Nail fungus - what remedies can help get rid of it quickly?

Each of us can catch a mushroom. It is an infectious disease that is transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person and usually affects the nails and skin. If the nail plate changes, begins to fall apart, changes color, then an infection has occurred and onychomycosis has developed. It affects 20% of the world's adult population.

Causes

Most people do not know what onychomycosis is and how dangerous it is. Pathogenic microorganisms that penetrate the structure of the nail change it. In addition to the aesthetic problem, fungi can poison the whole body with toxins. It causes allergic reactions, decreased protective functions of the body and diseases of the internal organs.

Nail fungus can be infected only under favorable conditions. Normally, the skin has an acidic environment that prevents the penetration of various infections. If for some reason the pH changes to alkali, the growth and development of pathogens increases sharply.

A humid environment also promotes infection. A person can be infected if personal hygiene or simple rules of behavior in public places are not followed. Dead scales on a patient's skin or nails are a source of infection.The causes of nail fungus can be:

1. There is a risk of infection when coming to beaches, saunas, baths, water parks, showers, swimming pools, fitness centers. Walking barefoot on a damp surface and there are cracks or sores on the legs, it is very likely to "pick up" the fungus on the feet.
2. Improperly fitted, tight shoes, synthetic socks, tights increase sweating of the feet, which leads to changes in the acid-base balance of the skin. Protective functions are reduced, which can lead to the appearance and spread of the fungus.
3. Weakened immunity, long-term use of antibiotics, corticosteroids, antibacterial therapy contribute to onychomycosis infection.
4. Diabetes is a common cause of diabetes in the elderly.
5. Infection occurs in 90% of cases in contact with infected shoes, fungus, socks, towels, clothes, manicure sets and other personal accessories of the patient.

Infection first occurs on a small area of ​​the nail, usually on the edge. Then the inflammatory process increases and spreads to other areas or penetrates deeper into the nail plate. The sooner nail fungus is found, the easier it is to treat. Therefore, treatment should be started immediately at the first sign.

How the disease manifests itself

Not only a specialist, but also the patient can diagnose onychomycosis in a person. The main symptoms of nail fungus are:

• changes the color of the nail plate from light yellow to black. The color of the nails depends on what type of fungus is infected;
• changes the shape and contour of the nail plate;
• nails fall out, erode, thicken, natural shine disappears;
• bad smell, unpleasant, painful sensations on fingertips, near the nail plate.

It is important to diagnose the disease in time so that it does not spread to the skin of the feet and other parts of the toes. The doctor will be able to correctly assess the degree of fungal infection and prescribe appropriate treatment.

There are 3 stages of the fungus:

1. There are no obvious signs such as changes in shape, thickening of the corneal layer, cracks. It is very difficult to diagnose the disease during this period. However, the appearance of slightly different spots on the surface of the nail plate, a slight change in the shade of the stratum corneum may alert you.
2. Nail fungus has obvious signs. The color of the nail surface changes from pink to yellow or brown, the natural shine and smoothness disappear. The side edges of the nails thicken, break and deform.
3. is ​​a neglected form of infection that covers the entire corneal surface. It thickens, there is an increase in keratinocytes, fragility increases. Cutting such a nail is very problematic, the edges are bent inwards and grow on the skin of the fingers, causing pain to the patient when walking.

Complications after stage 3 are characterized by erosion of keratinocytes from the growth bed. This condition is accompanied by severe pain and an unpleasant odor. The incubation period of nail fungus is 3 weeks, after which it is possible to diagnose the disease and start antifungal therapy.

Nail fungus species

Onychomycosis is diagnosed with several types of fungi.

1. Dermatophytes generally look like nail plate platinum. Yellow spots appear on the edges or in the center. Over time, the yellowed outer layer moves away from the cornea. Occasionally there are longitudinal streaks along the damaged area.
2. Yeast fungus changes the structure of the nail, deforms it. The nail plate becomes uneven, waves, grooves appear, after a while the color of the nail takes on a yellowish color and may lag behind. At the same time, nail rollers can rot and thicken.
3. Mold is found in people with weakened immunity during long-term drug treatment. It manifests itself with a change in the color palette of the nail. First yellow, then the color changes and can be like green, bluish and even black. In this case, the treatment is the shortest and takes 1-1, 5 months, because the mold does not penetrate deep into the nail plate, but only remains on the surface.

Effective Infection Control Techniques

Many patients are worried about how to get rid of nail fungus quickly and easily. Treatment of onychomycosis in the early stages does not take long. Can be administered with topical antifungal agents. They spread deep into the corneal layer and prevent the growth and reproduction of pathogenic fungi. If this treatment affects a small area of ​​the nail plate, then no more than 1/3.

Nail fungus varnishes have positive healing properties. They have a liquid texture, are easy to apply and penetrate small cracks in the nail. When applied, the varnish is immediately absorbed and dries, forming a durable film. Prevents oxygen from entering the nail, thereby stopping the growth and reproduction of the fungus.

It should be applied once a day. Removal of varnish from the surface of the nail plate is problematic, which allows you to effectively treat the infection.

Antifungal medications, creams and ointments can also be used. They are more effective than varnishes and are used to detect stage 2 disease. Before applying the cream, it is necessary to remove the damaged surface of the nail plate.

Apply a cream or ointment twice a day and cover the affected area a small amount. After applying the cream, the infected area should be covered with a plaster to achieve maximum effect.

The treatment of onychomycosis depends on the degree of indifference and the established form. Because all medications for fungal infections are highly toxic, they only occur under the supervision of a physician. The specialist examines the patient and takes a small piece of nail for laboratory testing to determine the type of fungus. When the disease affects the entire nail platinum and the fungus develops for more than a year, a complex treatment is prescribed, which includes local and internal use of the drug.

Oral antibiotics have been shown to be useful in the treatment of fungal infections. Such drugs, together with ointments, deprive the fungus of the ability to grow deep in the nail and stop the growth of colonies. This treatment is long and lasts about a year.

Medicine does not stand still, effective methods are constantly being developed and applied in the fight against fungal diseases. In 2010, new methods of treating onychomycosis appeared. Photodynamic treatment of fungal infected nail plates and laser treatment in combination with antimicrobial agents in special "nail" lasers have a positive effect on the material and shorten the healing time.

The feature of laser therapy is that the fungus is exposed to temperatures up to 70 degrees, at which point the fungal spores die and the source of the disease is the mycelium.

Laser treatment does not affect the healthy skin around the nail, it only affects the fungal organisms that die within a few sessions.

Traditional medicine in the treatment of fungus

You can try to cope with the disease at home. Treatment should begin with soap and soda baths that soften the nail plate. It should be cleaned from the corneum layer with a manicure file. Such a bath and cleaning should be carried out once a week for 6 months. The affected area should be treated with tea tree oil. To increase the therapeutic effect, you can put a tampon dipped in equal proportions of lavender and tea oils on it and then glue the infected nail plate with adhesive plaster.

Traditional methods of treating nail fungus are different and in most cases give positive and rapid results, provided that the disease is in its early stages.The most influential are:

1. Treatment of affected areas with hydrogen peroxide. You should moisturize well-steamed nails with a cotton swab moistened with hydrogen peroxide 2-3 times a day. After a few days, the nail plate will become very soft and can be cut with nail scissors.
2. The use of straw in folk medicine has proven its effectiveness in the treatment of skin diseases and fungal infections of various etiologies. Iodinol is added to dry crushed celandine (purchased at a pharmacy). These two components are carefully re-soaked and the resulting mixture is applied to the affected area. The nail is wrapped in plastic wrap and left overnight. It is enough to carry out 3-5 such procedures to treat 1-2 stages of the fungus.
3. Propolis is an effective remedy for fungus. 20% propolis tincture purchased at a pharmacy is applied as a compress to the affected area. A cotton swab moistened with a tool is applied to the nail plate and sealed with a plaster. Over time, the affected nail will replace a healthy nail.
4. Golden mustache is an incredible plant that helps with various diseases. When treating a fungus, the softened leaves of a plant should be glued to a steamed nail and placed under a film overnight. In the morning, you should cut the softened part as much as possible to the root. To prevent burning of the golden mustache, it is necessary to apply only to the area of ​​the nail plate, without touching the surrounding skin. Soon the nail will heal and will be healthy and strong.
5. If nail fungus infects your hands, you can get rid of it with tar soap. Wash your hands thoroughly with it, paying special attention to the affected areas. Then you need to soak your nails in a high concentration of salt solution and wrap them overnight. The positive effect will come in a week.

Nail fungus treatment takes a long time. Regardless of which therapy you choose, you should be patient and use the medication prescribed by your doctor regularly. We must not forget about preventive measures to prevent re-infection.

Only after a thorough examination of the patient and the results of laboratory tests, the doctor decides how to treat nail fungus. To prevent re-infection with the fungus, it is necessary to use drugs for prophylactic purposes. Monitor the condition of the nails and skin, contact a specialist immediately if the first signs of the disease are detected.Remember that in the early stages, the fungus heals quickly and effectively.