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Fungus on the legs (feet) is one of the most common fungal diseases. According to statistics, every five people are carriers of the pathogen of the disease. To combat the fungal flora of the feet, antifungal drugs are prescribed for external and internal use. In the initial stages of disease development, the use of alternative treatments is appropriate.
Why do fungi appear?
Fungus is an infection that enters the skin/nails at home: using common personal hygiene products, going to swimming pools, saunas, beauty salons.
If the virus gets into the skin, the disease most likely won't get into the cells under the skin, because a healthy body is very resistant to this microbe.
There are many factors that can stimulate fungal growth on the skin or nails:
- Wearing uncomfortable, poor-quality shoes causes profuse perspiration on the feet;
- Mechanical damage to the leg (scratches, wounds on the feet, barbs);
- Bad habits lead to decreased immunity, serious diseases: AIDS, diabetes, hepatitis, neurosis, influenza.
Perhaps the feet are the tastiest place to be infested with fungi. The main reason is that what affects the shoe the most is the foot, with hundreds of micro-cracks.
There are several types of ringworm infections that live on toenails, toes, or the distance between the feet.
The way to fight the fungus, whether we're talking about drug intervention or traditional medicine, depends entirely on the site of infection.
According to statistics, more than 60% of the population has experienced ringworm problems, mainly because the virus is extremely resistant to external influences and will quickly "jump" from one infected body to another.
Without proper dry cleaning of footwear/clothing, flex can live in it for up to 5 years and is an active infection.
Family members who already have an infected person are particularly vulnerable to the disease. In this case, you simply cannot do your daily wet cleaning without strong cleaners and chlorine.
How to identify fungi?
In the initial stages of infection, it is nearly impossible to identify flexible. Little white spots that are barely noticeable on the skin/nails do not cause any discomfort.
During evolution, viruses grow, causing symptoms such as:
- unbearable itching and burning;
- The nail plate becomes rougher and scruffy;
- brittleness and delamination of the nails;
- Cracks on the feet due to dry skin;
- On the itchy areas/nails, a white coating appears;
- Unpleasant, pungent odor emanated from underfoot.
Why is fungal disease dangerous?
Fungal disease appears to be a fairly harmless infection that poses no threat to human life.
There is no doubt that the fungus between the toes is not fatal, but it can negatively adjust the immune system, a person's psychological and social state, and can also cause some serious diseases.
Therefore, the following factors can be attributed to the negative consequences of fungal diseases:
- Social - no access to swimming pools, baths, saunas and other places that require sanitation checks;
- Psychological - itchiness leading to self-doubt, twisted skin/nails not allowing open shoes, strong odor on feet not allowing shoes to be removed outside the home;
- Physiological - general depletion of immunity, causing viral infections and the appearance of allergies.
Fungal Healing: Folk Remedy or Medicine?
Modern medicine has an impressive arsenal of medicines to treat foot fungus, but don't forget current traditional medicine methods, which have been treated by generations of ancestors.
The treatment options for this disease depend entirely on its neglected stage: if we are talking about the manifestations of all the symptoms mentioned above, it is more appropriate to focus on medical interventions, since its effect will be more pronounced for a short period of time.
If the disease has recently parasitized the skin and the virus has not had time to spread through the legs, a folk recipe for the fungus will be very helpful.
Fortunately, treating foot fungus with folk remedies is absolutely affordable, and the ingredients for this remedy can be found in a home first aid kit or refrigerator.
Fungus between your toes can be cured with the following remedies in your first aid kit:
- Potassium permanganate (requires a leg steam, then wraps the infected area with a bandage soaked in a potassium permanganate solution. For efficiency, put on warm socks and walk around with compresses for 5-7 hours, or perform the procedure before bedtime).
- 5% iodine solution (2-3 times a day at the site of infection).
- Boric acid (take a hot bath, dry your feet, spray the sore area with boric acid, wrap yourself in a warm sock. Repeat this process every day for 10 days and you have a real chance of getting rid of the annoying ailment. IMPORTANT! Feet must be kept dry, otherwise acid burns will occur).
- Ammonia (diluted 1 tablespoon to 1 cup, wet bandage, wrap leg overnight).
- Iodine, Glycerin, Vinegar (Mix the ingredients in equal parts and dilute with 2 parts water. Use this tincture to wash the fungal area every day before bed).
Simple remedies in a first aid kit will help eradicate the fungus within 10 to 20 days, but require systemic use.
Pleasant moment is also that the above funds are so cheap that you can buy them at any pharmacy and they won't break your budget.
Folk remedies for treating dermatophytes
Fungus has already been mentioned as one of the most common diseases, but there are also many measures to affect it in the knowledge base of traditional medicine. For example, even those foods that can be found in the refrigerator every day can have a strong effect on the virus.
Such products are effective against fungal diseases:
- lemon;
- onion;
- garlic;
- apple cider vinegar and wine vinegar;
- Egg;
- coffee
- baking soda;
- Rowan leaf/nettle.
Let's take a closer look at how to cure foot fungus with folk recipes in the shortest possible time.
- lemon.Cut the citrus into thin slices, stick to the infected area, and wrap in cellophane film. Keep compressing for 30 minutes, then repeat the process for 10 days. A significant advantage of this method is that lemons not only disrupt mitosis, but also saturate the nail plate with vitamins, remove white streaks and stop unpleasant odors from the feet.
- onion.To prepare the onion porridge, squeeze the juice into a separate container. Apply a thick layer of gruel on the affected area, wrap it in a film, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. If the skin is mechanically damaged, add petroleum jelly to gruel in a ratio of 1: 1. After 15 minutes, wash off the compress with hot water, towel dry, apply onion juice, and let it absorb into the skin. No need to rinse your feet after the juice.
- garlic.There are two options for compressing: cut a clove in two, roll it in table salt, and rub the fungal lesions; prepare a gruel, add equal parts butter, and spread it on the skin. In any case, it is not recommended to leave garlic on your feet for more than a quarter of an hour, as its sap can cause burns. Wash off the compress with warm water and repeat the process at least every 8 hours.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. 4 tbsp. Mix a tablespoon of vinegar with 150 grams of sea salt (may contain additives) and pour over 5 liters of hot water. Wait until the water cools down a bit and take a foot bath.
- wine vinegar.Perhaps the easiest fungal remedy is to lubricate the diseased skin with undiluted wine vinegar. You need to wait until the vinegar is fully absorbed, and you don't need to wash your feet, which can be repeated 4 times a day.
- Egg.To prepare the ointment, you need to: pour raw eggs into the vinegar, cover with plastic wrap, put on a plastic lid, and keep in a cool place. Wait for the moment the shells are completely dissolved, add 1 teaspoon butter to the jar and place carefully until a homogeneous mass appears. Apply the ointment to dry, cleansed skin, wrap in a film/bag and keep warm for one hour. After removing the compress, the feet should be washed with warm water.
- coffee.One of the best and aromatherapy treatments for fungus on feet. Coffee can be used as the main ingredient in a scrub or foot bath. If you're used to brewing natural black coffee, use the remaining sediment as a scrub. Apply the sediment to the inflamed area and rub the coffee grounds into the skin. The second option is to brew coffee and pour it into the tub at a ratio of 2 coffee: 1 water. The second option is financially more expensive. The advantage of coffee is that after such a procedure, rough skin is exfoliated and new skin acquires a healthy color, softness and suppleness.
- baking soda.A universal remedy for compresses and baths. Prepare a gruel, add soda and water in equal proportions, apply to nails/feet/inter-finger distance for 20 minutes, wrap in cellophane. After the prescribed time, rinse off with lukewarm water and sprinkle with talcum powder. Additionally, you can add sea salt, soda water and cedarwood oil/eucalyptus/menthol or propolis to prepare your bath.
- Rowan. Like nettle, rowan has antibacterial properties, so it is recommended to combat athlete's foot. Plant leaves must be collected in ecologically clean areas, and only seedlings should be selected. Rub the leaves into a paste and apply to the inflamed area. The dressing must be left overnight.
Phytotherapy - a way to fight fungi
Effective foot fungus folk remedies are reflected in the herbal guide.
Although scientific representatives do not particularly endorse alternative medicine approaches, herbal medicines deserve some attention and respect because they clearly demonstrate their safety and efficacy.
We will tell you how to get rid of foot fungus through folk remedies using herbs.
Folk remedies for fungus between the toes are made with botanical decoctions of celandine, calendula, peppermint, burdock, sage, wormwood, St. John's wort, and dozens of other herbs.
- Celandine.4 tablespoons of fried soup. Boil a tablespoon of dried celandine and 1 liter of water for 5 minutes and let stand for 30 minutes to infuse. Take a shower every day before bed for at least 21 days.
- sage.Wormwood can also be used in the bath, but there is a more effective remedy: decoct wormwood, plantain, burdock, and yarrow for 9 hours, 3 times a day before meals. In as little as a week, you will be able to get rid of visible signs of fungus.
- Calendula.Pour a packet of calendula flowers (usually 250g) with boiling water and let it sit for 1 hour. Lubricate inflamed skin with herbal extracts 3-4 times a day for a month.
- Burdock.The compress is made with fresh burdock leaves. It is necessary to mechanically act on the sheets to release the juices (hit with a hammer / small incisions) and wrap the legs, use a bandage, put on warm socks. Let the lotion overnight.
- Peppermint, Nettle, Sage.This folk remedy treatment involves mixing dry herbs and pouring them into warm socks. It is necessary to wear the dry mix during the day and repeat the complex as soon as possible, but at least 3 times a week.
The aforementioned folk remedies against fungi are sold in the form of dried herbs and essential oils in every pharmacy. It is recommended to buy several essential oils and take a foot bath while adding the fragrance.
Folk remedies for athlete's foot are effective measures, but require a long period of use, so their variety combinations should be used alternately.
Treatment with folk remedies is the safest, albeit long-term, method that does not cause allergic and inflammatory reactions.
Fungal shoe care
The answer to the question: "How to treat fungus? " Not only provides some effective folk remedies recipes, but also reminds you to dispose of all your shoes.
To disinfect shoes against fungal infections, use a 25% vinegar/30% formalin solution. It is necessary to moisten a cotton swab with the solution and wipe the shoe from the inside.
important! You need to clean all the shoes you wear: from bath slippers to boots. The pair of shoes you wear regularly must be disposed of at least once a week.