Fungus (mycosis) is a common skin disease caused by parasitic fungi. One of the most common types, especially in adults, is athlete's foot. It is very easy to get infected with it - scales are constantly detaching from the skin affected by the fungus, in which there are many pathogens. How do you get rid of athlete's foot? Traditional medicine does not always cope with this unpleasant disease, so a significant proportion of people turn to the piggy bank of folk remedies for athlete's foot.
What you need to know about mushrooms
Athlete's foot multiplies well when it is wet. Therefore, the most common places of infection are swimming pools, saunas and showers. Excessive foot sweating and wet shoes are prone to developing athlete's foot. If there is a sick person in the family, there is a high probability of infection from healthy family members. Therefore, you cannot use other people's towels, shoes, combs, clothing, etc.
The pathogens of the fungus tolerate a dry environment and low temperatures well - under these conditions they do not die, but only stop their growth and development. In the skin flakes affected by the disease, fungi remain viable for a very long time. These scales can be in clothes, shoes, carpets for years. Pathogenic fungi then begin to grow and multiply again on the skin of a healthy person, causing the disease.
The fungus spreads quickly in a slightly alkaline and neutral environment (6-6, 5 RN). Healthy skin has a slightly acidic environment - pH - 5. 5. This protects us from fungal diseases. But sweaty feet and uncomfortable synthetic shoes break this protection. Therefore, when treating mushrooms with folk remedies, vinegar is often used.
To disinfect the patient's clothes and bedding, cooking is recommended - mushrooms die in 3-4 minutes when boiled. A 1% formalin solution is used to treat shoes and a chloramine solution is used to disinfect household items. This needs to be done because after the fungus is fully hardened, you can pick it up again through your own shoes and clothes.
Infection symptoms
Symptoms of athlete's foot can include:
- One or more cracks between the toes
- Peeling the skin;
- Itching, burning;
- Thickening of the skin, the appearance of dandruff;
- Reddening of the skin;
- Bubbles of clear liquid.
These symptoms can appear simultaneously or separately.
A treasure trove of popular recipes
If the fungus is severe, with ulcers and erosions, it is necessary to do a foot bath with a weak solution of potassium permanganate before using folk remedies to treat athlete's foot. During this process, try to loosen as much of the flakes from the skin as possible. If the skin of the feet affected by the fungus is thickened and callused, it is advisable to remove all scales before treatment. This is easy to do with salicylic petroleum jelly applied twice a day. To speed up the process, you can use this tool to create compresses. Once the scales are removed, the fungal treatments work directly on the affected area of the skin.
Herbal Remedies
Celandine
Celandine has long been recognized as one of the most effective herbal remedies in the fight against fungus.
4 tbsp. l. Herbs need to be poured into 1. 5 liters of hot water and boiled for 3 minutes. Soak your feet in the broth, cooled to an acceptable temperature, for 30 minutes. At night, make compresses from this broth and add a little vinegar to it. The course of treatment is 15-20 days in a row.
If for any reason you are uncomfortable with celandine, wormwood is allowed to replace it.
Burdock leaves
Take a burdock leaf, knock it off from the bottom with a hammer, or roll it with a rolling pin so the juice comes out. Wrap the leg with a Velcro, secure it with a bandage and put on a sock. Change the compress 2 times a day. The course lasts 3 weeks. It is recommended to use this remedy at night.
Rowanberry Leaves
Knead fresh rowanberry leaves, stick to the affected area of skin and fix with a bandage, or even better - first with a burdock leaf, then with a bandage. It is advisable to keep the bandage around the clock and change it once a day.
Birch tar
Steam feet in soapy water, remove excess skin with a pumice stone, wipe well and use birch tar to distribute the skin between fingers, nails, cracks. After an hour and a half, wipe the tar off, but do not wash your feet. Go like this for two days. Then repeat the process. It is enough to apply this folk remedy 3-4 times for the fungus to pass. But don't forget to disinfect your shoes.
Marigold
Pour 1 glass of marigold blossoms with 1 glass of boiling water, let it steep for 30 minutes, then strain. With this infusion you lubricate the feet affected by the fungal infection at night.
Garlic recipes
- Mix the garlic pulp and butter in a ratio of 1: 1. Make compresses from the resulting mixture at night. Course - until full recovery.
- Mix in 1 tbsp. l. Add garlic juice and 90% alcohol, 2 tbsp. l. Water. Lubricate sores every night at night. The course lasts 2-3 weeks.
onion
Put 300 g onion porridge in two plastic bags. Put your feet in bags so that the skin does not come into contact with the onion. Tie the bags around the ankles. The result is a "vapor-air chamber". Course - 5 sessions.
Potato sprouts
Pour half a glass of chopped potato sprouts with alcohol, insist and overnight compress this gruel on the affected skin.
lemon
- Cut the lemon thinly into several slices, then cut in half and place on the damaged area. Cover with a bandage and cling film. Hold for 20 minutes.
- A simple lemon rub can help with your problems too. But do not forget that there is no need to wash your feet after such a procedure.
aloe
Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped aloe leaves with a liter of boiling water. When the infusion has reached room temperature, strain it and use it as a base for a foot bath. The recommended duration of the procedure is 10 minutes.
If desired, sage and calendula can be added to the solution - in the same proportion as the aloe.
Other means
Apple Cider Vinegar
- Dip the well-washed feet in water with apple cider vinegar. Choose the concentration as you like - the stronger, the faster the treatment, but only so that you can endure it.
- Vinegar is also useful in combination with carrot juice. Mix 1 tbsp. l. two liquids and smear the affected skin with a swab moistened with this composition.
- Wash the chicken egg, dry it, put it in a glass and pour 100 g of vinegar essence. Insist in a dark place for 5-7 days until the peel dissolves, discard the remaining film. Add 100 g soft butter, beat. You will get an emulsion in the form of mayonnaise. Every evening, steam your legs and apply the ointment in the form of a compress to the affected skin area and wrap it with plastic. When the nail is soft, cut it off. Course - until full recovery.
lemonade
Dilute the soda with water and make a porridge. Rub the affected skin with this paste. After 15 minutes, rinse with water, wipe your feet and dust with starch.
Salicylic ointment
To quickly soften and remove fungal skin areas, you can use a 35% salicylic ointment from the pharmacy. Spread it on your feet in the morning and put a plastic bag on each one, then socks, wear it all until the evening. Repeat the process in the evening. And that for a week. After three days of treatment, the skin on the legs begins to lighten and peel off selectively, the young skin underneath is healthy and fresh, without any signs of fungus.
ammonia
Put 1 tbsp in a glass of water. l. Ammonia. Soak a piece of cloth in this solution and wrap the foot, pull a plastic bag and sock over it. Do before bed. Course - 5-10 procedures.
Hydrogen peroxide
Mix equal parts of warm water and hydrogen peroxide and soak a previously trimmed and cleaned nail in the solution for 20 minutes.
Lowering the entire foot is not recommended as it can cause skin irritation.
Thoroughly dry the nail after the right time. Do not wear socks or closed-toe shoes for as long as possible after the procedure.
It is recommended to repeat the baths daily until the desired result is achieved.
Propolis
Dip a 20% propolis tincture (available at the pharmacy) in a cotton ball, apply it to the infected area and secure it with a bandage. It is recommended that you wear a bandage within 24 hours and then switch to a new one.
Sound BF
Wash your feet and grease the affected areas with BF-88 glue. Do this once a day for a week. The fungus will go away completely.
Copper sulfate
Dissolve a teaspoon of copper sulfate in a quart of boiling water, stir thoroughly and place your feet there for 10 minutes.
Never use a metal container as copper sulfate is very corrosive.
Tar soap
Pour two tablespoons of grated soap with two liters of boiling water and bring it to dissolve completely. When the solution cools, put your feet in it for 10-15 minutes. When you're done, wipe your feet with a towel until they are dry.
Alternative treatment with hot water
Open a hot water tap in the bathroom - your hands can hardly stand it. Standing in the bathroom, put your foot under the jet of water for a moment. We repeat this 5-7 times. After that, spread your toes apart and let it dry. Immediately spray 6% vinegar between your fingers and allow to dry again.
Among all the recipes that we have listed, you are sure to find something suitable for yourself and say goodbye to such an unpleasant disease as athlete's foot.