When there is not enough time to go to the hospital and money to buy expensive medicines, you can try traditional remedies for foot and nail fungus.
We must not forget that folk methods of treating fungi are effective only in the initial stages of the disease. With more advanced forms, it is best to get advice from an expert.
The disease is easily recognized with the following symptoms:
- burning, itching;
- Nails turn black (yellow to green)
- deformation, delamination of the nail;
- stench;
- Pain, redness, swelling in the area of the nail.
iodine therapy
The cheapest and easiest way to treat toenail fungus is to use a common iodine solution available at any drugstore. It has antiseptic properties, causing coagulation of proteins (in fungal structures - proteins). The day before starting to treat nail fungus with folk methods, you need to make sure that you are not allergic to iodine. Just put a drop on the skin and watch for a reaction (redness, itching). Use this solution with care to avoid burns. There are many folk recipes using iodine.
- Mix equal amounts of vinegar essence, garlic juice, nitramycin, and iodine. After steaming your nails and removing as much damaged areas as possible, apply the resulting mixture at bedtime. Shake well before use.
- Several times a day, lubricate the affected area with a five percent iodine solution. It is recommended to pre-steam the legs. As a precaution, tincture of iodine should be applied to all nails, but in small amounts and not every day.
- Soak for 10 minutes in hot water with iodine added. The legs take off. Wipe the infected area with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and apply an antibacterial ointment. It is best to perform the procedure at night, leaving the compress until morning. Repeat three times.
- For two consecutive weeks, apply fucose to nails twice a day, then apply iodine for two weeks, and then apply Jiucheng vinegar (also for 2 weeks).
- If you have questions about how to get rid of toe fungus, you should try a salt bath. You will need the following ingredients: 1 tbsp. 1 scoop of baking soda; 2 tbsp. spoon of sea salt; 1 liter of hot water.
Soar for half an hour as part of a leg. Remove as much of the damaged area as possible, wash everything with soap and water, and apply iodine to the feet, nails, and between the fingers. For damaged nails, apply three coats, allowing each coat to dry.
Iodine solution is an indispensable assistant when treating interdigital fungus with folk remedies. To be safe, it's best to wear gloves and use separate swabs for healthy and infected nails. The average duration of treatment was 8 weeks.
vinegar treatment
An acidic environment is harmful to fungi. It is best to start treating toenail fungus with a folk remedy of vinegar. The recovery process won't be quick, but even using the advanced options helps. There are many recipes for fungus that contain acetic acid base, but even just rubbing the damaged area with a 9 percent solution can help. As with other acids, you need to follow safety rules when working with acetic acid to avoid getting burned.
A vinegar foot soak (you can take table vinegar or apple cider vinegar) helps prevent and treat toe fungus well with folk remedies. Take a little warm water in a bowl, pour a glass of vinegar and put your legs down for 15 minutes. Rinse feet without water and apply medicine. Repeat this process several times a week.
In the course of folk remedies for nail fungus, lotions are often used. Soak a small wad of cotton in the vinegar and place it neatly inside the nail. Secure with a plaster and put on socks. The lotion is good enough to apply once a day. Duration of treatment - 7 days, followed by a short break. The same can be done with equal parts apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil.
A more time-consuming process is the preparation of the ointment. You need to mix:
- Vinegar 70% 2 tbsp. tablespoon;
- Glycerin 1 tbsp. spoon;
- olive oil 1 tbsp. spoon;
- Dimethyl Phthalate 1 tbsp. spoon.
Mix everything well until smooth. Apply ointment to the nails once a day, wrap the legs in polyethylene and put on socks. It is best to do the procedure at night and wash off any soap residue (preferably household soap) in the morning.
The use of copper sulfate
Copper sulfate solution is a common folk method for treating onychomycosis. One teaspoon of the substance is diluted in one liter of purified water. But such a solution is not usable yet - it's very condensed. For bathing, dilute: add one tablespoon of solution to warm water (one and a half liters) and leave on your feet for about 15 minutes. The nails are lubricated with a drug from the fungus.
An ointment can also be prepared: fire a teaspoon of copper sulphate in a pot (until clear), add a teaspoon of sulfur powder (yellow) and tar. Stir over low heat while heating.
salted
Another answer to the question: How to treat nail fungus with folk remedies is salt. It is used in marine (softens nail plates, has antiseptic effect) and in simple cooking (kills harmful microflora). Salt should not be used as a stand-alone treatment for toenail fungus, but it can be a very good adjunct treatment.
- Preparation solution: 4 L. water; 100 g. any salt; 4 tbsp. 9% vinegar tablespoon. Take these baths every day.
- Mix equal parts soda and salt in boiling water and let it cool for ten minutes.
- Mix salt with chopped mint to make nail polish.
- Take a bath regularly for two weeks: 1 liter of water; 1. 5 tablespoons of any salt. tablespoon; 1 teaspoon of antibacterial essential oil (can be replaced by iodine or lemon juice). If necessary, take a short break (3-4 days) and repeat the process.
- Prepare a saline solution (250ml of water and 1 tablespoon of salt), moisten a cotton ball and apply to problem areas. Finally, rinse your feet with water spiked with soda. You may experience skin discomfort (burning or itching). Repeat for 10 consecutive days.
- For advanced forms of the fungus, garlic water will help. Press a large clove of garlic through a special press into a cup of boiling water and add 1 tbsp. A spoonful of salt, stir well. When the solution has cooled, strain it and add another four tablespoons of salt. Wipe the affected area with this solution several times throughout the day.
antifungal soda
Soda water is traditionally used when dealing with fungi. Baths with soap and soda can soften the nails and help the medication penetrate better. You will need:
- 5 liters of clean hot water;
- 3 art. tablespoon of grated laundry soap (or substitute tar);
- 3 art. tablespoons of soda.
Stir until ingredients are dissolved, leaving on feet no longer than 20 minutes. Then cut and file the nails and apply the medicine. Repeat the process for 4-5 days.
Mix club soda with a little water for a thick slurry. Apply the paste to the infected area and squeeze 2-3 drops of lemon on it. As a result of the chemical reaction, a frothy fizzing sound will be produced and a slight tingling sensation will be felt. After five minutes, wash off the mixture with soap.
Soda is great for treating fungus of an intimate nature, while treating fungus between the toes and nails is best combined with medication.
The use of hydrogen peroxide
Although experts question the method, hydrogen peroxide remains the most common folk remedy for toenail fungus. In fact, it just softens and disinfects problem areas, preventing further spread of disease.
The easiest remedy with folk remedies is a peroxide lotion. You can mix it 1: 1 with vinegar and use it in the bath or apply peroxide thickened with water to your nails. Don't forget about safety measures so you don't get burned.
Other methods
Among countless folk remedies against fungi, kombucha is well known for its positive properties in fighting pathogens. It's also widely used to treat nail fungus: Crush it into a paste and lubricate the problem area several times a day. In addition, you can apply a small piece of mushroom to the problem area at night for compression (wrap it in a film and put on socks made of natural material). The duration of treatment is one week.
Taking a bath with espresso can not only relieve the pain, but also soften the skin on the heel and make the feet smooth.
Novocaine lotion is a quick way to get rid of fungus. If the disease is not advanced, just multiple applications of cotton balls soaked in Novocaine can say goodbye to fungus forever.
Garlic is indispensable in the fight against any fungus. It is also used as a stand-alone ingredient (spread or sliced) and as part of tinctures, ointments, or onion and lemon compresses. 10 parts of water, 1 part of wine, and garlic juice. Affected areas are treated with this mixture several times a day until the ailment passes.
Celandine, birch tar, apricot resin, potassium permanganate, tea tree oil are also used.
There is no clear answer to the question: is it possible to cure onychomycosis using only folk methods? However, if you combine them with the medicines prescribed by your doctor, the disease will resolve more quickly.