Feet are a favorable place for the development of pathogenic bacteria, as they spend a lot of time in shoes and sweat. Therefore, fungal sores are a frequent companion of many people. Most often, the delicate skin near the little toe, on the soles of the feet, is affected. No less common is nail fungus. However, the most common variety is considered to be interdigital mycosis, which occurs in both adults and children. The disease is transmitted domestically. Ordinary saunas, baths, swimming pools and personal hygiene items can become sources of pathogens. Pathology therapy is quite long, but the initial stage of pathology is successfully treated at home with the use of medicines and folk remedies.
Causes of mycosis
There are several factors contributing to the development of an unpleasant pathology.
- Excessive sweating of the feet.
- Regularly wearing uncomfortable shoes in which the skin melts.
- Violation of hygiene requirements.
- Avitaminosis.
- Weakened immunity.
- Metabolic disease.
- Various dermatological and internal diseases (diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, etc. ).
Toenail fungus often affects young children, as their skin is more delicate than an adult's.
Important: wounds, ulcers, cuts and microfractures on the legs are a favorable environment for the development of a fungal infection.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a fungal infection:
- The initial stage is characterized by redness of the skin between the fingers, which indicates the onset of inflammation.
- Unbearable itching, peeling, unpleasant odor appear.
- Also, the nails are involved in the pathological process, they turn yellow, exfoliate.
- The patient feels a burning sensation.
- The epidermis between the toes gets wet and feels like a continuous wound that doesn't heal.
- The weeping surface dries up, cracks form in this place.
If you do not start treatment at this stage, the disease takes a neglected form, which can cause complications in the form of bacterial infection.
Medical treatment
It is almost impossible to get rid of a fungal disease quickly. Treatment will take from 1 to 3 months, the time depends on the severity of the pathology. You need to deal with the problem internally and externally.
Pharmaceutical preparations:
- Inside, systemic antifungal drugs are usually prescribed. The funds are available in the form of tablets and capsules. They are effective even in the advanced stages of the disease. It is worth knowing that such drugs have a toxic effect on the liver, therefore they are contraindicated in young children, pregnant and lactating women, and are prescribed with caution to the elderly and patients suffering from liver failure.
- External agents are available in the form of ointments, solutions, sprays, creams. Inexpensive, but effective means - ointments with sulfur and zinc. Particular attention is paid to ointments from the allylamine group, as they can be used for the treatment of children from 2 years of age, pregnant women. The advantage of these drugs is the absence of toxic effects on liver cells. The duration of the therapeutic course is usually 10 days, after which a 10-day break is made, and then the therapy is resumed.
It is strictly forbidden to independently select drugs. If the disease has affected all members of the family, it is necessary to consult a specialist who will prescribe a suitable drug for each one.
Alternative therapy
Most doctors approve the use of folk recipes as part of the complex therapy of the fungus between the fingers:
- Fungal bacteria do not tolerate saline solutions, so daily baths with the addition of sea or table salt will help not only cope with the disease, but also soften the epidermis of the feet. The procedures should be done in the evening. For 3 liters of water, add 50-60 g of salt.
- A good result is to wipe the affected areas with wine vinegar. This should only be done with a cotton swab. Do not rub the product with your fingers.
- Iodine has excellent antiseptic properties. You can use it to lubricate affected areas twice a day. To prepare therapeutic baths, a few drops of iodine are dissolved in a small amount of water, feet are lowered for 15 minutes. The duration of the treatment is 14 days. In patients prone to allergic manifestations, a reaction may occur, therefore, an individual sensitivity test should be performed before the procedures.
- A solution of manganese is used to treat areas affected by the fungus. The color of the resulting liquid should be pale pink. A cotton swab is moistened and the lesions are lubricated. The procedure is performed daily before going to bed.
- Soda solution effectively fights fungal infections. It is used for daily foot washing instead of regular soap. A popular way is to use therapeutic soda baths. For 2 liters of water, 2 tablespoons of soda are taken. Feet are immersed in a warm solution and held for 10-15 minutes. The minimum duration of treatment is 2 weeks.
- Onion juice has long been considered the best remedy in the fight against fungi. To use it, you need to squeeze the juice from a large onion, moisten a cotton swab and apply it to the affected area for several minutes. To avoid irritation, the composition must be washed off the skin after a certain time for the therapeutic effect.
- The combination of tea and vinegar copes with the disease perfectly. To prepare the solution you need to brew a spoonful of black tea in a glass of boiling water, cool, strain and add 10 ml of 9% vinegar. It is recommended to use the tool to lubricate diseased areas of the epidermis every day before bedtime.
- The antiseptic properties of boric acid are successfully used in the fight against fungal diseases. The product in powder form can be used as an overnight powder and the solution can be added to baths. For 2 liters of water you will need 20 ml of solution. Keep your feet in the water for no more than 15 minutes. Such a remedy has its contraindications and is not used for the treatment of children, pregnant women, patients with renal insufficiency.
- Glycerin in combination with vinegar has a good therapeutic effect. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions in a glass container. Apply a cotton ball soaked in the solution daily to the affected areas.
- Based on vinegar and glycerin, you can prepare a homemade ointment. To do this, you need to take a spoonful of olive oil, dimethyl phthalate, vinegar and glycerin. All components must be thoroughly mixed and rubbed into the affected areas of the epidermis at night. Wash off in the morning with soap.
- The pork fat ointment recipe is popular. To obtain it, you need to mix 50 g of fat, 15 g of birch tar, 10 g of sulfur powder, melt the mixture in a water bath and rub it into the foci of inflammation every day.
- The healing properties of propolis will help get rid of the problem forever. The recipe consists of 100 ml of medical alcohol combined with 50 g of propolis. The composition is carefully modified and applied to the affected areas in a thick layer. To get the best result, you need to wrap your feet with a film and put on socks made of natural fabric. At the beginning of therapy, there is a deterioration in the skin condition, but after completing the full course, the therapeutic effect will be noticeable. The tool should not be used by those with allergies to bee products.
- Healing ointment based on honey. To prepare it, you need to take 30 g of honey, 10 g of apple cider vinegar, 20 ml of eucalyptus essential oil. Mix the ingredients well and leave to infuse for 3 days. Use the ointment to treat the affected epidermis every day for 2 weeks.
- Sea salt tablets and crushed mint leaves in a ratio of 1: 2 are good for the disease. The compress is applied at night.
- One of the simple recipes provides for daily rubbing of the feet with garlic juice until complete recovery.
- Gruel from fresh burdock leaves should be applied to sore spots at night, fixed with a bandage or worn with socks.
- Applications from the infusion of celandine and meadowsweet in a ratio of 2: 1 are effective. The duration of treatment with this remedy is 14 days. The recipe should be used with caution, as celandine is a poisonous plant and can cause allergic reactions.
- Traditional healers recommend fighting the fungus using potato baths. To do this, the peel of the vegetable is boiled in a large amount of water, the raw materials are removed, and the resulting broth is used for steaming the legs. The duration of the procedure is at least 30 minutes. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease and is usually 2 weeks.
Many popular recipes allow everyone to choose the right one for themselves. The use of home remedies is allowed only after consulting your doctor. It is imperative to conduct a test for individual sensitivity to the chosen folk remedy.