Can Vicks Cure Toe Fungus

Nothing Worked Until The Vicks Vaporub Cure:

Q. This may sound crazy but its true. I had toenail fungus for a number of years. I had tried one prescription which didnt help. Then I tried painting my nails with vinegar with no result. Then I tried Vicks VapoRub on the affected nails. That worked like a miracle!

My result may be uncommon, but Im a believer! Cant hurt to try it. Vicks costs next to nothing!

Why You Should Never Let Toenail Fungus Go Untreated

Have you retired those adorable strappy sandals, even though theyre the perfect complement to your summery outfits? They definitely wont work with whats going on with your toenails so youve had to opt for a closed-toe option. Toenail fungus is definitely not a good look.

There are plenty of home remedies, but they dont seem to work. And nail fungus doesnt just go away on its own. Fortunately, the team at Easton Dermatology Associates can address any nail fungus issue you may have with a diverse menu of treatment options. We customize our approach to your particular infections history and severity.

How Do Dermatologists Treat A Fungal Nail Infection

Treatment usually begins with your dermatologist trimming your infected nail, cutting back each infected nail to the place where it attaches to your finger or toe. Your dermatologist may also scrape away debris under the nail. This helps get rid of some fungus.

To completely get rid of the infection, most people also need one or more of the following treatments:

Medicine you apply to the nail: If you have a mild infection, a medicine that you apply to your nails may get rid of the infection. This treatment helps keep new fungus out while the nails grow. Fingernails typically grow out in four to six months. Toenails take longer, usually takes 12 to 18 months.

Probably the most difficult part of this treatment is remembering to use it as often as prescribed. Some treatments must be applied every day. Others you apply once a week. To get the best results, its essential that you apply these medicines exactly as directed.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following medicines that you apply to the nail to treat nail fungus:

• Amorolfine

• Efinaconazole

• Tavaborole

Side effects from these medicines are generally mild. Possible side effects include redness and swelling, an ingrown toenail, and stinging or burning when you apply the medicine. In clinical trials, none of these side effects caused patients to stop using the treatment.

The FDA has approved the following systemic medicines to treat nail fungus:

• Fluconazole

• Itraconazole

• Terbinafine

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How To Use It

Apply mentholated ointment directly to the affected nail. Do this about once a day for several weeks or until the nail shows noticeable improvements.

Vinegar is a common household product found in cooking and some home cleaning solutions. Though no clinical evidence exists to date, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that vinegar is an effective tool to help treat toenail fungus.

How Fungi Infect The Nail

Onchomycosis, or toenail fungal infection, is an invasion by a microscopic organism that thrives in warm, damp environments. Fungal spores are in the air, and they will grow if they land on a receptive surface like your toenail. They feed off the nail tissues, burrowing into the skin under the nail. Over time the nail thickens and may lift off the nail bed as fungal debris accumulates. Once your nail is raised off the nail bed, it wont reattach, and a new nail wont grow from that part of the nail bed. However, your nail will continue to grow from the root at the base.

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What Is Vicks Vaporub

All this talk about Vicks VapoRub, but what actually is this stuff in the first place?

In short: Vicks VapoRub is a #1 selling branded children and adult cough cold product. Well… That is the main use of it anyhow. However, this Proctor & Gamble Company product is a very versatile and also is commonly used for pain relief when applied topically to aching muscles and joints.

Using it as a way to treat toenail fungus is much lesser-known, but nonetheless is something that people are using it for and finding some success with.

And one of the many good things about it is that you can trust it. There are plenty of toenail fungus treatment “scammy” products that have been exposed on this site, like Fungus Hack for example, and VICKS is definitely not one of them.

Stop This Skin Infection In Its Tracks With These Over

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Verywell / Sabrina Jiang

Toenail fungus is a common fungal condition that often starts after a rash on the foot spreads to the nails. When mild, it looks like white and yellow spots growing under the nail beds. But if left untreated, the fungus can grow severely by hardening the nails and spreading to other toes.

The fungus often begins in the form of athlete’s foot between the toes or on the soles of the feet. At this stage, the fungal infection is easier to treat with over-the-counter medication. But Shari Lipner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, told Verywell Health toenail fungus can be difficult to treat because of how slow the nails grow. The more severe the toenail fungus, the thicker the nail, and the more nails involved makes it that much harder to treat the nails even with effective therapies, she says.

Diagnosing the fungal infection early is key to make treatments effective. Dr. Lipner recommends visiting a board-certified dermatologist to properly treat the infection if it grows to be too severe.

Here are a few of the best over-the-counter toenail fungus treatments on the market.

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What Happens If You Leave Toenail Fungus Untreated

All fungal infections are contagious.

Apart from toenail fungus being unsightly, that toenail fungus can spread to the surrounding tissue and cause athletes foot. Not only is it important to treat toenail fungus, its important to treat any fungal infection you may have.

It can easily spread to other parts of your body including your toenails.

Toenail fungus can be especially dangerous if you have diabetes. It can lead to foot ulcers or other foot problems.

And chronic toenail fungus was shown to significantly increase the risk of bacterial cellulitis of the leg, according to a 2012 study published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

How To Use Them

A person interested in trying a blend of essential oils can buy the oils online or from a health food store. Mix the oil with a carrier oil before applying the mixture to the affected nails.

Ozonized oils are oils infused with ozone gas. Examples of oils that are available in ozonized form include sunflower oil and olive oil.

According to , ozonized oils show positive effects similar to a traditional medication called terbinafine cream in treating one type of fungus. In this study, the researchers used rabbits to test the effectiveness of the treatment.

Another study carried out on 400 people tested how ozonized oils affected fungal infections. In this 2011 study , researchers used ozonized sunflower oil to treat toenail fungus.

Their results indicated that ozonized oils cured up to 90.5 percent of the total infections with only a 2.8 percent relapse rate after 1 year. The researchers concluded the ozonized sunflower oil works more effectively than ketoconazole cream, which is an antifungal medication.

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How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Nail Fungus

To find out if a patient has nail fungus, a dermatologist examines your nails and nearby skin. Its important to check the skin because the fungus can spread. You may already have a skin infection caused by fungus like athletes foot.

To get rid of the infection, you will need to treat all infected areas.

Before giving you the diagnosis, your dermatologist may also take some samples. Collecting a bit of debris from beneath a nail, trimming off part your nail, or scraping off a bit of skin can be very helpful. In a lab, these samples can be examined under a microscope to find out whats causing the problem.

Are you hiding an infected nail with nail polish?

Be sure to ask your dermatologist if you can wear nail polish while treating nail fungus.

Vicks Vaporub For Toenail Fungus Treatment

Nail fungus is a frequent ailment that appears as a white or yellow spot under your fingernail or toenails tip. As the condition continues, nail fungus can cause your nail to thicken, and crumble at the edge. It is possible that multiple nails will be affected at the same time.

If your problem is mild and does not concern you, you may not need therapy. If your nail fungus is bothering you and has thickened your nails, self-care and medications may assist. Even if treatment is effective, nail fungus frequently returns.

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Dr Gott: Here’s The Rub On Using Vicks For Nail Fungus

• DR. PETER GOTT, M.D. Newspaper Enterprise Association

• Save

Dear Dr. Gott: I am an avid reader of your column, primarily because you present so many remedies that do not advocate drugs for ordinary problems.

I am particularly interested in solving the problem of toenail fungus, and see that people have said that Vicks will help. Could you tell me exactly where you put the Vicks — on top of the nail, or under? Would it make any difference if the nail had polish? I imagine many women would like to know if nail polish interferes with the action of the Vicks. I usually keep my toenails polished so that the fungus is not apparent.

Dear Reader: Apply Vicks VapoRub to the nail, cuticle and surrounding tissue twice daily, rubbed in well, after having trimmed the infected nail as extensively as possible to reduce the “biomass” of the fun gus. You need not apply the Vicks under the nail, because there will, literally, be no “under the nail ” you have restricted that as much as possible.

Once you see normal nail growing out , continue to remove or trim infected nails, and apply the Vicks twice daily.

Although significant positive ef fects may take a year or more to appear , be patient. Keep telling yourself that 1) You have had nail fungus for years, so it may take years of therapy to cure it and 2) Vicks is so inexpensive that what have you got to lose?

Nonetheless, VapoRub does, unquestionably, in many people, provide a reasonable option for nail fungus that is safe and inexpensive.

Scoop Out Some Vicks With A Spoon

Use a spoon to scoop out a small amount of Vicks. Its important to use your spoon and not your applicator, as it would be unhygienic to use, say, a cotton ball to apply the Vicks to your toenail, then re-dip it in the Vicks for a second helping.

Remember also that touching your toenail directly is a bad idea.

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Toenail Fungus Prescription Medications

Sometimes prescription medications are needed to treat a toenail infection that just wont go away with natural remedies or over-the-counter medication in a few months. In this case, prescription-strength antifungal medication can eradicate stubborn onychomycosis.

Topical medications often are effective in treating mild to moderate toenail fungus. Topical solutions may include medicated nail polishes or liquid medications. Loprox , Penlac , Kerydin , and Jublia are among the top prescription drugs for toenail fungus.

Oral medications can come in capsules, tablets, or liquid. Some common prescriptions are Diflucan , Lamisil , Onmel , and Sporanox .

Does Vicks Kill Toenail Fungus

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Vicks VapoRub was invented more than a century ago as a cure for pneumonia and croup. Since then, its become a bathroom medicine cabinet staple for treating coughs, colds and easing chest congestion.

Recently, with the immense popularity of home remedies, Vicks has stepped into the spotlight in many ways, from a treatment for spider veins to an alternative treatment for toenail fungus.

In this article, we are going to take a look at Toenail fungus, what it is, why Vicks Vaporub is being used to treat toenail fungus. Well answer the question Does Vicks kill toenail fungus? Or is this home remedy more of an urban myth than a real treatment.

The answer might surprise you!

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Clean Socks And Shoes

Regularly changing your socks and shoes can also cut down on the growth of unwanted foot fungus. Both socks and athletic shoes can also be washed in hot water to rid the growth of yeasts and fungi that may be growing on the fabric. Some shoes can be machine dried. Drying shoes in the sun is another option when cleaning footwear.

Adding a half-cup of baking soda or one cup of vinegar to the washing machine can help eliminate bacteria or fungus on socks or shoes.

Boots and other footwear that are not machine washable could be wiped out with a vinegar and water solution or sprayed with an over-the-counter antifungal spray. Medicated powders are also helpful in treating shoes for foot fungus.

Allowing the feet to breathe by taking off shoes and socks when possible can prevent fungal growth. Protect your feet by wearing breathable footwear and clean socks. Antimicrobial socks and shoes made from bamboo, copper, or specialty fabrics are also available. They can help reduce unwanted bacteria and yeast from growing in your footwear.

A proactive approach to keeping your feet clean and dry can prevent the spread of toenail fungus. You can wash or soak feet with warm soapy water or a foot bath using everyday household items. Soaking your feet in an all-natural, homeopathic concoction can be beneficial in reducing or eliminating toenail fungus.

Home Remedies For Toenail Fungus

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Toenail fungus, also known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium, is a common nail condition affecting millions of people in the United States. Fungal nail infections can develop on the nail from various organisms such as molds, yeasts, and fungi. This usually occurs after these organisms come into contact with a cracked nail or skin surrounding the nail as the opening provides a portal of entry for these organisms.

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Early Signs Of A Fungal Toenail Infection

A dark discoloration or a small white line may be the first indications of a fungal infection of the nails. The surface of the nail may become rougher and the nail may take on a dull appearance. This is the ideal time to begin treatment to prevent spread to other nails or soft body tissues, as well as avoid the embarrassment of ugly, disfigured nails.

Reducing Your Danger Of Nail Damages

Hurt nails are more probable to end up being contaminated, especially if you have diabetes. Clip your nails directly throughout. Dont trim them too short or in a spherical fashion, or youll go to threat of an in-grown nail.

Before obtaining a pedicure, check that the beauty salon follows stringent sanitation procedures. And sanitize your own nail clippers after each make use of.

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Dermatophytes: A Common Reason For Toenail Fungus

Your toe nails are composed of 80% tough keratin as well as 20% soft keratin. Keratin is additionally in your skin as well as hair. Dermatophytes, the fungis that generally trigger onychomycosis, eat keratin to grow and also increase.

Dermatophytes really like warm, wet conditions, including:

• Public swimming pools
• Saunas
• Locker areas

Onychomycosis is exceptionally transmittable, so its easy to catch. When dermatophytes find their means to your feet as an outcome of exposure to sweat, public showers, or steam bath, the dermatophytes take in the keratin in your nails by breaking it down into smaller particles.

You can additionally get toenail fungi as a result of being more at risk to foot conditions, specifically if youre diabetic person, have blood circulation situations, or you have a vulnerable immune system.

These other health issues, consisting of serious skin disorders like psoriasis, usually cause toenail fungus if your feet are revealed to it, or you do not maintain your feet cool down and also dry after swimming or mosting likely to the gym.

Below are 10 manner ins which can allow maintain your feet and also toes fungus free as well as scenting as fresh as spring.

What Is The Outcome For Someone Who Has Nail Fungus

With treatment, many people can get rid of nail fungus. Even when the fungus clears, your nail may look unhealthy until the infected nail grows out. A fingernail grows out in 4 to 6 months and a toenail in 12 to 18 months.

To clear the fungus, its important to:

• Use the treatment exactly as prescribed

• Apply the medicine for as long as prescribed

• Keep all follow-up appointments with your dermatologist

Nail fungus can be stubborn. If you had a severe infection, its possible to clear the infection. A healthy looking nail, however, may be unrealistic, but you can expect the nail to look better and feel more comfortable.

Even with clearing, nail fungus can return. Youll find steps to reduce your risk in Tips: 12 ways to prevent another nail infection.

ImageGetty Images

ReferenceGold LFS and Rosen T. Onychomycosis: Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies. Dermatology News . March 2016:2-15.

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