Fungal infections or dermatomycoses are diseases caused by different types of fungi. In terms of the frequency of skin lesions, they take second place after pyoderma. Due to the physiological characteristics, the fungus most often affects the feet of the lower limbs. Many people try to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms themselves and look for ways to quickly treat foot fungus at home.
Routes of infection
Foot fungus affects the horny 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. With the same clinical picture, pathogens can be different types of fungi. The spores are very stable in the external environment (high and low temperatures) and retain their ability to infect for several years.
It is easy to get infected with foot fungus, but you will have to fight it for a long time, persistently with different methods and means. A foot infection occurs when pathogenic spores come into contact with the skin of a healthy person. Main routes of infection:
- poor quality of sterilization of instruments in pedicure rooms,
- common shoes, hygiene items (towel, towel).
Causes of fungal foot infection:
- rooms with high temperature and humidity: bathrooms, saunas, swimming pools, gyms,
- increased sweating of the feet,
- the presence of scratches, microcracks on the skin,
- non-compliance with hygiene standards,
- systematic overheating or hypothermia of the legs,
- diseases related to circulatory disorders,
- endocrine pathologies caused by metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes),
- lowered immunity.
Symptoms of a fungal infection
The clinic of fungal infections of the feet has several types.
- An obliterated form in which there is slight itching, burning, dryness and peeling in the spaces between the fingers.
- Squamous. In the area of the sole, in the interdigital folds, abundant, lamellar peeling appears. With a long course - painful cracks, itching.
- The intertriginous form occurs if the squamous stage is not treated. The process begins with the appearance of hyperemia and wet loosening of the horny layer of the skin between the fingers. When the macerated areas are separated, an eroded surface is revealed, surrounded on the periphery by remnants of a softened epidermis. The process involves areas adjacent to the toes and the sole. A person experiences pain when walking and a secondary purulent infection may develop.
- Hyperkeratotic. Areas with dry nodules and bluish-red plaques covered with dense scales are formed. They are sharply delimited by healthy skin and peel off along the perimeter. They are localized on the sole, moving to the lateral surfaces of the foot and in the interdigital folds. This form can look like yellowish calluses with cracks in the top layer. Symptoms: mild itching, cracking and dry skin.
- The dyshidrotic form mainly affects the soles of the feet. The clinical picture is complemented by large bubbles with a tight lid. Rashes are single or multiple. Blisters may fuse together to form cortical layers or open to expose erosions. In advanced course, eroded areas are formed, and severe pain occurs when pressure is applied to them.
In case of weeping mycosis, a characteristic sign 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 gained a lot of experience in treating such lesions at home. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to quickly deal with the fungus on your own, without consulting a doctor, without special antifungal drugs.
The majority of folk remedies used in the treatment of fungus are substances that dry the upper layer of the skin, promoting strong peeling of the epidermis, along with which the fungal spores are removed.
It is impossible to recommend to everyone one of the fastest ways to get rid of the disease. Much depends on the stage of the pathology, the type of fungus, the individual characteristics of the patient's skin and concomitant diseases.
The use of combined therapy methods has a good effect.
iodine
For the treatment of foot fungus, the drug is used in the form of an alcoholic solution. Iodine is not only a powerful antiseptic, but also an oxidizer that destroys the mushroom shell and causes denaturation of its component proteins. This leads to rapid death of microorganisms.
Application method:
- Pour 3 tablespoons of an alcoholic solution of iodine into a container with 5 liters of hot water (40°C). Make a foot bath for 20 minutes. Course - 7 procedures every other day,
- Dilute the alcohol solution of iodine with vodka 1: 1. Treat your skin with this mixture every day before going to bed after washing your feet. The procedure is carried out for 5-10 days, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Before starting the treatment, it is necessary to test for the absence of an allergic reaction. . To do this, apply a drop of iodine to the inner surface of the forearm. If no skin changes are noticed after 24 hours, you can start the treatment.
Contraindications:
- individual intolerance to iodine,
- thyroid diseases,
- sensitive skin prone to burns.
Hydrogen peroxide
In contact with the skin, under the influence of the enzyme catalase, hydrogen peroxide breaks down and releases atomic oxygen, which is a strong oxidizer.
Free oxygen has bactericidal and antifungal properties. In addition, in the zone of action of hydrogen peroxide, conditions are created that are unfavorable for the life of fungi.
A cotton swab is soaked in a 3% peroxide solution and applied to the affected area for 10 minutes. If a strong burning sensation occurs, rinse 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.
yellow flowers
Traditional healers use herbs to treat skin diseases. Celandine is rightly considered one of the best. This is a poisonous plant, so all manipulations should be done with rubber gloves.
- 2 tablespoons of dried celandine raw material are placed in a container with 200 ml of water, left on the fire for 10 minutes, strained and the decoction is added to the bath water. Lower your feet into a basin for 20 minutes. The procedure is performed every other day.
- The tincture of celandine is prepared as follows: add 1 tablespoon of dry celandine inflorescences to 200 ml of vodka. Insist in a cool and dark place. After 14 days, strain and use to treat foot fungus, rubbing the affected areas 2 times a day.
Concentrated celandine juice should not be used for erosive lesions - it can cause burns to the deep layers of the skin.
Calendula oil is prepared by mixing freshly squeezed juice with petroleum jelly in a ratio of 1: 4. The drug should be applied to the affected areas 2 times a day until recovery occurs.
Vinegar: apple, wine and vinegar essence
The mechanism of the therapeutic effect of vinegar on foot mycoses is based on the fact that the fungus does not survive in an acidic environment. Its use is effective at the initial symptoms of the disease, when the pathological effect of pathogens is limited to the surface layers.
A 9% solution of vinegar is used to lubricate the inflamed dermis and apply applications. For extensive lesions, the following method is used: the healthy skin is smeared abundantly with baby cream and a sock soaked in vinegar solution is placed on the leg..In the morning, the feet are washed with warm water and dried.
The original antifungal ointment is prepared on the basis of natural 9% acetic acid and eggs. Put 250 ml of vinegar and 2 fresh eggs in a glass jar. The shell dissolves under the influence of acid after 3-5 days. The yolk and egg 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 causes not only a superficial burn of the skin, but also penetrates to the germ layer of the dermis. This threatens complications in the form of scarring on the legs or long-term non-healing dermatoses.
Baths with soap and soda
The most gentle way to treat fungus is to use soap or baking soda for foot baths. They soften the upper stratum corneum of the epidermis, which facilitates the penetration of other fungicidal agents (tar, apple cider vinegar, iodine) deeper into the fungal colonies.
Grate half a piece of laundry soap and dissolve it in 5 liters of hot water. Pour into a basin, add 100 g of baking soda and lower your feet into the liquid. The procedure lasts 10 minutes, after which the feet are rinsed and dried thoroughly. The next step is to treat the prepared skin with an antifungal agent.
One of the combined treatment methods is foot baths with sea or table salt and baking soda.
The saline solution has antiseptic and fungicidal properties. To prepare it, you need:
- add a large spoonful of salt and baking soda to the foot bath,
- The procedure lasts 30 minutes, then wipe your feet. Course 5-7 days.
Birch tar and tar soap
You can get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of fungal infections on the skin of your feet with the help of birch tar. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties are used not only by traditional healers, but also by official medicine (Vishniewski ointment). To treat fungus, birch tar can be purchased at a pharmacy.
Application method:
- after a bath with soap or soda, cut your nails, apply ointment and tar to the affected areas and lie down for 1-2 hours so that it is well absorbed,
- Socks are put on the feet and no manipulations are done for 2-3 days. Then the feet are washed with lukewarm water and the procedure is repeated.
You can use tar soap that contains 10% tar. Dissolve two tablespoons of crushed tar soap in 2 liters of hot water and soak your feet in it for 20 minutes. The limbs are then soaped and bicarbonate of soda sprinkled on top. Cover the feet with a bandage, put on socks and leave overnight. In the morning, the feet are washed with water. The course is designed for one week.
Onion, garlic, lemon
You can treat the fungus by using the fungicidal properties of onions and garlic. Crushed vegetables are applied to sore spots, fixed with adhesive tape and polyethylene. The compress remains until the morning.
Lemon juice helps in the transition of the fungal process to the nail plate. The citrus is cut into slices, applied to the affected areas and secured with foil 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, strained, then used for compresses and lotions. It is recommended to do them before going to bed, after steaming your feet in hot water with the addition of iodine or potassium permanganate.
Good results can be easily achieved if you remove the film from the kombucha, knead it and apply the resulting slurry to the sore spot for a few hours or even better overnight. The procedure should be repeated every day for at least one week.
Decoction of:
- marigold flowers,
- blackberry fruit,
- verbena,
- oak bark.
Three tablespoons of raw materials, mixed in equal proportions, are poured into a glass of water and boiled for 15 minutes. After cooling and straining the decoction, the skin is washed and applications are made. A liquid-soaked bandage is placed on the affected area for 20 minutes. Due to the safety of the method, it can be used without restrictions.
Ammonia is used in nail fungus baths. Add 50 ml of ammonia and 2 tablespoons of baking soda per liter of warm water. The procedure lasts 25 minutes, after which the feet are washed with lukewarm water and dried well.
It is difficult to achieve a permanent cure of the fungus with folk remedies. Home remedies usually reduce the severity of symptoms. If treatment is stopped, the disease may reactivate.
It is especially difficult to get rid of the fungus if someone in the family is sick, because in close household contact there is a very high risk of infection of all family members. Numerous reviews of people confirm that it is possible to treat fungus only with the strictest observance of all hygiene standards and preventive therapy.
If, despite all the measures taken, it is not possible to remove the fungus, the disease progresses, capturing more and more new areas and a secondary infection occurs in the form of ulcers, you should consult a doctor for qualified help.