Nail fungus (onychomycosis) always sneaks in unnoticed.First, the infection affects the skin of the toes, then crawls to the nail and, if not caught in time, spreads to the entire foot.Even in the early stages, treatment can take 2-3 weeks, so it is vital to recognize the insidious fungus as early as possible.In addition, today the disease can be cured by various methods - both with pharmaceutical drugs and with proven folk recipes.
Big toe fungus symptoms and stages
Both men and women are at risk of onychomycosis - anyone who wears tight closed shoes, regularly visits the pool and sauna, and in the summer likes to relax on public beaches.
Children rarely suffer from onychomycosis, and after 60 years, every second already has the infection.Weak immunity, chronic diseases, endocrine disorders are to blame...
Fungal infection is a disease with many faces.There are several types of fungi and each pathogen causes different symptoms.To find out if you have become a victim of fungus, you need to take a closer look at the big toe, examine the skin around and between the toes.
The following symptoms will indicate that it is time to treat the nail:
- the skin on the feet becomes dry and cracked;
- small bubbles filled with ichor appear between the fingers;
- thickening of the nail plate begins;
- the nail has become brittle, crumbles and breaks;
- nails have lost their shine, their usual shade and have become uneven;
- yellow spots and stripes appear on the nail plate (these are dermophytic fungi);
- the nail suddenly turns green or black (mold);
- on the sides, the nail plate began to turn yellow and lag behind the skin (yeast);
- The nail began to grow under the skin and cause severe discomfort.
- Onychomycosis develops gradually, and each stage of the disease has its own symptoms.And although each pathogen also behaves differently at different stages, in general, the stages of foot fungus can be represented as follows:
- Early stage.Here, the fungus is almost invisible.Sometimes the skin on the feet itches and begins to crack, and barely noticeable spots and stripes appear on the nail of the big toe.
- Second stage.The nail loses its healthy pink color and the plate begins to deform (on the sides and along the edge).
- Advanced stage.The nail plate finally changes color, becomes thick and loose, and sometimes falls off.The skin on the toes and between the toes is affected.At this stage, the pathogen penetrates the body, so symptoms of intoxication appear.These are weakness, drowsiness, dysbacteriosis, weakened immunity.
Treatment with pharmaceutical drugs
If you find a fungus on your thumb, self-medication is far from the best option.There are several types of this infection, and the medication you choose may not be effective against your particular type of fungus.Therefore, it is recommended to go to a doctor who will prescribe tests and choose an individual course of treatment.
Before treating a disease with traditional medicines, it is necessary to destroy all escape routes of the pathogen.And for this - disinfect shoes, bed linen, socks.Textiles can be boiled, outside shoes are wiped inside with lemon, and house slippers are thrown away.These methods will not only speed up healing, but also protect you from infecting family members.
It will take 1-2 months to remove a yeast infection at an early stage.In advanced cases, treatment lasts up to a year or even more.
Fungus on the feet is successfully treated with three groups of drugs:
- antimycotic varnishes;
- local preparations: ointment, cream, spray;
- drugs for oral administration.
Antimycotic varnishes for the treatment of fungi
Antifungal varnishes are recommended at the beginning, when the disease is not yet in an advanced stage.
The main advantage of medical varnishes is versatility.They can be used for prevention, treatment of existing fungus and even be used to remove the diseased part of the nail.Some drugs can be applied not only to the nail, but also to the inflamed skin of the feet.The only drawback of these means is their high price.
Most antifungal varnishes fight several types of fungus at once.It takes 2 months to a year for all symptoms of the infection to heal.
Creams and ointments for the treatment of fungus
Using ointments and creams for onychomycosis is the most effective and simple way.To completely get rid of the infection at home, it will take up to a year (depending on the stage of the disease).Doctors recommend changing the ointment (or alternating) every 14 days, otherwise the fungus will get used to the medicine and it will have no effect.When all symptoms disappear, you should continue the treatment for another 2 weeks to consolidate the effect of the drug.
Antifungal drugs for oral administration
In advanced forms of onychomycosis, it is pointless to treat the disease only with ointments and varnishes - the fungus has already penetrated the blood.In this case, the doctor prescribes antifungal drugs and immunomodulators.
Treatment with home remedies
You can deal with the fungus of the big toe at home not only with pharmaceutical varnishes and ointments.In the early stages, folk, "grandmother's" methods will be quite effective.
But it is important to understand that treatment with folk remedies, although cheaper, will take more time than the use of antifungal varnishes and special creams and ointments.
Traditional medicine methods are widely used in the treatment of fungal infections.It is recommended to use them as additional measures to the main treatment.They cannot replace medicines.
Common recipes:
- The simplest method of treatment at home is scalding with iodine.You just need to apply iodine to the nail plate and the skin around it with a cotton swab 2 times a day (in the morning and before going to bed).Remember: iodine dries out your skin.Therefore, it is better to take a short break every week and treat the fungus with other folk remedies.
- If you catch the infection at a very early stage, you can treat it with the tried and tested army method - laundry soap.We simply grate ordinary soap on a coarse grater, dilute it in a bowl of hot water and organize foot baths every night.Until full recovery.
- Garlic's antibacterial properties are also great at fighting fungus.There are two garlic recipes that you can use at home.The first is to rub the garlic until it becomes a pulp, apply it to the sick nail, wrap it with a film and put a sock on top.Do it 2 times a week at night, antifungal course - six months.The second recipe is 2 crushed cloves of garlic per 100 grams of soft butter.Use in the same way, but every night, after washing.Use for 1-2 months.
- Treatment of mycosis of the big toe with folk remedies is impossible without potato peels.We take fresh peels, boil them, drain the water and knead them by hand right in the pot.Then we transfer the fungus-damaged feet to a basin and steam them as we clean.After 15-20 minutes, wash the remaining peels with potato broth and put on clean socks.Do this every night until the symptoms of the fungus disappear.
Vinegar essence, lemon compresses, aspen bark baths, herbal mixture of chamomile, violet and string, celandine, etc.They are also considered effective folk remedies for the treatment of toe fungus.
Removal of the nail of the big toe
If the fungal infection has already entered the second or third stage, complete treatment must necessarily include removal of the nail.You can remove the entire nail plate or just a part, and the new nail will grow smooth, pink and healthy.
Removing the nail plate with folk remedies requires special attention and precision - complete sterility must be observed so as not to introduce a new infection.Home keratolytics work in a similar way - they soften the fungal nail plate and it can be removed.The most popular recipes at home are soap and soda baths and birch compresses.
Nail removal is possible in different ways: at home, in hospitals or beauty salons.If you decide to carry out such a responsible procedure yourself, there are four options:
- keratolytic varnishes;
- special ointments and creams;
- mixtures for keratolytic plasters;
- nail removal using folk remedies.
All varnishes, patches, creams and other traditional means work on the same principle.A keratolytic mixture is applied to the steamed nail (depending on the instructions every day or several times a week), sealed on top and removed after some time.It is recommended to remove plasters once a day, ointment and cream - once a day or 3-4 days, varnish - weekly.In this case, the damaged part of the nail is removed together with the product.
Remember: nail removal is not the entire treatment.The fungus itself lives and multiplies on the nail bed, so after removing the nail plate, you need to treat the inflamed finger with other antifungal drugs.Otherwise, the infection will become more active and infect the new, growing nail.
It is much more difficult to cure the fungus than to prevent it, so the prevention of the fungal infection should be done constantly.To do this, you need to follow simple rules of hygiene.You should not wear other people's shoes, use a separate towel for your feet, wear only your own shoes in the pool, sauna and bath and disinfect them regularly.No matter what you wear - shoes, boots, sneakers - shoes should be comfortable, breathable, ideally made of natural materials.
It is also necessary to take care of your feet: cut your nails in time, prevent the nail from growing into the skin and treat all cracks and small wounds in a timely manner.Also, regularly check your fingers for suspicious symptoms.