How Can You Treat Toenail Fungus

Other Oral Medications That Are Available To Treat Toenail Fungus

Oral fluconazole for toenail fungus treatment

Oral fluconazole is another pill sometimes used to treat toenail fungus. But its not a great alternative to terbinafine and itraconazole. Its not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this use, and it doesnt work as well in head-to-head comparisons. Not only that, it needs to be taken once a week for at least 3 to 6 months.

Noxafil for toenail fungus treatment

A new medication used in the treatment of toenail fungus is posaconazole , a liquid taken by mouth. Noxafil appears to be an effective option, but the cost makes it difficult for anyone to afford.

Best Ways To Treat A Nail Fungus

Nail fungus can cause thick, discolored nails, and, for some patients, it can even be painful. An Internet search will bring up plenty of ways to treat the condition, but which ones are best? Dermatologist Dr. Christopher Hull discusses what nail fungus actually is, why its so hard to get rid of, and which treatments work best.

Creams & Topical Treatments For Toenail Fungus

Over-the-counter fungal creams like clotrimazole dont work well for treating toenail fungus. Prescription nail polishes are available, but they take longer to work and arent effective for severe cases. Thats because they dont penetrate the nail very well. That said, they are still a good option for people with mild cases of toenail fungus, or for those who cant take the oral antifungals. Examples include:

Side effects are usually minor and include redness or burning at the application site.

You might hear or read about medicated chest rub as a treatment for toenail fungus, but its mostly hype. Its a tempting option because its so safe, easy to use, and cheap. But its not likely to help.

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Whos At Risk For Fungal Infections

There are many different causes of fungal nail infections. Each cause has a treatment of its own. Although many of the causes of a fungal nail infection are preventable, some risk factors increase the likelihood of developing one. Youre more likely to develop a fungal nail infection if you:

• wear closed-toe shoes, such as tennis shoes or boots

Nail infections occur more often in men than in women, and the infections are found in adults more often than in children. If you have family members who often get these types of fungal infections, youre more likely to get them as well.

Older adults have a high risk for getting fungal nail infections because they have poorer circulation. The nails also grow more slowly and thicken as we age.

A fungal infection of the nail may affect part of the nail, the entire nail, or several nails.

Common signs of a fungal nail infection include:

• a distorted nail that may lift off from the nail bed
• an odor coming from the infected nail
• a brittle or thickened nail

Few Vetted Treatment Options

For years, its been slim pickings in terms of pharmaceuticals. There is a topical called Penlac that seems to work sometimes for very mild cases. Laser treatments sometimes make the nails look a bit better but have not been proven to kill the fungus. Then there are pills that people have to take for several months. The oral medications such as Lamisil or Nizoral are effective, but many people are afraid of them because of potential side effects, including a negative impact on kidney and liver function. Vlahovic admits the search for a cure has been a bit sluggish.

Its not something that people are jumping at doing research on, because you dont have the instant gratification as you would if you would do a clinical trial for athletes foot that only lasts for six weeks, Vlahovic said. Toenail treatment trials have to last for at least a year and that makes them costly.

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Use Urgent Fungus Destroyer As A Supplement With These Spices

Only adding spices to your diet will not show some good results any time soon, it might take more than a year. You should add a supplement to your diet as well.

The Urgent Fungus Destroyer is a famous option that has been killing toenail fungus in only three to four months. It is affordable yet effective. Moreover, it is free of any kind of side effects.

Urgent fungus destroyer is a complex formula that has the rare Japanese mushroom complex to kill the toenail fungus. Furthermore, it has cats claw, garlic, and curcumin, combined with spices the urgent fungus destroyer will speed up the recovery process.

To know everything about the Urgent Fungus Destroyer and our complete review on it, read our in depth guide here.

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 87% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,091,339 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.

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Why Does It Work A Look At The Ingredients

In order to answer the question of why does VICKS work?… we first need to take a look at the ingredients it contains.

It has some proof of working, so what it is exactly that makes it effective?

The ingredients included in the normal VICKS VapoRub include the following:

Active Ingredients

• Used commonly for pain relief, anti-irritant, against coughs, and yes… even as an antifungal.
• Reduces pain and swelling and increases blood flow when applied topically.
• 2014 study published in the journal Biological Research shows it does indeed have antifungal activity, although not particularly when dealing with toenail fungus. It has been shown to inhibit growth of fungi better than other essential oils.

Inactive Ingredients

• Turpentine oil

Why Does It Develop

A fungal nail infection occurs from the overgrowth of fungi in, under, or on the nail. Fungi thrive in warm, moist environments, so this type of environment can cause them to naturally overpopulate. The same fungi that cause jock itch, athletes foot, and ringworm can cause nail infections.

Fungi that are already present in or on your body can cause nail infections. If you have come in contact with someone else who has a fungal infection, you may have contracted it as well. Fungal infections affect toenails more commonly than fingernails, likely because your toes are usually confined to shoes, where theyre in a warm, moist environment.

If you get a manicure or pedicure at a nail salon, be sure to ask how the staff disinfects their tools and how often they do it. Tools, such as emery boards and nail clippers, can spread fungal infections from person to person if theyre not sanitized.

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Who Should Follow An Anti

This diet can be followed by anyone who has a toenail fungus infection. Only people with chronic vitamin or mineral deficiencies should refrain from going on a strict diet.

They should consult their doctor before eliminating a few foods from their diet. The following people should not follow a strict Anti-Fungal Diet.

• Mineral Deficiency

It is always advised that you consult a doctor before making major changes in your diet.

Can I Wear Nail Polish If I Have Toenail Fungus

You may feel tempted to cover up a discolored toenail with nail polish. If you are using a topical antifungal, you probably should not use polish. Some providers may tell you not to wear it in any case. Polish traps in moisture from the nailbed . Because fungi thrive in moist environments, wearing nail polish may make a fungal infection worse. However, the nail continues to grow with or without polish.

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How Can I Prevent Toenail Fungus

Theres no way to guarantee that you wont get toenail fungus. But you can take several steps to help prevent it:

• Avoid going barefoot in communal areas such as hotel rooms / showers, public showers, locker rooms and swimming pools. Most people pick up fungus in these situations. It helps to wear flip flops in these public areas.
• If you have a family member with foot fungus or nail fungus, try to use different shower or wear flip flops in the shower to avoid coming in contact with it.
• Trauma due to accidental or aggressive clipping of the nails can turn into portals of entry for the fungus.
• Clean your nail trimmer before using it.
• Do not tear or rip your toenails on purpose.
• If you have diabetes, follow all foot care recommendations from your healthcare provider.
• Keep your feet dry. Make sure to fully dry your feet after a shower.
• Soak toenails in warm water before cutting them. Or you can cut your nails after a shower or bath.
• Trim toenails straight across .
• Wear shoes that fit correctly. They should not be too loose or tight around the toes.

Which Laser Therapy Device Is Best

We swear by our non-thermal cold laser device in treating toenail fungus in our practice. Its called Lunula Laser and its made by Erchonia. Its the first of its kind and the only non-thermal cold laser device to get FDA market clearance to treat onychomycosis.

This is likely thanks to its three successful clinical trials that ensure safety and effectiveness.

Whats so special about this laser? Besides the fact that its safe and effective, we love that it uses a low-level laser wavelength. Thanks to this type of cold laser, theres no discomfort or searing heat pain during treatment like with some of the other laser devices. The treatment also encompasses your entire foot. It requires no operator, so man-made errors are eliminated unlike with other lasers on the market.

The laser doesnt emit smoke fumes and 89% of patients have a positive response to the treatment.

Also, we love that this device is made in the United States.

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Best Soak: Purely Northwest Tea Tree Oil Foot & Body Soak

• Relaxes muscles with Epsom and sea salts

• All-natural solution

• Essential oils may be potential allergens

If youre looking for an all-natural route to treat toenail fungus, then this foot soak could be for you. Not only is a foot soak a relaxing way to end your day, but the ingredients used in Purely Northwests soak include Epsom salt, sea salt, tea tree oil, and other oils. These ingredients soothe the skin while addressing foot and toenail fungus.

The combined ingredients work to dry out the fungus to prevent it from spreading. Benefits of the soak also include healing cracked feet and soothing aches.

This US-made product has no dyes or synthetic fragrances, making it a great all-natural solution. But results, depending on severity, might take longer to show when using the soak over prescription or over-the-counter treatments.

Active Ingredients: Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, MSM, and Therapeutic-grade essential oils | Dose: Add 1.5 tablespoons of foot soak mix for every gallon of water. Mix with hands until the salt dissolved. Add additional salts for a more stronger or aromatic foot bath. Soak your feet for About 15-20 minutes. | Uses: Treats fungus all over feet eliminates food odor and aches

• Great for athletes and gym goers

• Cleanses and deodorizes

• Also treats acne, candida, and rashes

• Fragrant oils may be overwhelming

• Tea tree and lavender sooth skin

• Money back guarantee

• Results can take several weeks

• Only for toe and fingernail fungus

• Expensive

Who Gets Toenail Fungus

Men are more likely to get it than women. The older you are, the better your chances are, too. People who have diabetes, athlete’s foot, or a weak immune system, who smoke, or whose family members have it are also at a higher risk. If you spend a lot of time in the water or you’ve injured your toenail, your odds for getting toenail fungus go up.

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What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Toenail Fungus

The most effective toenail fungus treatment for you will largely depend on your symptoms and situation. Your provider will consider several factors before recommending a treatment plan thats customized to you.

Overall, oral antifungal medications may offer the most treatment potential. Pairing oral drugs with topical antifungal medication may make treatment more effective.

A Pharmacist Can Help With Fungal Nail Infections

Speak to a pharmacist if the look of your nail bothers you or it’s painful.

They may suggest:

• antifungal nail cream it can take up to 12 months to cure the infection and does not always work
• nail-softening cream it’s used for 2 weeks to soften the nail so the infected part can be scraped off

The infection is cured when you see healthy nail growing back at the base.

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Who Is Most Likely To Develop Fungal Infections

Men are at a higher risk of developing fungal infections as compared to women. The reason is their poorer immunity as compared to women as the only fighting factor that prevents fungus from occurring in the immune system and women are said to have a stronger immune system than men.

Older people have more chances of developing finger and toenail infections. This is due to their poor circulation system as our antibodies are present in blood so a poorer circulation speed will result in the rate at which antibodies reach the target site to be slowed down. Besides that, our nails also grow more slowly and thicken as we age.

People suffering from diabetes develop foot infections more often. Because the healing power of people suffering from diabetes is affected drastically due to their abnormal blood sugar level. Risen sugar levels result in poor immunity thus more prone to bacterial infections.

Moreover, if you regularly wear artificial nails or apply nail polish that is shared with several people or have a nail injury the chances of bacteria attacking and causing an infection are more likely. Also, swimming in public swimming pools, visiting swampy, high moisture places and wearing closed shoes such as boots and tennis shoes and gloves will cause fingernails and toenails to develop a fungal infection.

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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