folk methods, especially this treatment can be successful at the very beginning of the disease. Previously, when there were no such powerful antifungal drugs sold in a pharmacy, people managed and coped with a fungal infection without them using folk recipes:
- Treatment of foot fungus with onions. The easiest way to treat is with onions. Grate the head of onion and squeeze the juice out of it and grease the areas affected by the fungus on the legs. When the juice dries, the legs do not need to be washed off, the procedure is best done before going to bed.
- Sea salt. A solution of sea salt will help cure the fungus in 10 days. Twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, wash your feet in baths with sea salt (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of water). Then moisten the cotton wool in saline solution, apply the cotton wool to the place affected by the fungus and hold it until it dries. Then wash your feet with a soda solution (the proportion is the same as for a sea solution) and dry your feet dry.
- With garlic. A good effect is the treatment of foot fungus with salt infusion of garlic. Prepare a solution of table salt (1 teaspoon of salt is taken per 1 liter of water). Take 1 tablespoon of this solution and add 1 large clove of crushed garlic to it. Strain and squeeze through cheesecloth, add 4 more tablespoons of saline to the resulting mixture. Lubricate the areas affected by the fungus with the prepared solution 2 times a day. Each time it is necessary to prepare a fresh solution for treatment.
- Clay treatment. Clay is another helper for foot mycosis. Dilute clay powder (sold in a pharmacy) with cold water to the consistency of thick sour cream and apply a thick layer on the affected areas, bandage with a linen cloth. You will need to remove the bandage before the clay dries and then rinse your feet with a lemon solution (1 tablespoon of lemon juice in 1 glass of water). Clay lotions should be done at least 2 times a day, and preferably 3 times, each time preparing a new portion of clay.
- Celandine juice. In the summer, if celandine grows in your country house, then you can use the juice of this plant, since it has a strong antifungal effect. It is necessary to pluck the plant, orange-colored juice will immediately appear on it, and lubricate the affected areas with it. Just keep in mind that the procedure is not very pleasant, itching will be felt, but as the juice is absorbed, it will pass. After a couple of minutes, grease the area again with juice and do this 3-4 times. You need to repeat the procedure twice a day for a month. In addition, you can prepare celandine oil for yourself, which can also be used against foot fungus throughout the year, and not just in the summer when this plant blooms.
- Treatment with celandine compresses. If you have dry celandine herb, grind it into a powder and mix with tea tree oil to make a thick emulsion. Apply as a compress to the affected areas of the legs daily. Keep doing this until the old fungal nail comes off and a new one grows in its place.
- Propolis. Alcohol tincture of propolis is an effective and affordable remedy against fungus, you can always buy it at a pharmacy. Possessing antipruritic, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, regenerating and anesthetic action, propolis is detrimental to the fungus. Moisten a cotton swab with 20% propolis tincture and apply to the affected area, wrap your legs in polyethylene and secure everything with a bandage, the procedure is best done at night. After about a month of treatment, the nail affected by the fungus will come off and a new one will grow in its place.
- Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is another effective remedy for foot fungus, lubricate the affected areas with it several times a day and the fungus will recede. You can do this, for example, while sitting in front of the TV watching your favorite show. Apply a cotton swab moistened with apple cider vinegar to problem areas of the legs and then, when it dries, change to a new one. Over time, the fungus on the legs will come down.
- Herbal balm. You can prepare yourself a healing antifungal herbal balm: pour 0. 5 liters of sunflower oil into an enamel bowl, and add 1 tablespoon of chopped dry herbs: peppermint, comfrey and golden root (Rhodiola rosea). Put on a small fire and heat, but not more than 65 degrees. Turn off the stove and let it brew for 12 hours, strain. Add oil solutions of vitamins A, E and D to the balm, 1 tablespoon each, mix everything and lubricate the affected areas with the balm at least 2 times a day. You need to store the balm in the refrigerator, the shelf life is no more than six months.
- Birch tar. Birch tar, which is sold in a pharmacy, is another of the strongest enemies of foot fungus. Lubricate the affected areas on the toes and nail plates every time after a shower and do not wash it off after that. After several such procedures, you will not even notice how the fungus will disappear without a trace. Personally, this method helped me a lot to cope with the fungus of the feet, which I once picked up while visiting the pool.
If someone in your family has a fungus, then you need to take precautions so that infection does not occur.
- Until the patient has cured the fungus, he should not walk around the house barefoot, and also sit down with his feet on the sofa or chairs.
- Before taking a bath, it should be thoroughly washed with any liquid product with chlorine, which kills the fungus.
- Scissors, nail files and other items for pedicure and manicure must be wiped with alcohol.
- If the fungus was found in one of the spouses, then he needs to go to bed in clean, ironed cotton socks, and change bedding every week.
- Be sure to treat the shoes by wiping them inside with apple cider vinegar, 40% acetic acid or formalin solution.
Prevention of foot fungus
- Never wear someone else's shoes, and when visiting - slippers offered to you. It is better to take a change of shoes with you or go into the room in socks.
- In the cold season, always change your shoes into replaceable shoes, do not allow your feet to overheat, because it is when the feet sweat that the mushrooms begin their attack.
- Do not forget to take rubber slippers with you when visiting the solarium, swimming pool, sauna, bath or therapeutic baths in the sanatorium. In the bath, pour boiling water over a bench and a basin, lay a sheet or towel on the shelf, only you can lie and sit on them.
- Do not walk barefoot in hotels, sports locker rooms, train compartments and other public places, as well as on a beach without slates. The last not an unnecessary precaution, in the wet hot sand is a breeding ground for fungal infections, it hides a lot of fungus-infected scales and nail fragments.
- Replace bath and shower mats from cloth and sponge to rubber. Moisture lingers in their folds, skin flakes and fragments of nails get stuck, and a rubber mat can always be easily doused with hot water.
- After taking a shower or bath, wipe your feet thoroughly until dry, and especially carefully between your toes so that there is no moisture left there, and with it, the chances of settling the fungus.
- Change your socks, stockings or tights every day. Do not let anyone even temporarily use files, manicure tools, sponges, washcloths.
- Do not wear the same pair of shoes for more than two days in a row. Let it dry properly during the day.
- When buying shoes, never try them on with bare feet.
- Monitor the condition of your feet, take proper care of your feet - take measures in time for sweating, dryness, calluses, and prevent cracks on your feet.
- If, nevertheless, you have a suspicion that you could catch a fungus while visiting the pool or beach, then when you get home, treat your feet by wiping them with a cotton swab dipped in a 6% solution of table vinegar or wash your feet with tar soap.
Observe these precautions, remember that the disease is always easier to prevent than to treat it later.