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The best remedy for toenail fungus
Few people know that with the help of vinegar you can solve the rather difficult medical problem of eliminating nail fungus. With the availability of table vinegar (9% acid solution), and even vinegar essence (70% acid solution) available at the hardware store or market, there are many ways to treat toe fungus with this product.
Of course, self-treatment with vinegar should be carried out only if the disease has not gone into an advanced form, and it is advisable to combine it with specially designed drugs. However, when there is an urgent need to treat nail fungus, and there is no money and time to visit a doctor, and there is no medical therapy, you can use vinegar on your own, as long as you follow the appropriate safety rules.
Features of the use of vinegar for the treatment of fungus
The main effect of using vinegar is to create an acidic environment in the area of infection with the fungus, which prevents the growth of hyphae and the spread of spores. Gradually, the fungus, left without access to new sources of nutrients, dies, and the absence of much more hardy spores prevents the possibility of a recurrence of the disease.
At first glance, everything is very simple – how to destroy bacteria with an antiseptic. But in fact, the fungus turns out to be very tenacious, since its body is not located on the surface of the nail or skin, but goes into the thickness of the tissues. In this regard, a positive result from the treatment of oncomycosis should be expected only in the case of strict regularity of the procedures, which will not leave the parasite time for rehabilitation and penetration under the skin.
Before treating nail fungus, make sure that the concentration of acetic acid used and that indicated in the recipe matches. If the recipe contains a mention of vinegar essence, then it means a 70% solution that must be dissolved or applied pointwise. Food or table vinegar, respectively, contain 6 and 9% acid. Neglect of these data can lead to the fact that the treatment will end in a chemical burn.
In addition to this moment, there are no special contraindications to the treatment with vinegar. Individual intolerance is very rare, but vinegar is such a common substance that patients usually know about this feature of the body. A burning sensation may well occur during the first procedures, but this is normal and will pass with time. Otherwise, vinegar, subject to safety rules, does not pose any threat to health.
Vinegar baths
Warm foot baths are considered an effective remedy against fungus, regular use allows you to get rid of onychomycosis at an early stage without additional medications. Also, vinegar baths are an excellent prevention of fungal infection. The procedure requires warm, about 50 ° C, water and a glass of table vinegar 9% concentration. The water level in the basin should not be high, but only up to the ankles. The feet are dipped in the solution and kept there for 15 minutes.
Before the vinegar bath, it is desirable to carry out a complete pedicure procedure, including the removal of the affected areas of the nail plate and dead skin layers, calluses and corns on the feet, but without applying a decorative coating to the nails. If you cut and file your nails yourself, then you need to do it very carefully, as microdamages in the skin can contribute to the spread of a fungal infection.
Immediately after the vinegar bath, dry the feet with a towel and put on cotton socks. Repeat three times a week.
Acetic lotions
Lotions on places affected by the fungus are best done after vinegar baths. For this, both pharmacy products and pure 9% vinegar are suitable, in which a cotton pad is moistened and applied to the nail for fifteen minutes.
A more complex recipe: a mixture of vodka or forty-degree medical alcohol, glycerin and 70% acetic acid in equal proportions, mix until smooth. A cotton swab moistened with a solution is kept for fifteen minutes on the affected areas, after which cotton socks are put on. The course of treatment is a week, if necessary, can be repeated after a few days.
Ointment
Vinegar-based ointments are stored for a long time, they are more convenient to use than liquid consistency products. To prepare an acetic ointment, you need to take acetic acid 70%, dimethyl phthalate, glycerin and olive oil in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1, respectively. After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, the ointment is ready for use.
To prevent the spread of a fungal infection and destroy its pathogens, you need to apply the ointment daily to the affected areas with a cotton swab, hold for 8-10 hours, then rinse with laundry soap. You can use this recipe not only for the treatment of oncomycosis of the toenails, but also on the affected nails of the hands.
Preventive measures against the fungus consist in observing the rules of hygiene, especially in public places – a bathhouse, a swimming pool, a bowling club. Choose comfortable shoes and socks made from natural materials, as circulatory disorders in the feet, combined with high humidity, create prerequisites for the development of onychomycosis (read also: onychomycosis – causes and prevention). Gymnastic exercises, moderate physical activity and running can improve blood circulation and strengthen immune defenses, which makes the body immune to fungal and other infections.