To restore the health of the nail plate after a fungal infection or to cure sensitive epidermis, it is recommended to increase the effectiveness of manipulations. For this, home technologies are used - lotions, compresses, baths that have a beneficial effect on the state of the surface microflora.
Hydrogen peroxide can be used against toenail fungus, however, the drug has usage characteristics that should be taken into account when adding it to antifungal medication recipes.
Effect of peroxide on fungus
Hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of nail fungus
Treatment in this way allows you to significantly save on the purchase of expensive ointments and creams for mycosis, which are widely available in modern pharmacies. The composition of the drug is such that all existing microbes on the treated surface are quickly destroyed. Thus, the process of disinfection occurs, which is an integral part of the treatment of fungal infections.
The popularity of hydrogen peroxide is due not only to its low cost and good healing properties, it is also absolutely safe to use. As a rule, the drug is used as an auxiliary drug in the complex therapy of fungal infections. To avoid relapse of the disease, it is used as a prophylactic.
After the mycosis is cured, cleansing procedures with hydrogen peroxide should be carried out regularly. This will prevent re-infection.
The principle of action of the remedy for onychomycosis
Hydrogen peroxide is a widely available remedy that is found in every first aid kit. It is a clear liquid with a metallic taste. It helps against fungus due to the fact that it has a disinfectant, antibacterial effect, fights pathogenic microorganisms, prevents the occurrence of secondary infections, and stimulates the process of tissue regeneration.
Read also: Application of Candida ointment
Therapy for onychomycosis with its help is a gentle but effective treatment for this disease. However, the effect of such compresses is no longer sufficient for advanced forms of the disease.
Contraindications for use
Using peroxide at different stages of fungus
Despite all the safety when using this drug, the drug has contraindications for use. This medication should not be used if a person has an individual intolerance or experiences allergic reactions when the skin is exposed to the composition.
In most cases, the patient may feel a slight burning sensation when applying the drug to an area of the body. This is absolutely normal and indicates that the product is working by actively fighting the infection.
When treating the surface of the nail, it is better not to touch the skin around the affected nail plate. This can lead to serious skin irritation.
Preparing for treatment
To achieve the maximum effect from treating nail fungus with hydrogen peroxide, you need to carry out a number of preparatory procedures. This will help soften the nail plate and prepare it for the effects of the drug.
To ensure contact of peroxide and the surface of the affected nail, the following manipulations are performed:
- Prepare a hot foot bath with copper sulfate.
The drug can be easily purchased at any nearby pharmacy. First, dilute the medicine in water at the rate of 1 tsp. for 1 liter of water. The composition is thoroughly mixed and only then added to the foot bath. Usually add 1 tbsp to 1.5 liters of water in the bath. copper sulfate solution.
- Place your feet in the bath and hold for about 15-20 minutes.
This time should be enough for the feet affected by the fungus to steam and the nail plate to become softer.
- Dry your feet.
After steaming, your feet should be thoroughly dried with massaging movements so that they are completely dry.
This completes the preparatory procedures and you can proceed directly to the use of hydrogen peroxide. The preparatory stage will not require a lot of time, but will ensure unhindered access of the medicine directly to the source of infection.
The preparation stage before the procedure should not be neglected. This can significantly reduce the therapeutic effect.
Medical certificate
Nail fungus or onychomycosis is an insidious disease because at first it develops almost asymptomatically. It begins to cause inconvenience only at a stage that is difficult to treat. With onychomycosis, the main target for pathogenic flora is the nail plate. Penetrating into the depths of the bed, fungi begin to destroy its structure. As a result, nails thicken, change color, and become brittle.
Treatment of the disease must be comprehensive. To completely destroy the fungus, you must take fungicides prescribed by your doctor. Hydrogen peroxide is used as a topical remedy. It prevents the further spread of the fungus and the addition of a secondary infection. It is used in the form of ointments, baths and compresses. Each treatment method will be discussed in detail below.
Compresses
Before making a compress, you need to thoroughly steam your nails and cut the plate short. To do this, you can use hot baths with the addition of baking soda. Soda is taken at the rate of 1 tsp. for 2 liters of boiled water. Before using peroxide, your feet should be thoroughly dried with a soft towel.
For compresses, cotton swabs are moistened with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and applied to the affected nail. Keep the compress for at least 1 hour and repeat the procedure 3-4 times during the day.
It is important that the area of the tampon is equal to the area of the fungal infection. The result will be more effective if you place a film on top of the compress and insulate your finger.
The occurrence of pain and burning should be an alarm bell. In this case, the nail should be immediately rinsed with plenty of warm water and treatment should be abandoned in this way.
Peroxide compress
After completing the procedure, it is better to lubricate your nails with antifungal cream. A few days with compresses will soften the nail plate, making it accessible to medications prescribed by the doctor.
The use of compresses is one of the most accessible and simple means to get rid of an unpleasant disease. Making lotions is very simple and requires a minimal amount of money and time.
When is hydrogen peroxide effective?
The product does not always bring the desired results. But more often, patients themselves are to blame for protracted treatment. Peroxide acts and affects the fungal environment only when it gets deep into the layer of the nail plate. This is where the fungus originates and begins to multiply. Before the raster procedure, steam the affected areas.
If you want to get rid of an unpleasant disease, strictly follow the instructions from the recipes. Don’t be lazy, keep the discs for as long as you need for treatment. The procedure is long and labor-intensive.
Baths
An equally popular method of combating mycosis is a bath with the addition of this medicine. For cooking you need 1 liter of water and 2 tbsp. 3% peroxide solution.
Limbs infected with the fungus are placed in a container with the solution for about a quarter of an hour. After the bath, the affected part of the nail is easily removed with a nail file. To achieve maximum therapeutic effect, antifungal cream or ointment can be applied to soaked nails.
Before applying medicinal ointments immediately after a bath with hydrogen peroxide, nails should be thoroughly dried with a soft towel.
The procedure must be repeated daily, twice a day, for a month. The first results will be noticeable within 4-5 days. It is not necessary to keep your nails in the bath continuously; it is enough to lower them there for 30 seconds and then pull them out. And then lower the affected nails into the bath again.
Recipe with vinegar
Lotions with vinegar
Lotions with vinegar are considered an effective remedy for fungus. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions. After this, the composition is applied to the affected nails and left until the active reaction between the components ends.
Then the nails should be thoroughly rinsed under running water and dried with a towel or soft cloth. The duration of such treatment should be at least 1 week with daily procedures.
Recipe with baking soda and salt
Sea salt and baking soda have been used to treat nail fungus for decades. Lotions are prepared from a quarter cup of peroxide, 0.5 cups of salt and two cups of soda slaked with vinegar. Having received the solution, a cotton swab is dipped into it, which is then secured to the nails affected by the fungal infection. You need to keep the lotions for at least 1 hour. The procedure should be repeated every 10 hours.
It may take at least 1 month to completely cure the infection using this method. Everything is purely individual and depends on the patient’s immunity and the degree of damage to the nail plate.
Preparation of ointment with hydroperite
Ointment with hydroperite
Hydroperite tablets can be mixed with petroleum jelly, thus obtaining an ointment for the treatment of mycosis. The tableted product must be crushed to a powder.
The ointment is applied to the affected nails in a thick layer and secured with a cotton swab and adhesive tape. Keep the compress with ointment for at least 1 hour. The nails are then left open for a while to expose them to oxygen. This is necessary for a speedy recovery.
It is important to understand that regularity of procedures allows you to achieve a therapeutic effect much faster. If not observed regularly, the disease may return again and again.
The prepared ointment is stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar. The procedure should be repeated daily 2-3 times a day.
Treatment according to Neumyvakin
Professor Neumyvakin is confident that treatment with hydrogen peroxide will help get rid of not only nail fungus, but also psoriasis, warts, Parkinson’s disease and other pathologies. He offers not only external use of the solution, but also its oral administration.
Treatment of fungus according to Neumyvakin
Before use, nails should also be prepared for upcoming procedures. To do this, they are steamed in a bath. Then you need to soak cotton swabs in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide and apply to the infected nails. The lotions can be covered with polyethylene and secured with adhesive tape. The compress is left for 30-40 minutes.
After removing the lotion, the overgrown and softened nails are carefully cut off with nail scissors. A file can be used to remove softened parts infected with fungus. Then an antifungal cream, prescribed by the attending physician, is applied to the nails and the entire foot.
Lotions should be done every time before using the medicinal ointment. This will allow you to achieve a therapeutic effect much faster. Already on days 4-5 the first improvements will be noticeable.
Prevention of re-infection
In order to prevent the fungus from returning, during treatment it is necessary to pay attention to the disinfection of shoes and socks, otherwise constant self-infection will occur. There are other simple rules for preventing relapses:
- Wear shoes according to size and season. It is advisable to give preference to natural materials (leather, suede).
- It is important to let your shoes dry after use, preferably 24 hours.
- In the pool, sauna, and gym, individual rubber slippers will protect you from fungal spores.
- Pedicures and manicures should not be done where there is no confidence in the reliable disinfection of instruments in the oven.
- Wipe your feet dry after washing; moisture in the spaces between the toes contributes to the spread of infection.
- Strengthen general immunity - it affects susceptibility to disease.
Prophylactic use of peroxide
Curing a fungus does not mean getting rid of it forever. To avoid recurrence of the disease, personal hygiene and preventive procedures are important. An antiseptic will help prevent the return of an unpleasant disease.
To prevent nail fungus, use baths with the addition of a 3% peroxide solution. To prepare the solution, take 2 tablespoons of vinegar and peroxide per 1 liter of warm water. Place the feet or hands affected by the fungus into the resulting solution and hold for 15 minutes.
Numerous positive reviews about hydrogen peroxide, as an excellent means of fighting fungus as part of complex therapy, can be easily found on the Internet. Many people who have been struggling with fungal nail infections for a long time were amazed at the effect obtained from using baths and lotions with an antiseptic.
The use of hydrogen peroxide is completely justified and has been proven by the positive results of complex treatment. The effect of the main therapy occurs much faster, itching and pain disappear in just a few days. In addition, this tool is quite accessible to anyone.
Features of the launched form
Like other diseases, nail fungus can be cured at home only in the initial stages with hydrogen peroxide. If the problem starts, it is impossible to solve it without medical intervention:
- Fungus is a type of disease when the cells of harmful bacteria densely penetrate the layers of the dermis and nails, and peroxide, no matter what it is mixed with, acts primarily as a disinfectant that kills protozoa, and not as an effective treatment.
- Despite all the beneficial properties, PV can play a disservice, providing only an external masking result, while inside the nail the disease will only worsen.