Fungal infections or dermatomycosis are diseases caused by fungi of various types. In terms of the frequency of skin lesions, they take second place after pyoderma. Due to the physiological characteristics, fungi most often affect the legs of the lower extremities. Many people try to get rid of unpleasant symptoms on their own and are looking for ways to quickly cure toenail fungus at home.
Routes of infection
Fungus on the feet affects the corneum layer of the skin and its appendages - the nails. The development of the disease depends on the pathogenicity and virulence of microorganisms, environmental factors and the state of human health. With the same clinical picture, pathogens can be different types of fungi. Spores are very stable in the external environment (high and low temperatures) and retain the ability to infect for several years.
It is easy to get infected with foot fungus, but you will have to fight it for a long time, stubbornly using a variety of methods and tools. Foot infection occurs when pathogenic spores come into contact with the skin of a healthy person. Main routes of infection:
- poor quality sterilization of instruments in pedicure rooms,
- general footwear, hygiene items (washcloth, towel).
Causes of athlete's foot infection:
- rooms with high temperature and humidity: baths, saunas, swimming pools, gyms,
- increased sweating of the feet,
- the presence of scratches, microcracks on the skin,
- non-compliance with hygiene standards,
- systemic overheating or hypothermia of the feet,
- diseases associated with blood circulation disorders,
- endocrine pathologies caused by metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes),
- decreased immunity.
Symptoms of a fungal infection
The clinic of fungal infections of the feet has several types.
- A deleted form, in which there is slight itching, burning, dryness and peeling in the spaces between the fingers.
- Squamous. Abundant, lamellar peeling occurs in the area of the sole, in the interdigital folds. With a long course - painful cracks, itching.
- The intertrigene form occurs if the squamous stage is not treated. The process begins with the appearance of hyperemia and the moist release of the stratum corneum of the skin between the fingers. When the macerated areas are separated, an eroded surface is revealed, bordered along the periphery by fragments of softened epidermis. The process involves areas adjacent to the toes and soles. A person experiences pain while walking and a secondary purulent infection may develop.
- Hyperkeratotic. Areas with dry nodules and bluish-red plaques are formed, covered with dense scales. They are sharply limited by healthy skin and peel along the perimeter. They are localized on the sole, moving on the lateral surfaces of the foot and in the interdigital folds. This form can appear as a yellow callus with cracks in the upper layer. Symptoms: slight itching, cracking and drying of the skin.
- The dyshidrotic form mainly affects the soles of the feet. The clinical picture is completed by large blisters with a tight lid. Rashes are single or multiple. The blisters may coalesce, forming cortical layers, or open to expose erosions. When the course is advanced, eroded areas are formed and when pressure is applied to them, severe pain appears.
With weeping mycoses, a characteristic sign is the appearance of an unpleasant smell from the feet.
Treatment with folk remedies
People suffered from fungal diseases long before the invention of antifungal drugs, so traditional medicine has accumulated a rich experience in treating such lesions at home. Despite this, it is unlikely that you will be able to quickly cope with the fungus on your own, without consulting a doctor, without special antifungal drugs.
Most of the folk remedies used in the treatment of fungus are substances that dry the upper layer of the skin, inducing heavy peeling of the epidermis, along with which the fungal spores are removed.
It is impossible to recommend to everyone one of the fastest ways to get rid of the disease. Much depends on the stage of the pathology, the type of fungus, the individual characteristics of the patient's skin and associated diseases.
The use of combined therapy methods has a good effect.
Iodine
To treat foot fungus, the drug is used in the form of an alcohol solution. Iodine is not only a powerful antiseptic, but also an oxidizing agent that destroys the mushroom shell and causes denaturation of its component proteins. This leads to the rapid death of microorganisms.
Method of application:
- Pour 3 spoons of alcoholic iodine solution into a container with 5 liters of hot water (40°C). Take a foot bath for 20 minutes. Course - 7 procedures every other day,
- Dilute the alcohol solution of iodine with vodka 1: 1. Treat your skin with this mixture every day before going to bed after washing your feet. The procedure is carried out for 5-10 days, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Before starting the treatment, it is necessary to do a test for the absence of an allergic reaction.. To do this, apply a drop of iodine on the inner surface of the forearm. If no changes are observed in the skin after 24 hours, you can start the treatment.
Contraindications:
- individual intolerance of iodine,
- thyroid diseases,
- sensitive skin prone to burns.
Hydrogen peroxide
Upon contact with the skin, under the influence of the catalase enzyme, hydrogen peroxide breaks down and releases atomic oxygen, which is a strong oxidizing agent.
Free oxygen has bactericidal and antifungal properties. In addition, in the field of action of hydrogen peroxide, unfavorable conditions for the life of fungi are created.
A cotton pad is soaked in a 3% peroxide solution and applied to the affected area for 10 minutes. If a strong burning sensation occurs, rinse the affected area with running water and apply vegetable oil. Applications are made in the morning and evening for 5 days.
Hydrogen peroxide acts as an antiseptic, prevents fungi from multiplying and spreading to neighboring areas, and reduces unpleasant odors.
Celandine
Traditional healers use herbs to treat skin diseases. Celandine is rightfully considered one of the best. It is a poisonous plant, so any manipulation should be carried out with rubber gloves.
- Put 2 tablespoons of dry celandine raw material in a container with 200 ml of water, keep on fire for 10 minutes, strain and add the decoction to the bath water. Lower your feet into the basin for 20 minutes. The procedure is performed every other day.
- Celandine tincture is prepared as follows: add 1 tablespoon of dry celandine flowers to 200 ml of vodka. Inject in a cool, dark place. After 14 days, strain and use to treat foot fungus, lubricating the affected areas 2 times a day.
Concentrated juice of celandine should not be used for erosive lesions - it can cause burns in the deep layers of the skin.
Celandine oil is prepared by mixing freshly squeezed juice with vaseline in a ratio of 1: 4. The drug should be applied to the affected areas 2 times a day until recovery occurs.
Vinegar: the essence of apple, wine and vinegar
The mechanism of the therapeutic effect of vinegar for foot mycoses is based on the fact that fungi do not survive in an acidic environment. Its use is effective for the initial symptoms of the disease, when the pathological effect of pathogens is limited to the surface layers.
A 9% vinegar solution is used to lubricate the inflamed dermis and apply applications. For extensive lesions, the following method is used: healthy skin is generously lubricated with baby cream, and a sock soaked in a vinegar solution is placed on the leg..In the morning, wash your foot with warm water and dry it.
The original ointment against mold is prepared on the basis of 9% natural acetic acid and eggs. Put 250 ml of vinegar and 2 fresh eggs in a glass jar. The shell dissolves under the influence of acid after 3-5 days. Yellow and white deform and become hard. They should be ground with vinegar and stored in the refrigerator. Lubricate the fungal lesions until the symptoms disappear.
You should not try to remove the fungus with vinegar essence, as it is an acid and causes not only a superficial burn of the skin, but penetrates the embryonic layer of the dermis. This threatens complications in the form of scar formation on the legs or long-term non-healing dermatoses.
Bath with soap and soda
The most gentle way to treat fungus is to use foot baths with soap or soda. They soften the upper layer of the epidermis corneum, which facilitates the penetration of other fungicidal agents (tar, apple cider vinegar, iodine) deeper into the fungal colonies.
Grind half of the laundry soap and dissolve it in 5 liters of hot water. Pour into a basin, add 100 g of baking soda and lower your feet into the liquid. The procedure lasts 10 minutes, then the feet are rinsed and dried well. The next step is to treat the prepared skin with an antifungal agent.
One of the combined treatment methods is a foot bath with sea salt or table salt and baking soda.
The salt solution has antiseptic and fungicidal properties. To prepare it you need:
- add a large spoonful of salt and baking soda to the foot bath,
- The procedure lasts 30 minutes, then wipe your feet dry. Course 5-7 days.
Birch pitch and pitch soap
You can get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of fungal infections of the skin of your feet by using birch tar. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties are used not only by traditional healers, but also by official medicine (Vishnevsky ointment). To treat fungus, birch tar can be purchased at a pharmacy.
Method of application:
- after a foot bath with soap or soda, cut the nails, apply ointment and tar to the affected areas and lie down for 1-2 hours so that it is well absorbed;
- Socks are put on the feet and no manipulations are performed for 2-3 days. Then the feet are rinsed with cold water and the treatment is repeated.
You can use tar soap, which contains 10% tar. Dissolve two tablespoons of granulated soap in 2 liters of hot water and soak your feet in it for 20 minutes. The limbs are then soaped and baking soda sprinkled on top. Cover your feet with a bandage, put on socks and leave them overnight. In the morning, the feet are washed with water. The course is designed for one week.
Onion, garlic, lemon
You can treat the fungus using the fungicidal properties of onions and garlic. Crushed vegetables in a pulp are applied to sore spots, fixed with adhesive tape and polyethylene. The compress stays until the morning.
Lemon juice helps to pass the fungal process on the nail plate. Citrus fruits are cut into slices, applied to the affected areas and fixed with cling film and bandage. The course of treatment is 10 days.
Other methods
A two-month infusion of kombucha helps remove the fungus. The liquid is boiled for an hour, filtered, then used for compresses and creams. It is advisable to do them before going to bed, after you have steamed your feet in hot water with the addition of iodine or potassium permanganate.
Good results can be easily achieved if you remove the film from the kombucha, cook it and apply the resulting pulp to the sore spot for a few hours, or better, overnight. The procedure should be repeated every day for at least a week.
A decoction of:
- calendula flower,
- blackberry fruit,
- verbena,
- oak bark.
Pour three tablespoons of raw materials, mixed in equal proportions, into a glass of water and boil for 15 minutes. After cooling and draining, the decoction is used to wash the skin and apply applications. A bandage soaked in liquid is placed on the affected area for 20 minutes. Due to the safety of the method, it can be used without restrictions.
Ammonia is used in nail fungus baths. Add 50 ml of ammonia and 2 tablespoons of baking soda per liter of warm water. The procedure lasts 25 minutes, after which the feet are washed with cold water and dried well.
It is difficult to achieve a permanent cure for fungus using folk remedies. Home remedies usually reduce the severity of symptoms. If the medication is stopped, the disease may reactivate.
It is especially difficult to get rid of the fungus if someone in the family is sick, because with close family contact there is a very high risk of infection of all family members. Numerous reviews from people confirm that it is possible to cure the fungus only with the strictest observance of all standards of hygiene and preventive therapy.
If, despite all the measures taken, it is not possible to remove the fungus, the disease progresses, capturing more and more new areas and a secondary infection appears in the form of ulcers, you should consult a doctor for qualified help.