Every tenth person has visible results of the activity of fungus on their feet, many do not pay attention or do not want to pay attention and their nail shape and color changes. In the early stages of the disappearance of shine, it is not always noticeable, but most patients are clearly aware of the presence of mycosis. The fungus itself cannot go away, so let’s look at how to use apple cider vinegar for toenail fungus.
Causes of nail fungus
Nail fungus in official medicine is called onychomycosis. It is more common on the legs, due to the fact that the average person washes their hands much more often than their legs. In addition, a person wears shoes on his feet, which create a specific humid microclimate that promotes the development of many skin diseases.
The causative agents of the disease are dermatophyte microorganisms, which actually feed on the keratin that makes up the nail. As a result of this, the nail plate begins to be damaged and deformed. In some cases it becomes very thin and crumbles, in others it increases and becomes several times thicker.
Dermatophyte microorganisms do not live on the human body permanently, unlike skin mites. That is, if a person does not have signs of foot fungus, then with a high degree of probability he does not have onychomycosis either.
Infection with dermatophytes occurs through household items: carpets, shoes, washcloths. Very often a person encounters a problem after visiting saunas and swimming pools.
Factors predisposing to the development of fungus are: limb injuries, varicose veins, decreased general and local immunity and some endocrine pathologies.
How to cure with lotions
Another way to treat fungus is to use lotions. The ingredients are the same, but instead of baths, pieces of cloth are applied to the affected area in a moistened solution.
Lotions are effective in the fight against fungal diseases on nails
More detailed information about lotions:
How to breed
The advantage of this method is that apple cider vinegar is not diluted. All you need is a container, liquid, a cotton pad and an adhesive bandage.
How to use the solution
Pour some vinegar into a container and soak a cotton pad in it. Then take it out and squeeze it out. Then apply it to the affected area of the nail and secure it with an adhesive plaster. Put a clean sock on top.
The procedure is done before bedtime. The lotion should remain on all night. Repeat these steps every day for two weeks. And after this time has expired - a day until the fungus disappears.
Composition and properties of apple cider vinegar
Treatment of nail fungus with apple cider vinegar is widespread; this product is found in almost every home. It is most often used in cooking, and the ability to eat it makes it safe for external use. In fact, apple cider vinegar is the juice of an apple; the natural product contains nothing but water and malic acid. The chemical composition of vinegar includes the elements: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, sodium, sulfur and copper, vitamins A, C, P and group B. The products are used to treat many pathologies, including migraines, arthritis and sore throats. Vinegar is a strong antioxidant that accelerates the process of cell renewal in the body and prevents premature withering and aging.
Treatment of toenail fungus with apple cider vinegar is justified due to the following actions:
- creating an unfavorable environment for the reproduction and activity of fungi;
- destruction of pathogenic microorganisms;
- strengthening the nail plate;
- increasing the rate of nail growth;
- reduction of unpleasant symptoms of onychomycosis;
- relieving inflammation.
Despite the wide range of effects of vinegar on fungi, apple cider vinegar against nail fungus is not a panacea. In advanced forms of pathology, it is not advisable to use alternative medicine. And in the early stages of the development of the disease, the use of vinegar for toenail fungus as part of complex therapy helps to quickly cope with a delicate illness.
Forecasts at different stages of the disease
Any disease develops in at least three stages: initial, moderate and advanced. When using vinegar at the initial stage of nail fungus, the probability of complete cure reaches 70%. Almost all patients during the experiment by the end of the second week noted a noticeable improvement in the condition of the nail plate.
Bath for nail fungus with vinegar
In the middle stage, the method of using vinegar played a big role. Compresses and lotions brought the greatest results; baths improved the general condition of the nails, but did not cure the fungus. Lubrication did not give any visible result.
In advanced stages of the fungus, vinegar improved the general condition of the nails in 10% of patients, but recovery did not occur within a month. We can conclude that with a strong fungus and a large lesion, this method does not give results. The disease at this stage requires an integrated approach and the use of special antimycotic drugs.
Methods for treating fungus with apple cider vinegar
Alternative medicine offers a large number of recipes that include apple cider vinegar. This is explained by the fact that the fungus is afraid of an acidic environment and cannot reproduce in it. Acid also has a good effect on the structure of nails. And if the nail grows quickly, then recovery does not take long.
Before using any recipe with apple cider vinegar against toenail fungus , you need to remember a number of rules, without which they will not be effective:
- all components and proportions specified in the recipe must be carefully observed;
- vinegar should be natural, it should not contain preservatives or flavoring additives;
- Along with treatment, it is important to maintain personal hygiene: wash your hands and feet, change socks daily and dry your shoes;
- When visiting a public place, do not walk barefoot.
In this case, a favorable outcome of therapy will be most likely.
Baths
Baths are the most convenient way to treat foot fungus. They need to be done once a day, preferably before bed. But if a person has a free half hour at another time of the day, he can create a treatment schedule for himself.
The simplest recipe for creating a bath solution is 5 liters of hot water per 150 ml of five percent vinegar. After washing your feet in running water, you need to immerse your feet in the bath for half an hour.
You can increase the effectiveness of the product by adding the following components to the solution:
- essential oils: no more than 4-5 drops;
- baking soda: 1 tablespoon;
- dry celandine grass.
When using a prescription, it is important to be aware of the risk of an allergic reaction.
Lotions
Apple cider vinegar for nail fungus on the hands and feet is often used in the form of lotions or compresses. This method is widespread and highly effective due to the fact that vinegar is used in its pure, and therefore concentrated, form. Therefore, the therapeutic effect occurs, on average, faster than when using baths.
Before making a compress, you need to treat the nail and carefully cut off the overgrown edge with scissors. It is important not to damage the skin, since acidic vinegar getting into wounds can cause a chemical burn.
For a compress, take cotton swabs or disks, which are generously moistened with vinegar. Each disc is applied to the nail affected by the fungus and fixed with cling film or a thick piece of fabric, and left for 2 hours.
You can supplement the recipe with onion juice or baking soda.
Oiling the nails
Lubricating nails affected by fungus with products based on apple cider vinegar is rarely used. When lubricated, the interaction between the medicinal component and the nail plate is short-lived, the vinegar quickly evaporates and cannot have a beneficial effect on the healing process.
Is it possible to cure nail fungus with apple cider vinegar used in this way? It’s unlikely. But as a complex therapy, this method is quite convenient.
The therapeutic effect is usually noticeable after 2-3 weeks, provided that the nail plate is treated daily.
It is impossible to stop treatment before the nail has completely grown back. Even a millimeter of a nail damaged by onychomycosis can instantly lead to a relapse of the disease. And the nail will have to be grown again.
Lubrication is a good method of preventing recurrence. After the affected nail is completely cut or filed, you can apply apple cider vinegar to your fingernails or toenails with a brush once a day, before going to bed. The procedure should be repeated during the first week - every day, and then - two to three times a week.
Prevention
Treating onychomycosis is difficult; it is a painstaking process that requires a lot of time and patience. Complicating the fight against the disease is the difficulty of early diagnosis and the persistence of the fungus.
Consequences of untreated onychomycosis
Onychomycosis is not a cosmetic problem; the consequences of the fungus for the sick person are as follows:
- Nail infection provokes a number of complications: allergic skin diseases, bronchial asthma, all kinds of rashes.
- The Academy of Mycology conducted studies that proved that the fungus negatively affects the quality of life of a sick person. This is due to psychological problems and the unesthetic appearance of the affected nails.
- If you do not fight the disease at the first sign of fungus, your immune system will suffer.
- There is a risk of erysipelas.
- The fungus complicates the course of chronic diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases).
- If you do not start timely treatment for this nail infection, then there is a high probability of the fungus spreading to the skin of the hands, infecting family members and people around the patient.
How to protect yourself from relapse
To prevent infection or recurrence of athlete's foot, it is important to take the following preventive measures:
- Avoid wearing tight, chafing shoes. Keep your shoes dry – in a humid environment, the risk of pathological fungus developing increases.
- When visiting public saunas, a swimming pool, or the beach, wear rubber slippers, and after returning home, disinfect both your shoes and feet in a vinegar bath.
- If your feet sweat, wear socks made from natural materials and use cosmetics.
- Socks, tights, stockings must be changed daily.
- Closely monitor your immune system - this is a common cause of mycosis. Take regular courses of multivitamins: twice a year and after illness, taking antibiotics, when the body is weakened.
Effective recipes for treating fungus with apple cider vinegar
Alternative medicine offers a large number of ways to treat toenail fungus at home with apple cider vinegar . Most of the recipes are known to every person, but the popular remedy is not always effective enough. Since onychomycosis requires long-term course use of any chosen remedy, it is important to know how it works.
Vinegar and baking soda compress
Baking soda and apple cider vinegar for nail fungus are the most popular remedies. Firstly, treating nail fungus with apple cider vinegar and baking soda allows you to do the procedure at any time, without wasting time searching for the necessary ingredients for recipes, since both products are available in almost any home.
Secondly, the recipe for nail fungus with apple cider vinegar and baking soda is extremely safe. The patient does not have an increased risk of developing irritation or an allergic reaction, provided that all conditions of the prescription have been strictly followed.
Baking soda enhances the effect of apple cider vinegar, so the therapeutic effect occurs faster.
The method of treating nail fungus with soda and apple cider vinegar is most suitable as a compress. Both ingredients must be mixed in equal proportions into a liquid paste, which is carefully applied to the nails, previously steamed in warm water. The compress is fixed with a bandage and left for a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours, after which it is washed off.
Compress with celandine
Celandine is used to treat many dermatological diseases, as is obvious from its name. It can be used with or without vinegar, or in recipes with other ingredients.
A small difficulty in its use is the need for preparation. At the pharmacy you need to purchase celandine in the form of dried herbs or sachets. Brew a glass of boiling water and let it brew.
After this, you need to cut the bandage into small pieces, soak them in a decoction of celandine and fix them on the nails. Place a small amount of vinegar on top of each bandage and leave for 40-60 minutes.
With sea salt
Salt baths for nails are often used to strengthen and grow nails, which is important for fungus. Salt also has an aseptic effect. For 1 liter of warm water you need to take 1 tablespoon of vinegar and the same amount of salt. The bath should be done before the water cools.
Vinegar-honey mixture
Honey and apple cider vinegar for toenail fungus is a very convenient and popular remedy. Honey reduces the pungent odor of vinegar, so the compress or treatment can be done even in the morning, before work. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and honey in a bowl, apply to your nails, and wash off after half an hour.
Alternating apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide
Apple cider vinegar for the treatment of toenail fungus is a folk remedy that is often recommended to be used together with hydrogen peroxide. But it is important to understand that it is absolutely impossible to mix these two components, as the risk of developing a burn increases significantly.
Therefore, they should be alternated. That is, on the first day the patient is asked to make a nail bath from a solution of water and apple cider vinegar. On the second day, the nails are treated with hydrogen peroxide mixed with water at a ratio of 2:1.
The procedure should be alternated until the affected nail has completely grown back.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Colloidal Silver
Colloidal silver is a suspension with metal particles that has pronounced aseptic properties. When mixed with apple cider vinegar, it greatly increases both its and its healing properties. Despite the fact that silver powder is rarely found at home, the recipe does not lose its popularity due to its simplicity, effectiveness and originality.
To use the product, you need to mix vinegar with water and make a regular bath, which softens the nail plate and allows the healing components of another product to penetrate deeper inside.
Silver powder is applied to wet nails and left until it is completely dry. After this, it can be washed off with water.
A mixture of vinegar and iodine
Products containing iodine for nails are very popular, as they increase the regenerative properties of the nail plate and allow them to grow very quickly. Therefore, treatment of nails with iodine should be carried out together with another remedy, as part of complex therapy.
Iodine must be mixed with apple cider vinegar in equal proportions, soak the nails in the bath, and use a brush to distribute the product over the entire nail plate.
You need to do the procedure for 2 weeks, after which you need a break of at least 10 days, during which you can use other recipes. After the expiration of the period, the course can be repeated.
Indications
The pathology can be cured with an alcohol solution of iodine. Indications for therapy at home are:
- change in color of the affected nail plates;
- unpleasant odor even after washing;
- the appearance of areas of irritation on the skin around the nail;
- rapid spread of onychomycosis to healthy nails;
- constant and unbearable itching of the skin between the fingers;
- delamination of plates;
- the appearance of white spots on the nail.
The use of an alcohol solution of iodine is especially important during pregnancy, lactation and in the treatment of children. This is due to the relative safety and effectiveness of a simple remedy.
Pros and cons of treatment with vinegar, prognosis
Treating onychomycosis with apple cider vinegar has many benefits:
- apple cider vinegar has a low price;
- it is easy to buy in any store;
- the method has no contraindications;
- after treatment, nails become stronger;
- products can be used for prevention.
But and hands completely at any stage with apple cider vinegar
The prognosis is favorable only in very early stages, during prophylaxis, or as an adjuvant
Preparation of nail plates
Before starting therapy, it is necessary to examine the feet. There should be no cuts or other damage near the treatment areas. The success of vinegar treatment directly depends on the initial preparation of the nail plates. To do this you need:
- Steam your nails in a soap-soda solution.
- Trim each nail and file it as much as possible using a manicure file. If the nails have been deformed during the course of the disease, then it is better to choose hard files for filing them. They are often used in nail salons to correct extended nails.
- Wash your feet well (preferably with laundry soap) and dry them with a paper towel.
To avoid damaging the healthy skin around the nail with vinegar, it must be lubricated with fatty creams or covered with adhesive tape. Before starting treatment, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist.
