Fungal infections or dermatomycoses are diseases caused by fungi of various types. In terms of the frequency of skin lesions, they rank second after pyoderma. Due to 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.
Infection routes
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 pathogens can be different types of fungi. The spores are very stable in the external environment (high and low temperatures) and maintain the 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, stubbornly using a variety of methods and means. Foot infection occurs when pathogenic spores come into contact with the skin of a healthy person. Main routes of infection:
- sterilization of low-quality instruments in pedicure rooms,
- shoes in general, hygiene items (cloth, towel).
Reasons for foot fungus infection:
- environments with high temperature and humidity: baths, saunas, swimming pools, gyms,
- increased foot sweating,
- the presence of abrasions, microcracks in 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),
- decreased immunity.
Symptoms of a fungal infection
The foot fungal infection clinic has several types.
- Erased form, in which there is slight itching, burning, dryness and peeling in the spaces between the fingers.
- Flaky. Abundant lamellar desquamation occurs on the sole of the foot, in the interdigital folds. With a long course - painful cracks, itching.
- The intertriginous form appears if the squamous phase 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 along the periphery by remnants of softened epidermis. The process involves areas adjacent to the toes and sole. A person feels pain when walking and may develop a secondary purulent infection.
- Hyperkeratotic. Areas with dry nodules and bluish-red plaques are formed, covered with dense scales. They are clearly demarcated from healthy skin and peel off along the perimeter. They are located on the sole of the foot, moving to the lateral surfaces of the foot and to the interdigital folds. This form may appear as 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 tightly closed lid. Rashes are single or numerous. The blisters may merge, forming cortical layers, or open to expose erosions. As the course progresses, eroded areas form and when pressure is applied to them, severe pain occurs.
In weeping mycoses, a characteristic sign is the appearance of an unpleasant odor on the feet.
Treatment with folk remedies
People suffered from fungal diseases long before the invention of antifungal drugs, so traditional medicine has accumulated extensive experience in treating such lesions at home. Despite this, you are unlikely to be able to quickly deal with the fungus on your own, without consulting a doctor, without special antifungal medications.
Most of the folk remedies used to treat fungi are substances that dry out the upper layer of the skin, promoting severe peeling of the epidermis, which removes the fungal spores.
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 concomitant diseases.
The use of combined therapy methods has a good effect.
Iodine
To treat foot fungus, the medicine is used in the form of an alcohol solution. Iodine is not only a powerful antiseptic, but also an oxidizing agent that destroys the skin of mushrooms and causes the denaturation of their constituent proteins. This leads to the rapid death of microorganisms.
Application mode:
- Pour 3 tablespoons of an alcoholic iodine solution into a container with 5 liters of hot water (40°C). Take a foot bath for 20 minutes. Course - 7 procedures every other day,
- Dilute the alcoholic 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 to 10 days, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Before starting 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 changes in the skin are observed after 24 hours, you can begin treatment.
Contraindications:
- individual intolerance to iodine,
- thyroid diseases,
- sensitive skin prone to burns.
Hydrogen peroxide
Upon contact with the skin, under the influence of the catalase enzyme, hydrogen peroxide decomposes and atomic oxygen is released, which is a strong oxidizing agent.
Free oxygen has bactericidal and antimycotic properties. Furthermore, in the area of action of hydrogen peroxide, unfavorable conditions for the life of fungi are created.
A cotton pad is soaked in 3% peroxide solution and applied to the affected area for 10 minutes. If a strong burning sensation occurs, rinse the affected area under running water and lubricate it with vegetable oil. Applications are made 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 conditions. Celandine is rightfully considered one of the best. It is a poisonous plant, so any manipulation must be done with rubber gloves.
- Place 2 tablespoons of dry celandine raw materials in a container with 200 ml of water, heat for 10 minutes, strain and add the decoction to the bath water. Lower your legs into the basin for 20 minutes. The procedure is carried out every other 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 use to treat foot fungus, lubricating the affected areas twice a day.
Concentrated celandine juice should not be used for erosive lesions - this can cause burns in the deep layers of the skin.
Celandine oil is prepared by mixing freshly squeezed juice with petroleum jelly in a ratio of 1: 4. The medicine must be applied to the affected areas 2 times a day until recovery occurs.
Vinegar: apple essence, wine and vinegar
The mechanism of the therapeutic effect of vinegar on foot mycoses is based on the fact that fungi cannot survive in an acidic environment. Its use is effective in the initial symptoms of the disease, when the pathological effect of the pathogens is limited to the superficial layers.
A 9% vinegar solution is used to lubricate the inflamed dermis and apply applications. For extensive injuries, 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 foot..In the morning, wash your foot with warm water and dry.
The original antifungal ointment is prepared on the basis of 9% natural acetic acid and eggs. Place 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 white denature and become solid. They must be ground with vinegar and stored in the refrigerator. Lubricate fungal lesions until symptoms disappear.
You should not try to remove the fungus with vinegar essence, as it is an acid and causes not only a superficial burn on the skin, but penetrates to the germinal layer of the dermis. This threatens complications in the form of scar formation on the legs or non-healing dermatoses in the long term.
Soap and soda baths
The gentlest way to treat fungus is to use foot baths with soap or soda. 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 washing powder and dissolve it in 5 liters of hot water. Pour into a basin, add 100 g of baking soda and dip your feet in the liquid. The procedure lasts 10 minutes, then the feet are rinsed 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 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 and then dry your feet. Course 5-7 days.
Birch tar and tar soap
You can get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of fungal skin infections on your feet using birch tar. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties are used not only by traditional healers, but also in official medicine (Vishnevsky ointment). To treat fungus, birch tar can be purchased at the pharmacy.
Application mode:
- 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 performed for 2-3 days. Then the feet are washed with cold water and the treatment is repeated.
You can use tar soap, which 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 designed for one week.
Onion, garlic, lemon
You can treat the fungus using the fungicidal properties of onion and garlic. Vegetables crushed into pulp are applied to sore spots, fixed with tape and polyethylene. The compress remains until morning.
Lemon juice helps the fungal process transition to the nail plate. Citrus fruits are cut into slices, applied to the affected areas and fixed with plastic wrap and a bandage. The course of treatment is 10 days.
Other methods
An infusion of kombucha for two months helps eliminate the fungus. The liquid is boiled for an hour, filtered and then used in compresses and lotions. It is advisable to do them before 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 skin from the kombucha, knead it and apply the resulting pulp to the sore spot for several hours, or even better, overnight. The procedure must be repeated every day for at least a week.
A decoction of:
- marigold flowers,
- blackberry fruit,
- 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 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 per liter of warm water. The procedure lasts 25 minutes, after which the feet are washed with cold water and dried thoroughly.
It is difficult to achieve a permanent cure for fungus using folk remedies. Home remedies often 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 with 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 cure fungus 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, capturing more and more new areas, and a secondary infection occurs in the form of ulcers, you should consult a doctor for qualified help.