Fungal infections or dermatomycoses are diseases caused by fungi of various types. In terms of frequency of skin lesions, they take the second place after pyoderma. Due to its physiological characteristics, the fungus most often affects the feet of the lower extremities. Many people try to get rid of unpleasant symptoms on their own and look for ways to quickly cure foot fungus at home.
Routes of infection
Foot fungus affects the stratum corneum 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, the causative agents can be different types of fungi. Spores are very stable in the external environment (high and low temperatures) and retain the ability to infect for several years.
It is easy to get infected with foot fungus, but you will have to fight against it for a long time, stubbornly using various methods and means. A foot infection occurs when pathogenic spores come into contact with the skin of a healthy person. Main routes of infection:
- low-quality sterilization of instruments in pedicure rooms,
- general footwear, hygiene items (towels, towels).
Causes of fungal foot infection:
- rooms with high temperature and humidity: baths, 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 associated with circulatory disorders,
- endocrine pathologies caused by metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes),
- reduced immunity.
Symptoms of a yeast infection
Fungal foot infections clinic has several types.
- Deleted form, in which there is mild itching, burning, dryness and peeling in the spaces between the fingers.
- Squamous. Abundant, lamellar peeling occurs in the area of the sole, in the interdigital folds. With a long course - painful cracks, itching.
- The intertriginous form appears if the squamous stage is not treated. The process begins with the appearance of hyperemia and moist loosening of the stratum corneum of the skin between the fingers. When the macerated areas are separated, an eroded surface is revealed, bordered on the periphery by pieces of softened epidermis. The process involves areas along the toes and soles of the feet. The person feels pain when walking, and a secondary purulent infection may develop.
- Hyperkeratosis. Areas with dry nodules and bluish-red plaques are formed, covered with thick scales. They are sharply demarcated from healthy skin and peel around the perimeter. They are localized on the sole, moving to the lateral surfaces of the feet and into the interdigital folds. This form can appear as yellowish blisters 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 complemented by large blisters with a tight lid. Rashes are single or numerous. Blisters may coalesce, forming cortical layers, or open to reveal erosions. When the flow progresses, eroded areas are formed, and when pressure is applied to them, severe pain occurs.
In the case of weeping mycosis, a characteristic sign is the appearance of an unpleasant odor 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. Despite this, it is unlikely that you will be able to quickly deal with the fungus yourself, without consulting a doctor, without special antifungal drugs.
Most of the folk remedies used in the treatment of fungi are substances that dry the upper layer of the skin, encouraging severe peeling of the epidermis, along with which the fungal spores are removed.
It is impossible to recommend one of the fastest ways to get rid of the disease 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 combined therapy methods has a good effect.
Iodine
For the treatment of foot fungus, the drug is used in the form of an alcohol solution. Iodine is not only a powerful antiseptic, but also an oxidant that destroys the shell of mushrooms and causes the denaturation of its component proteins. This leads to rapid death of microorganisms.
Method of application:
- Pour 3 tablespoons of alcohol iodine solution 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 the 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 the absence of an allergic reaction. . To do this, apply a drop of iodine on the inner surface of the forearm. If after 24 hours no changes are noticed on the skin, you can start the treatment.
Contraindications:
- individual intolerance of iodine,
- thyroid disease,
- sensitive skin prone to burns.
Hydrogen peroxide
In contact with the skin, under the influence of the enzyme catalase, hydrogen peroxide breaks down and atomic oxygen is released, which is a strong oxidizing agent.
Free oxygen has bactericidal and antimycotic properties. In addition, in the area of hydrogen peroxide, conditions are created that are unfavorable for the life of fungi.
A cotton pad is soaked in a 3% peroxide solution and applied to the affected area for 10 minutes. If severe burning occurs, rinse the affected area with running water and lubricate with vegetable oil. Applications are made in the morning and in the evening for 5 days.
Hydrogen peroxide acts as an antiseptic, prevents the reproduction and spread of fungi to neighboring areas and reduces unpleasant odors.
Celandine
Traditional healers use plants to treat skin diseases. Celandine is rightfully considered one of the best. It is a poisonous plant, so all manipulations should be performed with rubber gloves.
- Put 2 tablespoons of dried raw celandine in a bowl with 200 ml of water, keep on the fire for 10 minutes, strain and add the decoction to the bath water. Lower your feet into the basin for 20 minutes. The procedure is performed every other day.
- Celandine tincture is prepared as follows: add 1 tablespoon of dry celandine flowers to 200 ml of vodka. Infuse in a cool, dark place. After 14 days, strain and use to treat foot fungus, smearing the affected areas twice a day.
Concentrated celandine juice should not be used for erosive lesions - it can cause burns to the deep layers of the skin.
Celandine oil is prepared by mixing freshly squeezed juice with vaseline in a ratio of 1: 4. The medicine should be applied to the affected areas 2 times a day until recovery.
Vinegar: essence of apple, wine and vinegar
The mechanism of the therapeutic effect of vinegar on foot mycosis is based on the fact that fungi do not survive in an acidic environment. Its use is effective in the initial symptoms of the disease, when the pathological effect of the pathogen is limited to the surface 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 liberally smeared with baby cream, and a sock soaked in a vinegar solution is placed on the foot..In the morning, wash your foot with warm water and dry it.
The original anti-fungal 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. Yolks and whites 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 superficial skin burns, but penetrates to the germ layer of the dermis. This threatens complications in the form of scars on the legs or long-term dermatoses that do not heal.
Baths with soap and soda
The most gentle way to treat fungus is to use soapy or soda baths for the feet. They soften the upper layer of the 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, and then the feet are washed and dried well. 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 kitchen salt and baking soda.
The salt solution has antiseptic and fungicidal properties. For preparation you need:
- add one 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
With the help of birch tar, you can get rid of unpleasant symptoms of fungal infections of the skin of the feet. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties are used not only by traditional healers, but also by official medicine (Višnjevski ointment). For the treatment of fungus, birch tar can be purchased at the pharmacy.
Method of application:
- after a foot bath with soap or soda, trim 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 cold water and the treatment 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 for 20 minutes. Then the limbs are soaped and baking soda is sprinkled on top. Cover your feet with a bandage, put on socks and leave overnight. In the morning, the feet are washed with water. The course is scheduled for one week.
Onion, garlic, lemon
You can treat the fungus using the fungicidal properties of onions and garlic. Mashed vegetables are applied to painful places, fixed with adhesive tape and polyethylene. The compress remains until the morning.
Lemon juice helps with the transition of the fungal process to the nail plate. Citrus is cut into slices, applied to the affected areas and secured with transparent film and a bandage. The course of treatment is 10 days.
Other methods
A two-month infusion of kombucha helps to get rid of fungus. The liquid is boiled for an hour, filtered and then used for poultices and lotions. It is recommended to do them before going to bed, after you have scalded your feet in hot water with the addition of iodine or potassium permanganate.
Good results can easily be achieved if you remove the film from the kombucha, knead it and apply the resulting slurry to the painful area for a few hours, or even better, overnight. The procedure must be repeated every day for at least a week.
Decoction of:
- marigold 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 straining, the decoction is used to wash the skin and apply applications. A bandage soaked in liquid 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 to a liter of warm water. The procedure lasts 25 minutes, after which the feet are washed with cold water and dried well.
It is difficult to achieve a permanent cure of 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 contact with the household there is a very high risk of infection for all family members. Numerous reviews of people confirm that it is possible to cure fungi only with the strictest adherence to all hygiene standards and preventive therapy.
If, despite all the measures taken, it is not possible to remove the fungus, the disease progresses, affecting more and more new areas, and a secondary infection in the form of an ulcer occurs, you must contact a doctor for qualified help.