How to treat onychomycosis with folk remedies: family recipes, herbal teas and comments from doctors

Onychomycosis (nail fungus) is one of the most common infections on earth. She took care of us in the bathroom, pool, salon pedicures, beach and shoe store fittings. The disease progresses rapidly and can soon affect not only the nail plate but also the area of skin surrounding the nail plate. It is important not to miss the onset of the disease, at this time it is still possible to treat onychomycosis with folk remedies.The treatment of fungal diseases in general and onychomycosis in particular remains one of the most complex and not fully solved problems in medicine. One third of the inhabitants of our planet suffers from this disease (according to the World Health Organization).

disease symptoms

Even in the earliest stages of development, it is impossible not to notice this disease. This greatly facilitates diagnosis and allows timely initiation of pathological treatment. First, the color of the nails begins to change: from pale pink to yellow, brown, and sometimes even black. Other typical symptoms of this disease include:

• Itchy skin around nails;
• Grooves, spots or inclusions in the deck;
• pain;
• peeling nails;
• rancid smell;
• The plate leaves the nail bed;
• A white coating appears on the soft tissue beneath the nail plate.

How does infection occur?

People with weakened immune systems and age-related changes in their skin may develop nail fungus. Patients with gastrointestinal and thyroid disease are at significantly increased risk of contracting infections. As soon as signs of infection appear, you should consult a doctor immediately to confirm the diagnosis and begin treatment. Otherwise, the infection can spread to other areas. All family members of an infected person are at risk. During treatment, you must stop walking barefoot on the floor. Simple hygiene rules must be strictly followed when showering (rinse the bathroom thoroughly after bathing, use a personal towel).

Is it possible to remove onychomycosis using folk remedies?

This is a very common question. Yes, this is not difficult to do in the early stages of the disease. With late forms, the situation is even worse, as the disease can seriously impair health:

• weaken the immune system;
• Cause allergic reactions;
• Lead to worsening of chronic diseases.

Witch doctors and healers know how to treat onychomycosis with folk remedies. Of course, it is impossible to solve the problem quickly (within a few days), but there will still be a positive outcome. Traditional medicines are divided into two categories:

• Oral administration—tea, tincture, decoction;
• External use - solutions, compresses, ointments.

Combining these methods can eliminate disease and restore health. Below we explain how to treat onychomycosis at home using folk remedies.

Chelidonium-based preparations

This plant is known not only to experts in the field of herbal medicine, but also to ordinary town residents: many people see small bushes covered with small yellow flowers near houses and on the roadsides in spring. But not everyone knows that this plant has disinfecting and wound-healing properties. It is also used to treat nail fungus. Most commonly, celandine is used in tincture form. Pure plant juices can also be used.

fresh fruit juice

The easiest way to use celandine is to lubricate damaged nail plates and cuticles with the plant's juice three times a day. Treatment lasts for one week.

vodka tincture

Wash and dry the celandine, chop finely and place in a glass container. Pour the ingredients into the vodka (1: 2). Close the jar tightly and place it in a dark place for two weeks. Tincture is taken according to the following regimen: for the first three days - 3 drops, diluted with ½ cup of water. Then increase the daily dose by 1 drop. When reaching 20 drops, also gradually reduce to 3 drops.

Celandine and marigolds

What other ways to treat toenail fungus? Folk remedies, such as celandine and calendula, are very effective in combating this condition. Add one teaspoon of celandine juice to two drops of calendula and oregano tincture. Add 4 tablespoons to the resulting mixture. Lake water. Apply this composition to the affected nail plate 3 times a day.

Vinegar Treats Fungus

Therapists claim vinegar can help treat nail fungus. Folk remedies based on it may vary. Next, let’s look at some popular recipes.

vinegar concentrate

Treat the affected deck with 70% acetic acid. However, this rather radical method is not suitable for people with heart and blood vessel diseases, allergic reactions to the substance and high blood pressure.

eggs and vinegar

Perhaps this is the most common folk method of treating onychomycosis and can get you out of the condition quickly. To make this remedy, you need apple cider vinegar and eggs, preferably homemade. Pour the vinegar into a 200 ml glass bottle, put the eggs in it and keep it in a dark place. When the eggs are completely dissolved, remove the film that remains behind them, pour the resulting mixture into another glass container, add a teaspoon of butter (teaspoon) and mix well.Steam the leg, apply the product to the affected area, cover it with a bandage folded several times, wrap it with plastic wrap and secure it. After 12-14 hours, nails will lift and soften. Must be cut with pre-sterilized scissors. Repeat these procedures until symptoms of the disease disappear.

ointment

Mix one part glycerin, dimethyl phthalate, and olive oil with two parts acetic acid (70%). Apply the ointment to the affected nail for 8-10 hours. It is recommended to perform this procedure before going to bed.

foot bath

Add vinegar (200 ml) to water heated to 50 °C. It should reach ankle height. Your feet float in this solution for a quarter of an hour. The procedure is performed three times a week.

uses of iodine

Many people are interested in how to quickly treat onychomycosis with folk remedies. At the beginning of the article we said that a positive result can only be achieved in the early stages of the disease. Onychomycosis can be treated with regular iodine. This is an affordable but painful procedure that is best performed on a weekend.Steam well and dry your feet. Lubricate the infected nail plate with iodine and bury it in the crack until it can no longer be absorbed. After some time, you will feel a strong burning sensation, which you should endure. If the discomfort is unbearable, place your feet in a tub of cold water. When the disease strikes, it can be cured with just one surgery.

baking soda

Traditional methods are commonly used to treat onychomycosis. How to use baking soda to treat onychomycosis? The powder is used in warm baths at a dosage of two tablespoons per three liters of water. To make the process more effective, add half a spoon (teaspoon) of grated laundry soap to the water. This process lasts at least a quarter of an hour. When you're done, don't wipe your feet: let them dry naturally. Then you need to put on cotton socks. For complete cure, such surgery should be performed every three days for a month.

essential oils

Many people say that if the disease develops to an advanced stage, it is difficult to cure onychomycosis with folk remedies. Therapists believe essential oils can do this job well. Compare them to the levels of impact of expensive antifungal drugs. In addition to its antifungal effects, the oil has many beneficial properties:

• clean;
• regeneration;
• anti-inflammatory (drug;
• Sterilize.

Essential oils not only destroy fungal cells but also restore the normal condition of the nail plate. These medicines for treating onychomycosis can be used during a variety of procedures:

• compression.Heat tea tree oil to 30°C and dilute it with two teaspoons of warm water. Soak a cotton pad in the resulting mixture and leave it on the nail plate for an hour. After surgery, it will become soft and elastic for easier trimming.
• bathroom.Pour three liters of hot water into a basin, add drops of ylang ylang essential oil and add rosemary or lavender (10 drops). Soak your clean feet in the solution for a quarter of an hour. After surgery, wrap your feet in a hot towel for a quarter of an hour.
• Use in pure form.If you are not allergic to oil, you can use it to lubricate your nail plate, steaming it in hot water with 72% laundry soap beforehand. Dip a cotton swab in oil and lubricate the affected nail. It should not be washed off.

Propolis Tincture

There are many traditional ways to treat onychomycosis. One popular and safe remedy is propolis, or more accurately, alcoholic tincture of propolis. The drug has antiseptic, wound healing and bacteriostatic properties.For onychomycosis, propolis will not allow the pathogen to multiply. Judging from the reviews, itching and inflammation disappear after just a few operations. Gradually, the affected nails will be replaced by healthy nails. There are several ways to treat pathologies with propolis:

• Apply a piece of propolis to the affected nail, previously steamed in a solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. The procedure should be performed twice daily for a month.
• Moisten a cotton pad with propolis-alcohol solution (20%) and apply it to the nail plate, covering it with dry cotton wool. At the end of the procedure, the finger is wrapped with a bandage. The bandage can be removed after one day and the softened nail removed.

tea tree mushroom

The healing properties of this unique therapy can be used to treat many infectious diseases. You can use this folk remedy to treat onychomycosis. How to use it:

• Remove a thin layer from the mushroom, soak it in water for an hour and apply one piece to each affected nail;
• Cover the dressing with plastic wrap and put on wool socks;
• Leave the compress on overnight.

Repeat this process every two days, during which you may feel burning and itching until symptoms of the disease subside.

garlic

Many patients are interested in what folk remedies can treat onychomycosis. There are many remedies that can be used in every home. Garlic, for example, is no less effective than special antifungal drugs.

• Pour a cup of apple cider vinegar over a clove of garlic in a covered glass container and keep it in a dark place for two weeks. Apply the finished composition to the fungus-infected nails in the evening, put a gauze bandage on them until the morning. Treatment is continued until pathological symptoms disappear.
• Squeeze the juice from five cloves of garlic. It should be diluted with 30 ml of boiling water. This product is used to lubricate sore nails and must first be evaporated and dried.

hydrogen peroxide

How to quickly treat onychomycosis with folk remedies? Traditional healers claim there are methods that can help get rid of this disease in a very short time. These include hydrogen peroxide-based preparations. It can be used in different ways and in different combinations:

• A mixture of several products.Dissolve 1/2 cup vinegar soda, 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, and 1/2 cup magnesium sulfate in four cups of water. Secure a cotton swab soaked in this mixture to the affected nail with a Band-Aid. The bandage is left on the affected area for 10 hours. Then replace it with a new one. Treatment lasts for 10 days.
• Peroxide and vinegar.Mix equal parts peroxide and 6% vinegar. Dip your fingers into the mixture and hold until it sizzles. Then wash your feet with warm water and apply a mixture of equal parts tea tree oil and petroleum jelly to your dry nails. This procedure should be performed once a day for a week.

Procaine-based anesthetics

Yes, it's not exactly a folk remedy, but it would be a mistake not to mention it in this article. Dip a cotton swab in anesthetic and secure it to the affected nail. Some patients claim this simple method eliminates fungus in just two surgeries.

herbal medicine

Are there any other ways to treat onychomycosis? Folk remedies based on herbs and medicinal plants have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects.recipe:

• Mix equal parts of mugwort, burdock leaves and chamomile flowers. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture into a cup of boiling water. After 20 minutes, when the composition has cooled slightly, dip your fingers in it for 15-20 minutes.
• Chamomile flowers, oak bark, and calendula should be taken in equal proportions. Pour boiling water (one liter) into three spoons of the mixture. Let the mixture sit for half an hour. Then add a tablespoon of sea salt to the broth. Put your feet in it. This process lasts for a quarter of an hour.
• Crush and combine equal parts of blackberry leaves, verbena, horsetail, calendula, and oak bark. Pour boiling water (200 ml) into a ladle (teaspoon) of the mixture. Place the container with the herbal mixture in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Strain, cool and moisten a cotton pad with the resulting liquid. They come in the form of a lotion and are applied to painful nails at night.
• Gently tap the burdock leaves with a spoon to release the juice. Place scraps of sheet over the nail plate, wrap the finger with a bandage and put on socks. Dressings should be changed every 12 hours. Continue treatment for 10 days.
• The leaves of Kalanchoe and Golden Beard must be ground into a paste. Apply the lump to the infected surface and secure it with a bandage. In the morning, remove the bandage and wash your feet with warm water. Treat until symptoms disappear.
• Pour 150 ml of vodka into 10-15 g of lilac flowers. Soak the ingredients in a dark place for two weeks. Rub the damaged nail plate with the prepared tincture twice a day for a week.

Advanced forms of fungi

If the nail is completely yellow, does not adhere closely to the nail bed, is chipped, and the nail fold is red or injured, it means that onychomycosis has progressed to an advanced stage. Treating this form of pathology with folk remedies is impractical and ineffective. In this case, alternative medicine is used only as an adjunct to medical treatment.Wash the affected nail with tar soap at night. Sprinkle salt on top and cover with a sterile bandage. In the morning, remove the bandage and wash your feet with warm water. Repeat this process for at least one week.

prevent disease

If you are opposed to traditional medicine or cannot afford medicines for some reason, you can try folk remedies to deal with the disease. In this case, when the first symptoms of the disease are detected, it is necessary to treat onychomycosis.Preventing this pathology is equally important. The causative agent of onychomycosis is inert to conventional disinfectants. Powders, soaps and detergents do not affect the viability of the spores. In this regard, onychomycosis is a dangerous disease; treating it at home is quite difficult, and preventive measures are often ineffective.However, it is necessary to follow basic precautionary rules:

• Do not use other people's hygiene products. This rule must also be observed within the family context, since according to medical statistics more than 60% of infections occur at home.
• Treat bathrooms and carpets with a disinfectant solution.
• Treat bedding and towels used by patients with a 5% chloramine solution.
• Stockings or socks should be changed daily. Fungal spores can migrate to fabrics and they can only be removed by boiling them, but this is not always possible.
• After swimming in the pool, treat nails and feet with a 40% hexamethylenetetramine solution.
• Dry or sweaty skin is an ideal place for infection to multiply. Doctors have proven that boric acid, hexamethylenetetramine, and talc are very effective in helping to deal with excessive dryness or sweating of the feet.

If treating the fungus with alternative medicines does not produce positive results, you should consult a doctor who knows exactly how to treat nails with the help of medicines.

Alternative treatments for onychomycosis: reviews of patients and opinions of doctors

Many people claim that they were able to completely get rid of this condition using only folk remedies, recipes for which are given in this material. Indeed, they all claimed that they achieved positive results because treatment was started after the first symptoms of the disease were detected.Doctors are not so optimistic. They believe that treating onychomycosis with folk remedies is not always safe. In fact, many of them are quite aggressive, and doctors have more than once had to deal with the consequences of their uncontrolled use - burns, inflammation, etc.Therefore, doctors recommend that if you suspect a fungus, consult a doctor, perform a scrape, determine the susceptibility of the pathogen to various drugs and then start treatment. If your condition is deemed manageable by traditional methods, your doctor will recommend effective treatments as part of a complex treatment.