What Does Soaking Your Feet In Apple Cider Vinegar Do
First, it is important to note that you have toenail fungus infection as a result of the pH of the surrounding skin and nail becoming very basic, or alkaline. It is proven that fungus of any kind thrives in an alkaline environment. This means to get rid of toenail fungus, you need to ensure the surrounding skin and or nail turns from basic or alkaline to acidic as fungi dont survive in acidic environments.
This is why apple cider vinegar is useful. ACV is acidic enough to get rid of fungi but not acidic enough to cause harm to humans hence it is used as a preservative. Researches show ACV has antifungual qualities that help in slowing down the growth of all types of foot fungus which makes it ideal for toenail fungus infection treatment
Toefx Blog: My Top 3 Outlandish Toenail Fungus Cures
After spending many years researching toenail fungus and looking for effective, innovative ways to treat onychomycosis, it amuses me to see ridiculous promises being made on the internet claiming to treat it with no scientific backup.
Many of you might have seen the Academy award winning movie The Kings Speech, a 2010 British historical drama directed by Tom Hooper. One particularly memorable scene for me was when Prince Albert consults speech therapists and physicians about a cure for his stammer. One of the physicians prescribes smoking cigarettes as a remedy to relax the larynx. Nearly 100 years later in 2021, it is almost impossible to imagine a packet of cigarettes being prescribed as a health remedy. And yet the more things change, the more they stay the same: especially where health is concerned, its more difficult than ever to distinguish fact from fiction.
Toenail fungus is so common that very few weeks pass without someone forwarding me a new treatment idea or product. The market is flooded with remedies that have not been systematically studied or reviewed by health regulators.
I do not like to dismiss anything outright, but I am often left scratching my head trying to understand how a purported remedy could possibly work. I did a quick survey of some of the most over-the-top cures for toenail fungus. Here are my top 3 craziest treatments for toenail fungus:
Making A Vinegar Soak
If you want to try treating your nail fungus with vinegar, then the best thing to do is soak your foot in a vinegar-water mixture. Diluting the vinegar is important to prevent it from irritating your skin. Try a daily soak and see if it helps clear the infection. If not, then don’t panic. You can still use more conventional treatments.
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Different Methods To Use Chlorine Bleach For Toenail Fungus
To use chlorine bleach for toenail fungus, you can use two main methods:
- Soak your feet in chlorine bleach
Soaking your feet in chlorine bleach is one of the common ways to treat nail fungus. It is also the most effective method because it does not irritate the skin. Here is how to prepare chlorine bleach soak.
Fill up a tub or pan with water. At least one of your feet must fit easily in this tub or pan. Take about one cap of chlorine bleach and pour it into the tub. The exact quantity to prepare the soak is to mix one tablespoon of bleach for every gallon of water.
Place your foot in the tub for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Dry your feet after this. You must soak your foot in this soak at least twice a day. If it causes discomfort or itching, then stop foot soak.
Adding essential oils to this foot soak can make it more effective. It includes tea tree oil, oil of oregano, or Epsom salt.
- Application of Chlorine Bleach to the nail
This is the second way to treat toenail fungus with chlorine bleach. Here is how to apply the chlorine bleach directly
STEP ONE: Apply petroleum jelly to your nail and its surrounding skin.
STEP TWO: All you have to do is dip a cotton bud or cotton in undiluted chlorine bleach.
STEP THREE: The take this cotton bud and apply it to the toenail with fungal infection.
STEP FOUR: Use the other end of the cotton bud or a clean, dry piece of cotton to remove extra bleach from the skin.
- Bleach pen
How Do I Decide
- no drug can ever be 100% effective for everyone so success isnt guaranteed
- successful resolution doesnt mean you cant get it again
- re-infection within 12 months is not only possible but likely
- successful resolution must be followed by an anti-fungal regime
- leaving a fungal nail untreated rarely causes problems
As with most classes of drugs, terbinafine can potentially lead to liver problems. However, the data from the above control suggests that oral terbinafine is safer than perhaps it is perceived, and minor side effects are far more likely for most patients than serious liver damage.
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What Is Chlorine Bleach
Chlorine bleach is a disinfecting liquid. It conveniently allows you to deliver chlorine to a variety of surfaces.
In Chemistry, chlorine bleach is the water solution of sodium hypochlorite. The U.S.E.P.A. also approves the use of chlorine bleach as a disinfecting agent.
One of the famous brand names for chlorine bleach is CLOROX. It is easily available in all supermarket stores.
Vinegar Foot Soak For Toenail Fungus
Vinegar is an old-timey remedy that people still swear by, citing beauty benefits and a purported ability to aid weight loss and skin concerns. And it can possibly aid toenail fungus.
Keep in mind that research on vinegar for fungus is pretty slim. More studies are needed before scientists can say for certain whether this home remedy actually works.
Still, doctors have witnessed good results with vinegar foot soaks. So it may be worth a shot.
Be sure you’re properly mixing up the foot soak. You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
“In our clinic, we use two parts warm water to one part white vinegar. We have the patients soak for 10 to 15 minutes a day,” says Joseph Zahn, MD, a dermatologist at the GW Medical Faculty Associates in Washington, D.C.
“Be sure to dry well between the toes and apply moisturizer,” says Cara Wylie, DPM, primary podiatric medicine specialist with UCHealth Foot and Ankle Center-Central in Denver, who has seen positive outcomes when her patients soak three times a week for a year.
“It takes nine months to a year for the nails to grow out, so this is why you have to do this for so long a period. There are other soaks, but I find this to be safest and best,” says Dr. Wylie.
Read Also: Does Listerine Kill Fungus On Feet
Are There Home Remedies For Toenail Fungus
The Internet is filled with anecdotal information on how to cure toenail fungus using home remedies. Vinegar is a commonly recommended home remedy. Some people apply various oils such as tea tree oil, coconut oil, essential oils, and oil of cedar leaf to their nails as well. The effectiveness of these home remedies is highly doubtful. Application of household bleach and hydrogen peroxide is also not recommended due to lack of evidence that these treatments work. These agents can also cause unwanted skin irritation. Thickened nails that have been affected by fungus can be difficult to trim. Using topical urea cream will soften the nail and make it easier to trim. These creams do not require a prescription.
What About The Cost Of Oral Medications For Fungal Nails
A further consideration is cost. Because newer oral antifungal agents are very expensive, some insurance companies balk at paying for what they consider a cosmetic issue, unless nail fungus causes pain or other functional symptoms. Terbinafine and fluconazole are now available as generic drugs and are quite inexpensive.
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Foot Pain And Discomfort
Generally, nail fungus is painless which can lead it to being ignored and left untreated. Nail fungal infections make the nails thickened and deformed. Initially, they might not seem worrying, but ignoring a nail fungus can become painful overtime. The pain begins when the thickening of the nail causes a hindrance when wearing certain footwear. There might be difficulty in walking, and change in footwear may be deemed necessary.
How To Use Uv Lamps For Toenails Fungus
Nowadays, people are able to buy their own UV lamps to do this treatment themselves. Does UV light kill fungus? Using this light directed at the affected area can be very effective. In order to apply the correct treatment so the fungus does not return, it is important to also treat the shoes on the inside with the UV light. If a lamp is not available, then direct sunlight can also do the job. If the shoe is not treated, then the fungus can re-infect the toes. This is true whether you choose to use medication to treat the problem, or whether a UV light is used. The spores have to be killed for this re-infection not to happen. Of course with any therapy, when a novice takes on the task of treating the problem, it can become somewhat complicated. It always needs to be done with caution.
Many feel that UV therapy is the best treatment for nail issues. Whether this is true or not, it is becoming one of the most popular methods of treating nail fungus. The good thing about it is the fungal spores are completely destroyed by the light, therefore the fungus does not return. Any bacteria is also destroyed when using the light. The nail plate is also left in tact. With medications and creams, the nail plate can be left damaged.
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What Is Toenail Fungus
Most of us don’t think of toenail fungus on a day-to-day basis. But the day you notice you’re sporting yellow toenails or white toenails? Fungus will stay top of mind.
Those discolored and thickened toenails often point to onychomycosis, a toenail fungus infection. Fungi make up 50 percent of all nail problems, and fungus occurs on the toenails four to 10 times more frequently than it does on the fingernails.
Luckily, toenail fungus doesn’t turn into a major health crisis, but it can be very unpleasant.
“Nail fungus is hard to live with. Some patients experience pain or difficulty doing everyday activities and fitting shoes,” says dermatologist Shari Lipner, MD, an associate professor of clinical dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. “There is also a stigma surrounding nail fungus, so many people are embarrassed that they have this.”
Here’s what you should know about toenail fungus, how foot soaks can help, and what home remedies and over-the-counter products to try.
Does Urea Kill Nail Fungus
3.9/5UreaUreafungalnailsureanailnail
t kill fungus it targets the thickened skin that athlete?s foot produces, allowing the ACTUAL antifungals to penetrate the affected area. In short, stop peeing on your feet.
Similarly, what is the most effective treatment for toenail fungus? Oral antifungal drugs.These drugs are often the first choice because they clear the infection more quickly than do topical drugs. Options include terbinafine and itraconazole . These drugs help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected part.
In respect to this, how do you use urea cream for toenail fungus?
Apply a thin layer of this medicine to the affected skin and rub it in as completely as possible. When applying urea topical to the nails, avoid getting any medicine on the cuticles or surrounding skin. Apply generously to the nail and allow the medicine to dry.
Do topical nail fungus treatments work?
Topical treatments:Over the counter fungal creams like clotrimazole and the nail polishes are generally ineffective for clearing nail fungus. Ciclopirox is a topical nail polish used for the treatment of mild to moderate nail fungus.
Also Check: How To Remove Fungus From Your Feet
How To Cure Toenail Fungus: Can Vinegar Help
This article was co-authored by Zora Degrandpre, ND. Dr. Degrandpre is a Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Vancouver, Washington. She is also a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She received her ND from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2007.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 19 testimonials and 88% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,073,560 times.
Nail fungus refers to a fungal infection that starts underneath your toenails. It could cause discoloration, thickening, or crumbling on one or more of your nails. This is a frustrating problem, so youll naturally want to get rid of nail fungus as soon as possible. One remedy you may have heard of is soaking your foot in vinegar to clear the infection. Vinegar is acidic, so it will kill bacteria and fungus.XResearch source However, this remedy has very limited success because the vinegar cant penetrate under the nail. You can try it if you want to, but visit a podiatrist for further treatment if you dont see any results in 2 weeks.
Can Urine Cure Athletes Foot Or Nail Fungus
Q: As a kid and into adulthood, I was susceptible to athletes foot. I finally got rid of it with advice from a World War II vet I knew. He said that in the Navy, the men were advised to pee on their feet while showering.
I did this off and on for a few months and havent had a recurrence of athletes foot since then. However, within the past few years, I contracted the dreaded toenail fungus.
I went back to the old Navy advice, but am doing it one better. I save up about a liter of urine and pour it into a plastic container that is the right size. While showering, I simply soak one foot and then the other while shampooing and washing my body. Then I wash my feet. The nail fungus cleared up in weeks, but I still do the treatment about once a week just to make sure it doesnt come back.
A: You are not the first person to try out this bit of military lore. Urine contains urea, which is used at high concentrations to remove fungus-infected toenails . The concentration of urea in urine is far weaker, but we have heard similar stories from other readers. It may take months of foot soaks to get rid of nail fungus.
You can read more about this and many other tried-and-true treatments in our book Quick & Handy Home Remedies. You can order it online at peoplespharmacy.com.
Surprisingly, the symptoms began to subside. Every time thereafter I felt the beginnings of a cold sore, I stung my lip. I no longer suffer from cold sores. I must have found a way to kill the herpes virus.
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How Effective Are Topical Treatments
So far, only a few studies have looked into topical nail fungus treatments with nail polishes or creams. Because these studies had weaknesses, the results should be interpreted with caution. Amorolfine has not yet been well studied. Ciclopirox polish and treatment sets with urea and bifonazole cream were tested in a few studies.
Research on the effectiveness of nail polish containing ciclopirox showed that, after one year:
- About 10 out of 100 people who did not use ciclopirox no longer had a detectable fungal nail infection.
- About 32 out of 100 people who used ciclopirox no longer had a detectable fungal nail infection.
In other words, treatment with ciclopirox got rid of the fungal infection in about 22 out of 100 people. But even if the fungus had gone away, the cosmetic result wasnt always satisfying. The nails only looked healthy after treatment in 7 out of 100 people.
Treatment with sets containing urea and bifonazole cream was tested in one study. It was compared with a treatment in which only urea cream was applied and the nail was removed, but without applying bifonazole cream afterwards. Three months after treatment was completed, it was found that:
- No fungus was visible or detectable in about 41 out of 100 people who only used urea cream.
- No fungus was visible or detectable in about 51 out of 100 people who used both urea and bifonazole cream.
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