The fungus on the legs (feet) is one of the most common mycoses. According to statistics, every fifth person is a carrier of the causative agent of this disease. To combat fungal microflora on the foot, antifungal drugs are prescribed, which are intended for external and internal use. At the initial stage of the development of the disease, it is appropriate to use alternative methods of treatment.
Why do mushrooms appear?
A fungus is an infection that penetrates the skin/nails in a domestic way: the use of common personal hygiene products, visiting swimming pools, saunas, beauty salons.
If the virus comes into contact with the skin, it is likely that the disease will not reach the subcutaneous cells, since a healthy body has a high resistance to such microbes.
There are a number of factors that stimulate the development of skin or nail fungus:
- Severe foot sweating caused by low-quality, uncomfortable shoes;
- mechanical damage to the legs (scratches, foot wounds, spikes);
- Weakened immunity due to bad habits, serious diseases: AIDS, diabetes, hepatitis, neurosis, influenza.
Perhaps the feet are the tastiest place that is parasitized by the fungus. The main reason is that it is the foot that most affects the shoes and has hundreds of microcracks.
There are several types of ringworm infections that parasitize the toenails, the distance between the fingers or the feet.
The method of counteracting the fungus, regardless of whether we are talking about drug intervention or traditional medicine, completely depends on the site of infection.
According to statistics, more than 60% of the population has experienced the problem of ringworm, and the main reason is that this virus is incredibly resistant to external influences and quickly "jumps" from one infected body to another.
Without proper dry cleaning of shoes/clothes, the flex can live in it for up to 5 years, being an active infection.
Family members who already have an infected person are especially susceptible to the disease. In this case, you simply cannot do without daily wet cleaning with intensive detergents and chlorine.
How to recognize a fungus?
In the early stages of infection, it is almost impossible to recognize flexible. Small, barely noticeable white spots appear on the skin/nails, which do not cause any discomfort.
During evolution, the virus grows, causing the following symptoms:
- Unbearable itching and burning;
- The nail surface becomes rougher and sloppier;
- Brittleness and delamination of the nails;
- Cracks appear on the feet caused by dry skin;
- In places of itching / on the nails, a white coating appears;
- An unpleasant pungent odor emanates from the feet.
Why is mycosis dangerous?
It would seem that mycosis is a fairly harmless infection that does not pose a threat to human life.
To be sure, the fungus between the toes cannot be fatal, but it leads to negative adjustments in the immune system, psychological and social status of a person, and can also cause a number of serious diseases.
So, the following factors can be attributed to the negative consequences of mycosis:
- Social: prohibition to visit swimming pools, baths, saunas and other places where a health examination is required;
- Psychological: itching sensation causes doubts, distorted skin / nails do not allow to wear open shoes, a strong foot odor does not allow to take off shoes outside the home;
- Physiological - general depletion of immunity, provoking infections with viral colds and the appearance of allergies.
Fungus treatment: folk remedies or drugs?
Modern medicine has an impressive arsenal of drugs that can treat foot fungus, but do not forget about the current methods of traditional medicine, which were treated by several generations of ancestors.
The choice of treatment for this disease completely depends on the stage of its neglect: if we are talking about the manifestation of all the symptoms described above, it is more appropriate to pay attention to medical intervention, since its effect will be more noticeable in a short time. .
If the disease has recently parasitized the skin, and the virus did not have time to spread through the legs, folk recipes for the fungus will be very useful.
Fortunately, the treatment of foot fungus with folk remedies is an absolutely affordable measure, and the ingredients for the drug can be found in a first-aid kit or in a refrigerator.
Fungus between the toes can be cured with the following remedies from the first aid kit:
- Potassium permanganate (it is necessary to steam the legs, and then wrap the infected area with a bandage soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. For greater efficiency, put on a warm sock and walk with a compress for 5-7 hours, or carry out the bedtime procedure).
- 5% iodine solution (treat infected areas 2-3 times a day).
- Boric acid (take a hot shower, dry your feet, sprinkle sore spots with boric acid, wrap yourself in warm socks. Repeating the procedure daily for 10 days, you have a real chance to get rid of an annoying ailment. Important! Feet must be dry, otherwise acid burns will occur).
- Ammonia (dilute in proportion 1 tablespoon to 1 cup, moisten the bandage, wrap the legs overnight).
- Iodine, glycerin, vinegar (mix the ingredients in equal parts, dilute with 2 parts of water. Wash fungal places with this tincture every day before bedtime).
Simple remedies from the first aid kit will help to eradicate the fungus within 10-20 days, subject to systematic use.
The pleasant moment is also that the previous funds are quite cheap, you can buy them at any pharmacy and they will not go out of your budget.
Folk ways to treat dermatomycosis
It has already been mentioned that the fungus is one of the most common diseases, but there are also many measures to influence it, in the knowledge base of traditional medicine. For example, even those foods that can be found in your refrigerator every day can have a strong effect on the virus.
These products provide effective counteracting of mycosis:
- Lemon;
- Onion;
- Garlic;
- Apple and wine vinegar;
- Egg;
- Coffee
- Sodium bicarbonate;
- Rowan/nettle leaves.
Let's take a closer look at each option on how to cure a foot fungus with popular recipes in the shortest possible time.
- Lemon.Cut citrus fruits into not very thin slices, stick them on the infected areas, wrap them with cellophane film. Keep the compress for 30 minutes and repeat the procedure for 10 days. An amazing advantage of this method is that lemon not only destroys mitosis, but also saturates the nail surface with vitamins, removes white streaks, blocks unpleasant foot odor.
- Onion.Prepare onion porridge, squeeze the juice into a separate container. Apply a thick layer of porridge to the affected area, wrap it with a film and leave it for 10-15 minutes. If there is mechanical damage to the skin, add petroleum jelly in a 1: 1 ratio to the gruel. After 15 minutes, wash off the compress with hot water, wipe with a towel, apply onion juice and wait until it is absorbed into the skin. Rinse the feet after the juice is not necessary.
- Garlic.There are 2 options for the compress: cut the clove into 2 parts, roll it in food salt, rub the foci of fungus; prepare a porridge, add butter in equal proportions, apply to the skin. In any case, it is not recommended to keep the garlic on the feet for more than a quarter of an hour, since its juice can cause burns. Wash the compresses with warm water, repeat the procedure at intervals of at least 8 hours.
- Apple vinager. 4 tablespoonsmix tablespoons of vinegar with 150 grams of sea salt (possible with additives) and pour 5 liters of hot water. Wait until the water cools down a bit and take a footbath.
- Wine vinegar.Perhaps the simplest folk treatment for a fungus - lubricate diseased skin with undiluted wine vinegar. It is necessary to wait until the vinegar is completely absorbed, it is not necessary to rinse the feet, and you can repeat such measures 4 times a day.
- Egg.To prepare the ointment, you need to: pour a raw egg with vinegar, cover with cling film, a plastic lid and put in a cool dark place. Wait for the moment when the eggshell completely dissolves, add 1 teaspoon of butter to the jar and carefully lay out until a homogeneous substance appears. Apply the ointment to clean, dry skin, wrap it with a film / bag and keep it warm for an hour. After removing the compress, the feet should be washed with warm water.
- Coffee.One of the best and fragrant remedies for foot fungus. Coffee can be used as an exfoliant or as the main ingredient for a foot bath. If you're used to brewing natural black coffee, use the remaining sediment as a scrub. Apply the precipitate to the inflamed areas, rub coffee residue into the skin. The second option is to prepare coffee and pour it into the bathroom in a ratio of 2 coffee: 1 water. The second option is more expensive financially. The advantages of coffee are that after such procedures the rough skin will peel off, and the new one will acquire a healthy color, softness and tenderness.
- Sodium bicarbonate.A universal remedy that is suitable for compresses and baths. Prepare a porridge with the addition of soda and water in equal proportions, apply to the nails/feet/distance between the fingers for 20 minutes, wrap in cellophane. After the specified time, rinse with warm water and sprinkle with talcum powder. Also, you can prepare baths with the addition of sea salt, soda and cedar/eucalyptus/menthol oil or propolis.
- Rowan.Rowan, like nettle, has antibacterial properties, so it is recommended to combat athlete's foot. Plant leaves should be collected from ecologically clean areas and only young shoots should be selected. Rub the leaves together until soft and apply to the area of inflammation. The compress should be left overnight.
Phytotherapy: a method of combating fungi
Effective folk remedies for foot fungus are reflected in herbal medicine guides.
Despite the fact that representatives of science do not particularly approve of alternative medicine methods, herbal medicine deserves attention and respect, because they clearly indicate its safety and effectiveness.
We will tell you how to get rid of foot fungus with home remedies using herbs.
Folk remedies for fungus between the toes are prepared from decoctions of such plants as celandine, calendula, mint, burdock, sage, wormwood, St. John's wort and dozens of other herbs.
- Celandine.Decoction with 4 tbsp. Spoons of dried celandine and 1 liter of water boil for 5 minutes, leave for 30 minutes. Take a shower every day before bed for at least 21 days.
- Sagebrush.Wormwood is also used for baths, but there is a more effective remedy: a decoction of wormwood, plantain, burdock and yarrow is infused for 9 hours and drunk 3 times a day before meals. In just one week, you will be able to get rid of the obvious signs of the fungus.
- Calendula.Pour a pack of calendula flowers (usually 250 grams) with boiling water and leave for 1 hour. Lubricate the inflamed skin with herbal extract 3-4 times a day for a month.
- Burdock.The compress is prepared from fresh leaves of burdock. It is necessary to act mechanically on the sheet so that it releases the juice (hit with a hammer / make small cuts) and wrap the legs, apply a bandage, put on warm socks. Leave the lotion on overnight.
- Mint, nettle, sage.This home remedy treatment involves mixing dried herbs and pouring them into a warm sock. It is necessary to use a dry mixture during the day and repeat the complex as soon as possible, but at least 3 times a week.
The above folk remedies against the fungus are sold in all pharmacies, both in the form of dried herbs and essential oils. It is recommended to purchase various essential oils and take foot baths with the addition of fragrant elixirs.
Folk remedies for foot fungus are effective measures, but they require quite long use, so their variety should be combined and alternated.
Treatment with folk remedies is the safest, albeit long-term, method that does not cause allergic and inflammatory reactions.
Shoe care for fungus
The answer to the question: "How to treat a fungus? "is not only to provide a series of recipes for effective folk remedies, but also a reminder to process all your shoes.
To disinfect shoes from a fungal infection, a 25% vinegar / 30% formalin solution is used. It is necessary to moisten a cotton swab with a solution and clean the shoes from the inside.
Important! You absolutely must clean all the shoes you wear: from shower shoes to boots. Those pairs of shoes that you wear constantly should be treated at least once a week.