The best treatment for toenail fungus

Mycosis is a disease that is easy to acquire but difficult to treat. This is due to many factors. Pathogenic microorganisms quickly adapt to changing conditions, get used to the active components of medicines. They are capable of being on various surfaces for a long time. They multiply rapidly, capturing more and more new areas. They literally penetrate into the horny plates, penetrating deeper and deeper. Treatment of nail fungus should be carried out in a comprehensive manner, in compliance with all the rules. Otherwise, you may be faced with a situation where the symptoms begin to pass, but everything quickly returns to its original position.

How can you get onychomycosis?

Most often, infection, according to statistics, occurs as follows:

1. Personal contact with a person suffering from a fungus;
2. Personal items: washcloths, towels, shoes;
3. When visiting saunas, beaches, showers, sports clubs;
4. With a pedicure performed with instruments that have not been disinfected.

Infection can occur anywhere where people walk barefoot. If a person with mycosis has walked across the floor, the scales of his skin remain on the surface. If they get on healthy nails, a pathological process will begin. A similar route of infection occurs when using other people's personal belongings. Fungal microorganisms develop especially actively in warm places with high humidity. That is why they usually accumulate in saunas, baths, baths.

Even if a fungus has got on the nails, this does not mean the onset of the disease. The body's defenses are enough to fight infection. However, there are factors under the influence of which the fungus is introduced and spreads more actively. If they are present, the risks of detecting this disease in oneself increase many times over. Consider these factors:

• Wounds and cuts on the feet, microcracks typical for dry skin - all these are gateways for infection;
• A weakened immune system;
• Taking antibiotics that change the acidity of the feet;
• Poor hygiene
• Sweating of the feet;
• Metabolic problems;
• Diabetes;
• AIDS;
• Overweight.

The factors triggering the development of the disease may be:

• Lack of personal slippers when visiting public places;
• Using someone else's shoes;
• Use of tight synthetic footwear;
• Ignoring the need for regular bath disinfection;
• Lack of proper foot hygiene.

Based on these observations, it is easy to deduce methods for the prevention of mycosis.

Symptoms

Signs of the disease become apparent only when the fungus is already at a moderate stage. However, the disease can be determined at the first stage. To do this, you just need to carefully monitor the condition of the nails. The following symptoms should alert:

1. Peeling feet;
2. The appearance of white spots on the nails;
3. Mild itching;
4. Dry feet.

With these signs, it is better to see a doctor. They are not specific, and therefore one disease can be easily confused with another. The symptoms of the later stages will be much more pronounced:

• The nail loses its natural shine, becomes cloudy;
• The plate takes on unnatural shades: yellow, green, blue;
• The nail begins to crumble, exfoliates, becomes much more brittle;
• The plate begins to detach from the nail bed. Before this, free spaces arise between him and the bed;
• The nail structure is changing. Thickening appears. The nail can be bent, growth pathologies are observed;
• The disease spreads to the skin. An inflammatory process develops on them, manifested in the release of pus, redness;
• The space between the fingers peels off, cracks appear;
• Itching and burning intensifies;
• An unpleasant odor appears.

In the most advanced stages, the fungus severely destroys not only the nails, but also the skin. Abscesses may appear. All this causes severe discomfort, interferes with a normal lifestyle.

Is mycosis dangerous if it is not treated?

An untreated disease entails the following problems:

• The appearance of infectious complications;
• The emergence of severe allergic reactions;
• Causing exacerbations of various diseases, including diabetes mellitus;
• The defeat of internal organs by fungal microorganisms.

In the last stages, the disease causes severe discomfort. There is a discharge of pus, cracks appear. It hurts to walk. A pronounced odor arises. All this makes it difficult to lead a normal life. In addition, pathogens enter the bloodstream and can affect the entire body. This is extremely dangerous and fraught with disability or even death.

Treatment depending on the stage of the disease

Nail fungus has several stages, depending on the extent of the lesion. The methods of therapy will be 90% dependent on the stage. Consider the features of treatment depending on the stages of development of the disease:

1. Stage 1.Good reviews can be found on the medicinal solution. It works great in the early stages of the disease. The solution is used to treat diseased nails twice a day. Before processing, it is recommended to make a hot bath for the feet, trim the nails and process them with a file. The cost of the solution is approximately 500 rubles. The advantage of the solution in the form of a solution is its instant absorption, fast action;
2. Stage 2.The loose part of the nail is removed with scissors or a nail file. In the cavity, as well as on the entire surface of the plate, a healing solution is applied. It is advisable to start taking pills. The treatment will take approximately 6 months;
3. Stage 3.In this case, the lesion affects not only the plate, but also its root, nail bed, and nearby skin. Treatment is carried out with drugs of systemic action. It is imperative to observe a doctor, since you cannot get rid of an advanced stage without the help of a specialist.

The success of the treatment of nail fungus is determined by the regrowth of a healthy plate, on which there are no signs of damage.

Fundamentals of mycosis treatment

How to cure toenail fungus? Therapy is carried out using two groups of funds:

• Local preparations.Used in the first and second stages of the disease. Can be combined with systemic medications. This category includes varnishes, solutions, ointments, gels;
• Systemic drugs.They are antimycotics. These can be tablets, capsules. They stop the spread of the disease, destroy pathogenic microorganisms. They have an accumulating effect. That is, the active components of the drug remain in the integument even after the therapy is over. This prevents relapse.

It is best to treat nail fungus early. This is due to the fact that, in this case, only local preparations can be used. The tablets are very effective, but they are also toxic, they have a lot of contraindications and side effects. Forbidden to receive pregnant women and children.

The use of medicinal varnishes

Varnishes are great in the early stages of nail fungus. They have the following advantages:

• You do not need to apply the product daily. Enough twice a week;
• The varnish dries almost instantly;
• The tool creates a film on the surface of the nail that does not allow bacteria and additional infections inside;
• The varnish is transparent, and therefore it is not noticeable on the nails.

The features of the course depend on the specific varnish. Their significant disadvantage is their considerable cost.

Antifungal pills

Antifungal pills will be required if the mycosis has spread to more than 1/3 of the nail. A specialist should prescribe a remedy for nail fungus, since the choice depends on the type of microorganisms that caused the disease.

Almost all tablets have inexpensive counterparts. The cost of medicines is different.

Laser therapy

In some cases, nail fungus does not respond to medication. In this case, you can use laser therapy. The following advantages should be noted:

• Painlessness;
• Effective destruction of fungal microorganisms;
• No harm to healthy tissues;
• The possibility of curing a disease in a severe stage in just 4-6 procedures.

It is advisable to supplement the laser action with systemic drugs, as well as vitamin complexes aimed at enhancing the body's defenses.

Removing the nail

Toenail removal is usually indicated in the advanced stages of toenail fungus. Using this method on a relatively healthy plate is not recommended. Removal has the following advantages:

1. Painlessness (removal occurs due to the maximum softening of the plate);
2. Stopping the spread of pathological processes;
3. Better penetration of drugs to the focus of the disease.

Removal can be done at home. For this, there are special preparations. Removal is carried out due to the content of urea in the products. Also in the composition there are auxiliary components that stop the reproduction of the fungus and have an antiseptic effect: stearic acid, tea tree oil.

Before use, the feet are steamed in a bath with a spoonful of baking soda. They need to be wiped dry. Then a plaster is glued to the integument near the nail. The product should not come into contact with the skin, as this will cause burns. The composition is applied to the nail with a thick layer, and then sealed with a plaster. After 4 days, the patch is removed. If the nail does not come off, the event can be repeated.

Traditional methods of treatment

It makes sense to apply folk techniques in the early stages. They have an additional effect. However, it must be borne in mind that these funds do not replace local drugs. Consider the most common folk methods for nail fungus:

• Apple vinegar.Vinegar is mixed with water in a one-to-one ratio. The feet are placed in a hot bath for 15-20 minutes. The procedure is performed daily. After it, the feet should be thoroughly dried. The effect can be seen after 2 weeks. If it is not there, the product must be replaced with another one;
• Tea tree oil.It is applied to the affected nails in a pure form three times a day. A drop is needed for each plate. There are contraindications: childhood and pregnancy;
• Fresh celandine.The plant must be minced. Juice is squeezed out of the gruel. This can be done with gauze. A glass of juice is combined with a glass of 70% alcohol. The solution is infused throughout the day. Before processing, the legs are steamed. Then the infusion is applied to the plates. Processing is carried out 3-4 times a day. The course is 10-12 days;
• Iodine.Apply a drop of iodine daily to the affected area. Do not forget to trim the growing nail. If there is a burning sensation, you should stop the procedure. This effect indicates tissue burn;
• Tea mushroom.Compresses can be made from it. For this, a piece of the mushroom is placed on the nail. The finger is wrapped in cellophane and bandage. Then put on cotton socks. The procedure is performed at night. In the morning, the compress is removed, the leg is washed under warm water, dead areas are removed.

What is the best treatment for toenail fungus? Folk recipes will not work for this. They can only be used as an auxiliary tool. However, the main therapy should be taking pills and topical medications.

Testimonials

People who have had nail fungus note the effectiveness of the medicinal solution, which is convenient to use. However, it must be borne in mind that the tool must be used regularly for a long time. Without this, mycosis will immediately reappear.

Celandine is also effective. People note that the visible effect can be observed already after 3 weeks of use. The structure of the nail changes, signs of damage disappear. However, this is only relevant for the early stages of the disease.

You can also see negative reviews. They usually warn against misuse of remedies. For example, patients, when using iodine and acetic acid, received severe burns. Therefore, the use of these funds must be carried out in compliance with safety measures. In particular, the recommended dosage must not be exceeded. If a burning sensation occurs, this indicates the onset of a burn. Do not believe articles that claim pain is a sign of healing. Usually this is a sign of serious processes that can leave behind complications that are greater than after a fungus.

Additional measures

Additional measures are needed in order to speed up treatment and also prevent relapses. Let's consider the main ones:

• Particles of the patient's skin remain on the socks and shoes. If a person is completely cured, by interacting with them, you can get infected again. Therefore, the socks must be boiled for 5 minutes. All fungal microorganisms will be destroyed in boiling water. Shoes are treated with special compounds that can be found in pharmacies;
• Vitamin complexes should be taken in order to stimulate the immune system;
• All funds are applied regularly, throughout the prescribed course. Otherwise, the treatment will be completely useless.

An attentive attitude to all recommendations is the key to a quick cure.

Preventive measures

In order not to become infected with mycosis again, preventive measures are applied:

• Before visiting baths, saunas and other public institutions, it is recommended to lubricate your nails with antifungal varnishes;
• You should not wear someone else's shoes;
• You can perform hot foot baths once a week, where sea salt and soda are added;
• It is advisable to exclude sweets from the diet;
• Sweaty feet should be avoided.

Once a week, after a recent cure, you can use a topical antifungal or similar folk remedy. They are applied to all nails. Even if the infection reappears, it will quickly stop.

It is more difficult to protect yourself from illness when living with a sick person. In this case, regular disinfection of the bathroom and all surfaces in the house is important. The patient should store and wash their belongings separately from other clothes. Households can use local mycosis remedies once a week for prophylaxis.

Mycosis is difficult to treat. His therapy must be taken very seriously. At the first sign, it is advisable to see a doctor. He takes a scraping from the affected area. After that, you can determine which microorganisms caused the disease. Based on this information, medications are prescribed. Individual factors also play a role in the choice of medication. For example, if a woman is pregnant, pills are rarely prescribed. This is due to the fact that they penetrate the bloodstream and can harm the fetus. Typically, nail removal is used in combination with topical treatments.