Mycosis of nails and natural treatment

By * Dr Van Snick 

Medical Description of onychomycosis

The problem of infection by a fungus on the nails, onychomycosis in medical terms, is relatively common with age: more than 40% of people over age 70 are affected.

It is caused by different types of microscopic fungi (fungus, molds, yeasts) who proliferate in hot environments, wet and dark (like shoes...).

These fungi feed on keratin, the protein that makes up the nail. In most cases, the fungus belongs to the family of dermatophytes (Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton interdigital species).

The nails most commonly affected are small and big toes, and the infected surfaces grows over time.

Ideally, the diagnosis is made by laboratory analysis.

This type of fungal infection is rarely cured without intervention, but is often considered as an aesthetic problem rather than a real health problem.

Onychomycosis is a mycotic infection of the nail which can invade the entire nail and even the nail bed.

The frequency of onychomycosis is in constant progress. This increase seems related to the unbridled use of antibiotics, use of immunosuppressive medications or other emerging infectious diseases like AIDS.

Onychomycosis is not easy to diagnose or treat.

For the patients, it has embarrassing consequences, at once on the physical plan as psychological and we cannot consider it any more only as a cosmetic problem.

Different approaches treatment for onychomycosis

The treatment of onychomycosis includes various approaches:
- Surgery: unbridle the lesion until to the healthy nail
- Topical antifungal medication
- Systemic antifungal medication
- Or a combination of systemic treatment with one of the other options.

Most of the oral antifungal agents with systemic action (azoles and allylamines) prescribed in dermatology, inhibit the synthesis of ergosterol (the major sterol component of the fungal cellular walls) what requires a long treatment and a high frequency of side effects :
- gastrointestinal disturbance
- skin rash
- menstrual disorders
- taste and vision disorders
- headaches
- toxic hepatitis with increase of hepatic transaminases (reversible).

Their uses are thus limited in human therapeutics.

The option of a local topical treatment is much less toxic, but to be effective, it must be that local treatment can penetrate the hard keratin of the nail and can remain in sufficient concentration the time required to destroy and eradicate the causative.

It must first find an effective anti-fungal product and secondly an adapted vehicle so that he can penetrate the entire thickness of the nail up to and including the matrix.

Most of the synthetic products used meet only partially these requirements and justifies their lower efficiency.

A natural treatment of onychomycosis, local topical with a mixture of essential oils ...

Plant essential oils are substances which contain many active principles, among which some have properties antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic.

Essential oils are endowed with an exceptional penetrating power in the different tissues of the body and in particular in skin appendage.

If certain constituents of essential oil can be toxic orally, this toxicity is far from being demonstrated in a topical employment, except a certain cutaneous causticity and sometimes local reactions of intolerance.

Regardless of the activity on the pathogen body, the choice of essential oils was directed by efficiency in the particular environment that represents the nail and which possess a principle detergent, cleanser and cicatrizant.

A local topical treatment with a mixture of essential oils...
• EO salvia off
• EO melaleuca alternifolia
• EO pelargonium egyptii
• EO cymbopogon martini
• EO ravensara aromatica

 ... is effective and well tolerated for treating mycosis nails safely.

Bibliography

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