Treatment of fungus on the nail of the thumb

Miniature fungi (onychomycosis) always creep along unnoticed.First, the infection affects the skin of the toes, then crawls to the nail and, if not caught in time, spreads to the entire leg.Even in the early stages, treatment can take 2-3 weeks, so it is vital to recognize the insidious fungus as soon as possible.Moreover, today the disease can be cured using various methods - both pharmaceutical drugs and proven folk recipes.

Thumb fungus symptoms and stages

Both men and women are at risk of onychomycosis - anyone who wears tight closed shoes, regularly visits the pool and sauna and likes to relax on public beaches in the summer.

Children suffer from onychomycosis the least, and after 60 years, every second already has the infection.Weak immunity, chronic diseases, endocrine disorders...

Fungal infection is a disease with many faces.There are several types of fungi, and each pathogen causes different symptoms.To understand if you have become a victim of a fungus, you need to look closely at the big toe, examine the skin around and between the toes.

The following symptoms will indicate that it is time to treat the nail:

• the skin on the legs becomes dry and cracked;
• small blisters filled with ichor appear between the fingers;
• thickening of the nail plate began;
• the nail has become brittle, crumbles and breaks;
• nails have lost their shine, their usual shade and have become uneven;
• Yellow spots and streaks appear on the nail plate (these are dermophyte fungi);
• the nail suddenly turns green or black (mold);
• on the sides, the nail plate began to turn yellow and remain behind the skin (tip fungus);
• The nail began to grow under the skin and cause severe discomfort.
• Onychomycosis develops gradually, where each stage of the disease has its own symptoms.And although each pathogen also behaves differently in different stages, in general the stages of toenail fungus can be represented as follows:
1. Early stage.Here mushrooms almost do not appear at all.Sometimes the skin of the feet itches and begins to crack, and barely visible spots and lines appear on the nail of the big toe.
2. The second phase.The nail loses its healthy pink color, and the plate begins to deform (on the sides and edges).
3. Advanced stage.The nail plate eventually changes color, becomes thick and loose and sometimes falls off.The skin of the fingers and between the fingers is affected.At this stage, the pathogen penetrates the body, so the symptoms of intoxication appear.These are weakness, drowsiness, dysbacteriosis, weakened immunity.

Treatment with pharmaceutical drugs

If you find a fungus on your thumb, self-medication is not the best option.There are several types of this infection, and the medication you choose may not be effective against your particular type of fungus.Therefore, it is recommended to go to a doctor who will prescribe tests and choose an individual course of treatment.

Before treating a disease with traditional medicine, it is necessary to destroy all escape routes for the pathogen.And for this - disinfect shoes, bed linen, socks.Textiles can be boiled, outer shoes can be rubbed inside with lemon and indoor slippers must be thrown away.These methods will not only speed up recovery, but also prevent you from infecting family members.

It will take 1-2 months to eliminate an early stage fungal infection.In advanced cases, treatment continues for up to a year or even more.

Athlete's foot can be successfully treated with three groups of drugs:

• antimycotic varnishes;
• local preparations: ointment, cream, spray;
• medications for oral administration.

Antimycotic varnishes for the treatment of fungi

Antifungal varnishes are recommended at the beginning, when the disease has not yet reached an advanced stage.

The main advantage of medicated varnishes is versatility.They can be used for prevention, to treat existing fungus and can even be used to remove the diseased part of the nail.Some medicines can be applied not only to the nail, but also to the injured skin of the feet.The only disadvantage of these funds is their high price.

Most antifungal sprays fight several types of fungus at the same time.It takes 2 months to a year to cure all symptoms of the infection.

Creams and ointments for the treatment of fungus

Using ointments and creams for onychomycosis is the most effective and simplest way.To get rid of the infection completely at home, it will take up to a year (depending on the stage of the disease).Doctors recommend changing the oil (or alternating) every 14 days, otherwise the fungus will get used to the medicine and it will have no effect.When all the symptoms disappear, you should continue the treatment for another 2 weeks to consolidate the effect of the drug.

Antifungal drugs for oral administration

In advanced forms of onychomycosis, it is useless to treat the disease only with ointments and varnishes - the fungus has already penetrated the blood.In this case, the doctor prescribes antifungal and immunomodulatory drugs.

Treatment with legal remedies at home

You can deal with thumb fungus at home not only with pharmaceutical varnishes and ointments.In the early stages, "grandmother's" folk methods will be quite effective.

But it is important to understand that treatment with folk remedies, although less expensive, will take more time than the use of antifungal paints and special creams and ointments.

Traditional medicine methods are widely used in the treatment of fungal infections.It is recommended to use them as additional measures to the main treatment.They cannot replace medicines.

Common recipes:

• The simplest method of treatment at home is cauterization with iodine.You just need to apply iodine to the nail plate and the surrounding skin with a cotton swab 2 times a day (in the morning and before bed).Remember: iodine dries out your skin.Therefore, every week it is better to take a short break and treat the fungus with other folk remedies.
• If you catch the infection at a very early stage, you can treat it with a proven military method - laundry soap.Just grind a bar of regular soap on a coarse grater, dilute it in a container of hot water and arrange the foot bath every evening.Until full recovery.
• The antibacterial properties of garlic are also great in fighting fungus.There are two recipes for garlic that you can use at home.The first is to rub the garlic until it becomes a paste, spread it on the sore nail, wrap it in film and put a sock on top.Do it 2 times a week at night, antifungal course - six months.The second recipe is 2 cloves of crushed garlic for 100 grams of soft butter.Use in a similar way, but every evening, after washing.Use for 1-2 months.
• Treatment of mycosis of the thumb with folk remedies is impossible without peeling potatoes.We take the fresh peels, boil them, drain the water and cook them by hand right in the pot.Then we transfer the legs damaged by the fungus to a basin and steam them to clean.After 15-20 minutes, wash the remaining peels with potato juice and put on clean socks.Do this every evening until the fungal symptoms disappear.

Vinegar essence, lemon compresses, aspen bark baths, herbal mixture of chamomile, violet and thread, celandine, etc., are also considered effective folk remedies for thumb fungus.

Removing the nail of the thumb

If the fungal infection has already entered the second or third stage, the full treatment must necessarily include the removal of the nail.You can remove the entire nail plate or just a part, and the new nail will become soft, pink and healthy.

Removing the nail plate using folk remedies requires special care and precision - complete sterility must be maintained so as not to introduce a new infection.Homemade keratolytics also work in a similar way - they soften the nail plate infected with the fungus and can be removed.The most popular recipes at home are soap and soda baths and birch tar compresses.

Nail removal is possible in different ways: at home, in hospitals or beauty salons.If you decide to carry out such a responsible procedure yourself, there are four options:

• keratolytic varnish;
• special ointments and creams;
• keratolytic plaster mixture;
• removing nails using folk remedies.

All varnishes, patches, creams and other traditional means work on the same principle.A keratolytic mixture is applied to the steamed nail (depending on the instructions daily or several times a week), closed on top and removed after some time.It is recommended to remove patches once a day, ointment and cream - once a day or 3-4 days, varnish - every week.In this case, the damaged part of the nail is removed together with the product.

Remember: nail removal is not the entire treatment.The fungus itself lives and multiplies in the nail bed, so after removing the nail plate, you should treat the injured finger with other antifungal drugs.Otherwise, the infection will become more active and infect the new, growing nail.

It is much more difficult to cure the fungus than to prevent it, so the prevention of fungal infection must be carried out constantly.To do this, you must follow simple hygiene rules.You should not wear someone else's shoes, use a separate towel for your feet, take only your own shoes in the pool, sauna and bath and disinfect them regularly.Regardless of what you are wearing - shoes, boots, sneakers - shoes should be comfortable, breathable, ideally made of natural materials.

It is also necessary to take care of your feet: cut the nails in time, prevent the growth of the nail on the skin and heal all cracks and small wounds in a timely manner.Also, check your fingers regularly for any suspicious symptoms.