Fungal infections or dermatomycosis are diseases caused by different types of fungi. According to the frequency of skin lesions, they take the second place after pyoderma. According to the physiological characteristics, the fungus most often affects the legs of the lower extremities. Many people are trying to rid themselves of unpleasant symptoms and are looking for ways to quickly treat foot fungus at home.
Ways of infection
Fungus on the feet affects the corneum layer of the skin and its appendages - the nails. The development of the disease depends on the pathogenicity and virulence of microorganisms, environmental factors and the state of human health. Pathogens with the same clinical picture can be different types of fungi. Spores are very stable in the external environment (high and low temperatures) and remain infectious for several years.
It is easy to get infected with foot fungus, but you will have to fight stubbornly for a long time using various methods and means. Infection of the feet occurs when pathogenic spores come into contact with the skin of a healthy person. Main routes of infection:
- poor-quality sterilization of instruments in pedicure rooms,
- common shoes, hygiene products (clothes, towels).
Causes of athlete's foot infection:
- high temperature and humid rooms: baths, saunas, swimming pools, gyms,
- increased sweating of the feet,
- the presence of abrasions, microcracks on the skin,
- non-compliance with hygiene standards,
- systematic overheating of the legs or hypothermia,
- diseases related to circulatory disorders,
- endocrine pathologies caused by metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes),
- decreased immunity.
Symptoms of a fungal infection
The clinic of fungal infections of the feet has several types.
- Deleted form with mild itching, burning, dryness and peeling in the spaces between the fingers.
- Squamous. Abundant, lamellar peeling occurs in the heel area, in the interdigital folds. With a long course - painful cracks, itching.
- If the squamous stage is not treated, the intertriginous form appears. The process begins with the appearance of hyperemia and wet discharge of the corneum layer of the skin between the fingers. When the macerated areas are separated, an eroded surface bordered by fragments of softened epidermis along the periphery is revealed. The process involves areas adjacent to the toes and soles. A person feels pain when walking, and a secondary purulent infection may develop.
- Hyperkeratotic. Dry nodules and areas with blue-red plaques covered with dense scales are formed. They are sharply separated from healthy skin and peel along the perimeter. They move to the lateral surfaces of the foot and interdigital folds, and are localized in the heel. This form can appear as yellowish calluses with cracks in the upper layer. Symptoms: mild itching, cracking and dry skin.
- The dyshidrotic form primarily affects the soles of the feet. The clinical picture is completed by large bubbles with a tight lid. Rashes are single or multiple. Blisters may coalesce to form cortical layers or open to expose erosions. As the course progresses, eroded areas are formed, and severe pain occurs when pressure is applied to them.
A characteristic symptom of weeping mycoses is the appearance of an unpleasant smell from the feet.
Treatment with folk remedies
People suffered from fungal diseases long before the invention of antifungal drugs, so traditional medicine has accumulated a wealth of experience in the treatment of such lesions at home. Nevertheless, you will not be able to quickly fight the fungus without consulting a doctor, without special antifungal drugs.
The main part of the folk remedies used in the treatment of fungi are substances that dry the upper layer of the skin, promote severe peeling of the epidermis, and at the same time remove fungal spores.
One of the fastest ways to get rid of the disease cannot be recommended to everyone. Much depends on the stage of the pathology, the type of fungus, the individual characteristics of the patient's skin and accompanying diseases.
The use of mixed therapy methods has a good effect.
Iodine
To treat foot fungus, the drug is used in the form of an alcohol solution. Iodine is not only a strong antiseptic, but also an oxidizing substance that destroys the shell of mushrooms and causes the denaturation of the proteins that are part of it. This causes rapid death of microorganisms.
Method of application:
- Pour 3 tablespoons of alcohol solution of iodine into a container with 5 liters of hot water (40 ° C). Take a foot bath for 20 minutes. Course - 7 procedures every day,
- Dilute the alcohol solution of iodine with vodka in a ratio of 1: 1. Treat your skin with this mixture after washing your feet before going to bed every day. The procedure is carried out within 5-10 days, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Before starting the treatment, it is necessary to check whether there is an allergic reaction.. For this, apply a drop of iodine on the inner surface of the forearm. If no skin changes are noted after 24 hours, you can start the treatment.
Contraindications:
- individual intolerance to iodine,
- thyroid diseases,
- sensitive skin prone to burns.
Hydrogen peroxide
When it comes into contact with the skin, under the action of the enzyme catalase, hydrogen peroxide is broken down and atomic oxygen, a strong oxidizing agent, is released.
Free oxygen has bactericidal and antimycotic properties. In addition, unfavorable conditions for the life of fungi are created in the zone of influence of hydrogen peroxide.
A cotton pad is soaked with a 3% peroxide solution and applied to the affected area for 10 minutes. If a strong burning sensation occurs, wash the affected area with running water and lubricate with vegetable oil. Applications are made in the morning and evening for 5 days.
Hydrogen peroxide acts as an antiseptic, prevents fungi from multiplying and spreading to neighboring areas, and reduces unpleasant odors.
Celandine
Traditional healers use herbs to treat skin diseases. Celandine is rightfully considered one of the best. This is a poisonous plant, so any manipulation should be done with rubber gloves.
- 2 tablespoons of dried celandine raw materials are placed in a container with 200 ml of water, kept on fire for 10 minutes, filtered and the broth is added to the bath water. Lower your feet into the basin for 20 minutes. The procedure is carried out every day.
- Celandine tincture is prepared as follows: add 1 tablespoon of dry celandine inflorescences to 200 ml of vodka. Infuse in a cool, dark place. After 14 days, strain and apply to the affected areas twice a day to treat athlete's foot.
Concentrated celandine water should not be used for erosive lesions - it can cause burns in the deep layers of the skin.
Celandine oil is prepared by mixing freshly squeezed water with vaseline in a ratio of 1: 4. The drug should be applied to the affected areas 2 times a day until recovery.
Vinegar: apple, wine and vinegar essence
The mechanism of the therapeutic effect of vinegar for mycoses of the feet is based on the fact that fungi do not survive in an acidic environment. Its use is effective for initial symptoms of the disease, when the pathological effect of pathogens is limited to the superficial layers.
A 9% vinegar solution is used to lubricate the inflamed dermis and apply applications. For extensive lesions, the following method is used: healthy skin is generously lubricated with baby cream, and a sock soaked in a vinegar solution is placed on the leg..In the morning, wash your feet with warm water and dry them.
The original antifungal ointment is made on the basis of natural 9% acetic acid and eggs. Put 250 ml of vinegar and 2 fresh eggs in a glass bowl. The bark dissolves under the influence of acid after 3-5 days. The yolk and white denature and become solid. They should be ground with vinegar and stored in the refrigerator. Lubricate the fungal lesions until the symptoms disappear.
You should not try to remove the fungus with vinegar essence, because it is an acid and penetrates the germ layer of the dermis, in addition to causing a superficial burn of the skin. This threatens complications in the form of scars on the legs or long-term untreated dermatoses.
Soap and soda baths
The gentlest way to treat toenail fungus is to use foot baths with soap or baking soda. They soften the upper layer of the epidermis, which makes it easier for other fungicidal agents (tar, apple cider vinegar, iodine) to penetrate deeper into the fungal colonies.
Grate half a piece of laundry soap and dissolve it in 5 liters of boiling water. Pour into a basin, add 100 g of baking soda and lower your feet into the liquid. The procedure lasts 10 minutes, then the feet are washed and dried well. The next step is to treat the prepared skin with an antifungal agent.
One of the combination treatments is foot baths with sea or table salt and soda.
Salt solution has antiseptic and fungicidal properties. To prepare it you need:
- add one tablespoon of salt and soda to the foot bath,
- The procedure lasts 30 minutes, then wipe your feet dry. The course is 5-7 days.
Birch resin and tar soap
Using birch tar, you can get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of fungal infections of the skin of your feet. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties are used not only by traditional healers, but also by official medicine (Vishnevsky ointment). Birch tar can be bought at a pharmacy to treat fungus.
Method of application:
- after a soap or soda foot bath, cut your nails, apply ointment and resin to the damaged areas and lie down for 1-2 hours for good absorption;
- A stocking is put on the leg and no manipulation is performed for 2-3 days. Then the feet are washed with cool water and the treatment is repeated.
You can use tar soap containing 10% tar. Dissolve two tablespoons of crushed resin soap in 2 liters of boiling water and keep your feet there for 20 minutes. Then the limbs are soaped and sprinkled with soda. Cover the feet with a bandage, put on socks and leave overnight. Feet are washed with water in the morning. The course is designed for one week.
Onion, garlic, lemon
You can treat fungus using the fungicidal properties of onions and garlic. Chopped vegetables in the form of pulp are applied to wound spots, fixed with adhesive tape and polyethylene. The compress remains until the morning.
Lemon juice helps the fungal process move to the nail plate. Citrus is cut into slices, applied to the affected areas and covered with cling film and a bandage. The course of treatment is 10 days.
Other methods
A two-month infusion of kombucha helps to get rid of the fungus. The liquid is boiled for an hour, filtered, and then used for compresses and lotions. It is advisable to do them before going to bed, after steaming your feet in hot water with the addition of iodine or potassium permanganate.
If you remove the film from the kombucha, knead it and apply the resulting pulp to the painful area for a few hours, preferably overnight, good results can be easily achieved. The procedure should be repeated every day for at least a week.
A decoction:
- calendula flowers,
- blackberry fruits,
- verbena,
- oak bark.
Pour three tablespoons of raw materials mixed in equal proportions into a glass of water and boil for 15 minutes. After cooling and filtering, the decoction is used to wash and apply to the skin. A bandage soaked in liquid is placed on the affected area for 20 minutes. Due to the security of the method, it can be used without restrictions.
Ammonia is used in baths for nail fungus. Add 50 ml of ammonia and 2 tablespoons of baking soda to one liter of hot water. The procedure lasts 25 minutes, after which the feet are washed with cool water and dried thoroughly.
Using folk methods, it is difficult to achieve permanent treatment for fungus. Home remedies usually reduce the severity of symptoms. If treatment is stopped, the disease may reactivate.
If someone in the family is sick, it is especially difficult to get rid of the fungus, because the risk of infection of all family members through close household contact is very high. Numerous reviews of people confirm that it is possible to treat fungus only with the strictest adherence to all hygiene standards and preventive therapy.
If, despite all measures taken, the fungus cannot be eliminated, the disease progresses, occupies more and more new areas, and secondary infection in the form of ulcers occurs, you should consult a doctor for qualified help.