Every disease requires a responsible approach, including fungus on the feet: even home treatment must follow certain rules.
For information
Much depends on the area and intensity of damage to the skin and nails, the presence of other collateral diseases, the age of the patient is also taken into account. In any case, all funds are divided into 3 main groups. If you want to cure foot fungus at home, you can use topical preparations - these are special ointments, patches and other similar products sold in any pharmacy. You can also drink drugs for internal use. And finally, it is possible to treat foot fungus exclusively with folk remedies, of course with a reasonable approach. In addition, some experts believe that the most effective therapy is complex, that is, it is necessary to treat the disease by means of different groups.
First you need to make sure that you are dealing with mycosis (this is the scientific name of the disease). It has pronounced symptoms, such as itching and inflammation of the skin. There is a membrane-type fungus, when exfoliating scales appear on the skin - they are usually localized between the 4th finger and the little finger. Sometimes this can be accompanied by a bacterial infection that exacerbates the symptoms described. The presence of an infection may be indicated by the appearance of fluid-filled blisters on the skin. This is how vesicular mycosis manifests itself. But the moccasin-like fungus manifests itself not so much with itching as with painful sensations in the foot, which is accompanied by roughening of the skin and its cracking.
Medicines
If you are sure of this diagnosis, you can treat the fungus at home with topical products. But remember that they are effective only in the initial stages of this disease. In advanced cases, you will need to drink and drugs for internal use.
As a rule, if the fungus has affected only the skin, it is necessary to use some kind of topical cream, pharmacies offer a large selection of such products. The course of treatment in this case is from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the dosage and intensity of use. If this is not just a foot fungus, the disease has also affected the keratolytic-type patches, which will help remove the affected areas of the nail.
As for the means for internal use, these are quite radical means.
It is best to use them all the same as directed and under the supervision of a physician. The course of application will be quite long until not only the symptomatic manifestations, but also the harmful organisms themselves completely disappear. As a rule, in such cases, pulse therapy is used, when the drug for the fungus is taken at certain intervals, for example, they drink this medicine for a week, then endure a three-week break, then a new weekly course of follows therapy. Although it is believed that other medicines may be taken at this time, it is best not to.
Folk remedies
Of course, no doctor will advise you to cure the fungus on your own, if only because you must first make the correct diagnosis. However, if you are sure that this is just such a disease, then foot fungus at home can also be treated with folk remedies. Which is considered the most effective?
Leg fungus treatment is often recommended to be done with the help of detergent. Such a tool contains a lot of alkalis that kill these microorganisms. You can cure the fungus as follows: for at least 2 weeks, soak your feet in warm water, in which 100 g of this detergent was previously diluted. In about 2 weeks, the symptoms of the disease will disappear. But to be sure of the result, it is better to continue for another 2-3 days. The disadvantage of this tool is a possible allergic reaction to the detergent. In order for alkalis to act on a fungal infection, other means can be used, for example, ordinary baking soda diluted with water.
Hydrogen peroxide is used to treat foot fungus. It is especially effective when the disease has also affected the nails. When using this method, it is first necessary to steam the skin and nails in a solution of soda, for which 1 tsp is taken. baking soda and diluted with hot water. When the nails are steamed enough, you can use hydrogen peroxide - cotton pads are impregnated with this composition and applied to the affected areas. To prevent the peroxide from evaporating too quickly (and also to create a compress effect), the foot is wrapped in cling film or wrapped in a plastic bag for about an hour. Fungus on the feet is treated with this method for several weeks, depending on the degree of damage to the skin and nails. Ideally, the wraps should be done 2 times a day, morning and evening.
Foot fungus at home can also be treated with ammonia (it is sold in a pharmacy). It is not used in its pure form, but as an aqueous solution (1 tablespoon of alcohol per 1 tablespoon of boiled water). In this solution, you need to soak a cotton cloth and make a compress, which is held on the leg all night. Boric acid is considered an effective remedy. You can buy it in powder form at the pharmacy. They are used as a powder. 10 sessions are enough to forget about the infection.
Another folk remedy is garlic. Its cloves need to be cut in half, dipped in table salt and rubbed the affected areas. Garlic can also be used for compresses. The most common onion works the same way. From herbs, you can recommend chamomile, mint, sage. The dried herbs are mixed and put into socks to wear throughout the day. In the summer it is even better to use fresh plants, including chamomile flowers, rather than dried herbs.
At the initial stage, you can fight the fungus with the help of ordinary medical alcohol. Simply insert cotton swabs between your fingers for 2 weeks and leave them overnight.
Prevention
It is possible to get rid of the foot fungus, but for the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to disinfect those objects with which the patient has come into contact. At home, this, of course, is a shower, a toilet, the patient's personal belongings - from shoes and underwear to nail care tools. For processing, detergent or a solution of chloramine is usually used. Shoes are best treated with a solution of acetic acid (40%). Particular attention should be paid to the insoles and side sections of shoes or boots. After applying acetic acid, the shoes need to be ventilated. As for linen, it must be boiled in a soapy soda solution and ironed with a hot iron.
In the future, you will have to pay special attention to hygiene issues: if you go to the sauna or gym, use antifungal ointments and paints. It is also necessary to dry shoes very carefully, especially sports shoes.