Onychomycosis is a disease in which a fungal infection affects the surface of the nail plate. There are 3 types of pathogens that are most often detected in tests: yeast-like fungi, forms, dermatophytes.
Why do fungi appear?
The fungus itself does not appear. The disease is always preceded by certain triggers, such as:
- Use of household items with fungal spores. If one member of the family has onychomycosis while others use his or her towel, slippers, or socks, the risk of infection is quite high.
- Visiting public places with a large flow of people. Saunas, baths, swimming pools, solariums, showers, fitness clubs, beaches - all of these can become places of onychomycosis infection.
- Constant high temperature and humidity of the shoe. Fungal infection often prevails in office workers and military personnel who are forced to spend all day in shoes. Lack of air, compressed space and uncomfortable shoe models lead to increased sweating, blood stasis and, consequently, onychomycosis.
- Decreased immunity. If the immune system is weakened after taking antibiotics and other causes, onychomycosis may be detected.
- Human age. Fungi do not appear in children due to their physiological characteristics - the infectious pathogen takes some time to set foot and multiply. And children’s nails grow very fast, so onychomycosis does not have time to develop. It often bothers adults and almost always the elderly and the elderly. Their nail plates grow very slowly and therefore it is especially difficult to get rid of fungal nail fungus.
How do we know that mycosis affects nails?
When the nail plate changes in any way, this indicates possible problems. Signs of onychomycosis will be the following conditions:
- cracks between the fingers;
- yellowing of the nail plate;
- thickening of the skin;
- nail separation without mechanical causes;
- burning and itching;
- Inflammation of the nail;
- Thinning or thickening of the nail.
A healthy nail should be pink, glossy and smooth.
Quick and effective methods of treating fungi
The fight against onychomycosis usually takes at least a month. The sooner you start treatment, the faster you will get rid of the disease. You can resort to traditional medicine, or use pharmaceutical preparations. But it is better to combine time-tested tips and effective medications - it will allow you to quickly forget about the fungus.
Preparation of nail plate for treatment
Often, the simple use of antifungal drugs does not bring the desired result. This is because healing substances cannot penetrate inside the fungus through the thickened nail.
The nail plate affected by onychomycosis should be removed before starting treatment. There are several ways to do this:
- Blow your feet in hot water. It is important that the water temperature is quite high (up to 50 degrees) for about half an hour. To do this you can pour dry mustard in water and constantly add a new portion of hot liquid. Next, you need to cut the overgrown part of the steamed nail plate, and reduce the thickness of the nail itself to a file with low abrasiveness (100-150 grit).
- Buy antifungal cream paste from a pharmacy. This tool is from the budget segment, but its action can replace surgical or laser nail removal. The paste contains urea, which softens the nail plate without pain and discomfort, after which it is cut or removed with a scraper. The drug is applied to clean and dry nails affected by onychomycosis and a piece is glued to it crosswise. It is important not to remove it for about 2 days. With the advanced stage of fungi, several such procedures may be required.
- Use an antifungal cream. The main component is urea or urea. On steam, but on towel-dried nails should apply the cream, seal with plaster and do not remove for 3-4 days. Then make a hot bath again, removing the softened fragments.
Without removing the nail or fragment affected by onychomycosis, treatment is pointless.
Steam baths
High temperatures and water soften the nail plate. It becomes easier to solve it and remove diseased fragments if necessary. You should arrange your legs well before any medical procedure. You can do this as follows:
- Mix 4 tablespoons of iodized salt, 200 g of baking soda and a few drops of lavender essential oil in hot water. Lower the legs and keep until cool. Then wash and dry with a clean towel.
- Finely grind a piece of bar soap. 3 tablespoons of the obtained "powder", add a glass of soda to a bowl of hot water, leave the legs for 10-20 minutes. It is good to use such a bath as a drug before the next procedure of treatment.
Cleaners
When it is impossible to apply a compress or ointment for a long time, cleaning a sore nail will help. Onychomycosis requires constant and difficult treatment, so sometimes you can use folk recipes:
- Dip a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar, generously lubricate diseased nails. The fungus loves an alkaline environment, so its oxidation prevents infection.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of calendula and lilac flowers, pour a glass of vodka, leave for at least a week. Apply to sore nails three times a day.
Packaging and compresses
Compresses have a good effect on nail health, eliminating the infectious agent.
- Pour celandine oil on a cotton pad. Put on an infected nail, slightly bandage it, put on socks from above and walk all day. After that, you can treat the plate with hydrogen peroxide or iodine.
- Grind a few cloves of garlic on a fine grater, add 1 teaspoon of any vegetable oil. Apply the obtained paste on the diseased nail plates, make a bandage on top and put on socks. Leave for a few hours. If there is a burning sensation, remove the compress, wash your feet with tar soap.
Creams, pharmaceutical solutions
Antifungal drugs are effective against fungal infections. Often in the product line of one manufacturer are liquid forms of products and different creams containing the same active ingredient.
Tablets and capsules for oral administration
Treatment of fungi is sometimes impossible without "inside" exposure. Taking antifungals accelerates recovery.
How to treat advanced toenail fungus
If you start onychomycosis, folk remedies become ineffective. In this case, you will definitely need to consult a mycologist or at least a dermatologist. Most likely, it will prescribe the following procedures:
- Identification of the pathogen. Usually, the nail is taken from the plate, less often - a nail fragment. These materials are sent for microscopic examination.
- Taking medication. After the detection of parasitic fungi are prescribed internal antifungals and topical preparations.
- Removal of the damaged part or the entire plate of the nail. If onychomycosis affects less than half of its area, a medical pedicure is prescribed. If the entire nail plate is infected, you may need to have it surgically removed.
Methods of iodine treatment
The causative agent of onychomycosis is nourished by keratin in the epidermis. The harmful effect of iodine on the fungus is that it combines with this protein and the infection dies. Repeated use of iodine on the affected area also practically cauterizes the parasitic pathogen. The drug has an antiseptic effect, which prevents the recurrence of the infection.
Iodine is a powerful remedy. It can be applied only on the affected nail fragments. Contact with healthy skin can cause inflammation and severe burning.
In the advanced stages of onychomycosis, iodine can help as an additive in steam baths. Pour the entire preparation from the bottle into the hot water, lowering the legs for 20-30 minutes. A pronounced antiseptic effect will occur not only on the nails, but also on the skin, where there may be brick spores that cause infection. After the procedure you can treat your feet with hydrogen peroxide.
Initially, you should apply iodine to the nail plate once every few days using a cotton swab. When after about a week the affected area starts to burn, it will be a good result, indicating a successful treatment.
To achieve an anti-fungal and caring effect you can add 3 drops of iodine to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat this mixture in a water bath, apply on sore nails and put on clean socks from above. Leave on overnight, wash feet in the morning with soap and water.
Iodine is one of the most budget-friendly pharmaceuticals with high efficacy. It can be used continuously throughout the month. If there are no results, you should change the type of therapy or consult a doctor.
Onychomycosis is successfully treated with complex local and systemic therapy. The combination of pharmaceutical and folk remedies will allow you to defeat a fungal infection within 1 month.