When there is not enough time to go to the hospital, and there is no money to buy expensive medicines, you can try to fight foot and nail fungus with the help of traditional medicine.
We must not forget that folk methods of treating fungus are effective only in the initial stages of the disease. With a more advanced form, it is better to get advice from an expert.
The disease is easy to recognize, the following symptoms appear:
- burning, itching;
- nail darkening (yellow to green)
- deformation, layering of the nail;
- stench;
- pain in the nail area, redness, swelling.
Iodine treatment
The cheapest and easiest method of treating toenail fungus is based on the usual iodine solution, which is sold at any pharmacy. It is endowed with antiseptic properties, leads to protein coagulation (in the fungal structure - protein). The day before you start treating nail fungus with folk methods, you must make sure that there is no allergy to iodine. It is enough to apply one drop on the skin and see if there is a reaction (redness, itching). Use the solution carefully so as not to cause burns. There are many folk recipes that use iodine.
- Mix vinegar essence, garlic juice, nitrofungin, iodine in equal parts. Apply the resulting mixture before going to bed, after you have burned your nails and removed the damaged areas as much as possible. Shake before use.
- Rub the damaged areas with a five percent iodine solution several times a day. It is recommended to steam the legs beforehand. For prevention, all nails should be covered with iodine, but in a small amount and not every day.
- In hot water with added iodine for 10 minutes. soar legs. Wipe infected areas with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and lubricate with antibacterial ointment. The procedure is better to do in the evening, leaving the compress until the morning. Repeat three times.
- For two weeks, smear the nails twice a day with fucorcin, another two weeks with iodine, and then with nine percent vinegar (also for 2 weeks).
- If you have a question about how to get rid of toe fungus, try a salt bath. You will need the following ingredients: 1 tbsp. spoon of baking soda; 2 tbsp. spoons of sea salt; 1 liter of hot water.
Lie as part of your legs for half an hour. Remove the damaged areas as much as possible, wash everything with soap and water and apply iodine to the foot, nails, between the toes. Damaged nail, apply three times, let each layer dry.
Iodine solution is an indispensable assistant during the treatment of fungus between the fingers with folk remedies. To be safe, it is best to wear gloves and use different cotton swabs to treat healthy and infected nails. The duration of therapy is an average of 8 weeks.
Vinegar in treatment
An acidic environment is harmful to fungi. Treatment of toenail fungus is better to start with folk remedies with vinegar. The recovery process will not be fast, but it helps even with advanced options. There are many recipes for vinegar-based fungus, but even simply wiping the damaged area with a nine percent solution helps. With acetic acid, as with any other acid, you must follow safety rules to avoid burns.
Vinegar foot baths (you can take table or apple cider vinegar) help well in the prevention and treatment of foot fungus with folk remedies. Take some warm water in a bowl, pour a glass of vinegar and put your feet down for 15 minutes. Wipe the feet without rinsing with clean water, apply the medicine. Repeat the process several times a week.
In the process of treating nail fungus with folk remedies, lotions are often used. A small ball of cotton is soaked in vinegar and neatly placed in the nail. It is fixed with plaster and a sock is put on. Applying the lotion once a day is enough. Duration of therapy - 7 days, then take a short break. You can perform the same operation using apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil in equal parts.
A more time-consuming process is the preparation of fat. You need to mix:
- vinegar 70% 2 tbsp. spoons;
- glycerin 1 spoon. spoon;
- olive oil 1 spoon. spoon;
- dimethyl phthalate 1 tbsp. a spoon.
Mix everything well until it becomes smooth. Apply ointment to the nail once a day, wrap the leg with polyethylene, put on a sock. It is better to do the procedure in the evening, and in the morning wash off the soap residue (preferably for household use).
Use of copper sulfate
Copper sulfate solution is a common folk method for treating nail fungus. A teaspoon of the substance is diluted in one liter of clean water. But such a solution cannot be used yet - it is very concentrated. For baths, dilute: one tablespoon of the solution in warm water (one and a half liters) and hold the feet for about 15 minutes. The nail is lubricated with the fungus medicine.
You can also prepare grease: burn one teaspoon of copper sulfate in a pan (until it becomes clear), add one teaspoon of sulfur powder (yellow) and tar. Stir while heating over low heat.
Salt treatment
Another answer to the question: how to cure nail fungus with folk remedies is salt. It is used as a sea (softens the nail plate, has an antiseptic effect), and simple cooking (kills harmful microflora). Salt should not be used as an independent remedy for toenail fungus, but it will serve as a very good adjunctive therapy.
- Prepare the solution: 4 l. water; 100 gr. any salt; 4 tbsp. spoons of vinegar 9%. Do these baths daily.
- Mix equal parts of soda and salt in boiling water, cool a little and keep your feet for ten minutes.
- Mix salt with chopped mint and make nail lotions.
- Bathe regularly for two weeks: clean water 1 liter; any salt 1, 5 spoons. spoons; antibacterial essential oil 1 teaspoon (can be replaced with iodine or lemon juice). If necessary, a short break (3-4 days) is made and the procedure is repeated.
- Prepare a saline solution (1 tablespoon of salt per 250 ml of water), moisten a cotton ball and apply to the problem area. At the end, the feet are washed with water with the addition of soda. You may feel discomfort (burning or itching) on the skin. Repeat continuously for 10 days.
- With advanced forms of fungus, water with garlic will help. Squeeze a large clove of garlic through a special press into a glass of boiling water, add 1 tbsp. spoon of salt, stir. When the solution has cooled, strain it and add another four tablespoons of salt. Wipe the affected areas with this solution several times during the day.
baking soda
Baking soda is traditionally used in the treatment of fungi. Baths with a solution of soap and soda soften the nails, which contributes to better penetration of drugs. you will need:
- 5 liters of clean hot water;
- 3 art. spoons of grated laundry soap (or replace with tar);
- 3 art. spoons of soda.
Mix until the components dissolve and keep the feet for no longer than 20 minutes. Then cut and file the nail and apply the medicine. Repeat the procedure for 4-5 days.
Mix soda with a small amount of water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste to the infected areas, squeeze 2-3 drops of lemon on top. As a result of the chemical reaction, foamy hissing will occur and a slight tingling sensation will be felt. After five minutes, wash off the mixture with soap.
Baking soda is excellent for fighting intimate fungi, while the treatment of fungus between the fingers and nails is best done in combination with medication.
Use of hydrogen peroxide
Although experts question this method, hydrogen peroxide remains the most common folk remedy for toenail fungus. In fact, it just softens and disinfects the problem area, preventing further spread of the disease.
The simplest way of treatment with folk remedies are peroxide lotions. You can mix it with vinegar in a ratio of 1: 1, make baths or put peroxide thickened with water on the nail. Do not forget about safety measures to avoid burns.
Other methods
Among countless folk remedies for fungi, the positive properties of kombucha, which actively fights against pathogenic bacteria, are widely known. It is also widely used for the treatment of nail fungus: crush it to a mushy consistency and lubricate the problem area several times a day. In addition, you can make a poultice by applying a small piece of mushroom to the problem area at night (wrap it with a film and put on a sock made of natural material). The duration of therapy is one week.
Strongly brewed coffee baths will not only relieve the disease, but also soften the skin of the heels, making the feet smooth.
Novocaine lotions are quick methods for removing fungus. If the disease has not reached an advanced form, it is enough to apply a cotton ball soaked in novocaine several times to say goodbye to the fungus forever.
Garlic is indispensable in the fight against any fungus. It is used both as an independent component (apply mash or sliced plates) and as part of tinctures, ointments or poultices with onion and lemon. One part of alcohol and garlic juice is taken for 10 parts of water. The affected area is treated with this mixture several times a day until the disease goes away.
Celandine, birch tar, apricot resin, potassium permanganate, tea tree oil are also used.
There is no definitive answer to the question: is it possible to cure nail fungus only by folk methods? But if you combine them with the medicines prescribed by your doctor, the disease will go away faster.