Staying One Step Ahead Of Toenail Fungus
An established fungal infection is hard to eradicate, but you can stop its spread and improve your toenail’s appearance.
Toenail fungus isn’t a pressing health problem. Yet a fungal infection can ruin the appearance of your nails and cause pain as it lifts the nail away from the nail bed. And fungal infections are notoriously difficult to get rid of. “You may want to consider fungal toenail a condition to be managed rather than cured,” says Dr. James P. Ioli, chief of the podiatry service at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Do I Have Black Toenail Fungus Or A Bruise Underneath My Toenail
- In our experience, it is much more likely to have a bruise underneath the toenail rather than black toenail fungus.
- In a lot of people, it is common to have both toenail fungi develop first. This toenail fungus can make the toenail thicker, leading to bleeding and bruising developing underneath the toenail.
- This can make the toenail thick, dark, and discolored.
When Home Remedies Make Sense:
For most people with mild to moderate nail fungus, home remedies are an option, especially when a trip to the doctor seems intimidating. Readers of our syndicated newspaper column have been sharing their success stories for over 40 years.
Lisa points out that patience is a critical component for overcoming nasty nail fungus:
I fought toenail fungus for several years. It seemed like I had two different kinds. One made the surface of the nail white and rough, and the other turned the nail yellow or orange. That one also caused the nail to crumble over time.
After reading about it on the Peoples Pharmacy, I tried tea tree oil first. It was very effective on the white toenail fungus. The nails grew out clear and stayed that way.
I tried Vicks next, and it worked on the yellow toenails. That was a slower process, as there was more damage. Several times when I was just getting one nail finished, the fungus would start on another one. It took about three years to get every nail clear, but I have had no new fungus for over a year now. The treatments were inexpensive and easy, but patience is required!
Lisa is absolutely on target. Even pricey prescription nail fungus treatments are tested for about a year. You can read about a pricey prescription anti-fungal liquid at this link:
FDA Approves Jublia for Fighting Nail FungusJublia is a topical liquid for treating nail fungus. How good is Jublia? Not that great. How pricey is Jublia? Very! Is it worth the cost?
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Can Toenail Fungus Be Black
Yes, certain types of black yeast and black bacterial infections can cause the toenails to turn black.
In our opinion, we see this much less frequently than dry blood underneath the toenail.
In roughly 99% of scenarios that we see: the thick fungal toenail detaches from the underlying skin, and dry blood forms underneath the toenail.
This prevents the toenail from reattaching to the skin and creates a thick black toenail that can cause pain.
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
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When Does Nasty Nail Fungus Require Medical Intervention
Some people have a hard time clipping their nails. A podiatrist can help. There are some color changes that require medical attention. White nails could be a sign of liver or kidney damage. Pale nails may indicate anemia, nutritional problems or even heart failure.
A dark streak or a black spot under a nail requires medical oversight to rule out melanoma. People with diabetes may also need special treatment to avoid complications.
Black Under Toenail Symptoms:
The most common symptom of black toenail fungus is that initially, toenail fungus develops.
- After toenail fungus develops, a thicker toenail usually takes up more room in the sock and shoe.
- As this happens, the toenail can catch on her shoes or socks and start to rip away from the skin.
- This gradually forms debris and dirt that forms under the tip of the nail. This then forms a callus in the nail that starts to rub the way more and more.
- Eventually, the toenail starts to turn black when small little blood vessels called capillaries are ripped away from the toenail.
- This creates bleeding between the toenail and the skin.
- As this blood starts to dry, it quickly turns black and forms a scab between the toenail and the skin.
- As this gets thicker, it forms thick black toenail fungus.
- The toenail eventually can turn completely back as it dies.
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What Is Toenail Fungus
Onychomycosis, better known as toenail fungus, is a fungal infection that thickens and blemishes your nails. This condition causes cosmetic issues, and over time, it induces pain too. People spending most of their time in the water, experiencing diabetes mellitus, and athletes foot is at greater risk of toenail fungus. Before telling you how to get rid of toenail fungus, its vital to understand its symptoms.
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How Well Does Vicks Vaporub For Toenail Fungus Treatment
From times past, many people have successfully used Vicks VapoRub to treat toenail fungus while other people were not successful in using the treatment for their toenail fungus.
This is not alarming as some pretty costly over the counter prescription also does not work for everyone in treating toenail fungus. Also, when you consider that many people do take antifungal medicine for months without a positive change, it is not alarming. Even though they could get relief for a couple of months, the infection might return after a while
This point to the fact that toenail fungus comes in varieties. Another cause also might be the variables present in the carriers body such as the level of immune system and hygiene. Also, we suspect that these fungi pathogens come are many.
It might be surprising to know that some people also walk barefoot in the shower or gym. These sets of people, yet, do not get nail fungus while others will have a thick, ugly, yellowish-brown nail that might be difficult to clip.
This has puzzled researchers, and there are two speculations. Whether the immune system plays a vital role in helping against the toenail fungus, or there are different kinds of fungi.
The good news is that many people have successfully used Vicks VapoRub to treat toenail fungus. It, however, does not work for others. As a result, we cannot base its effectiveness on the success story of a couple of people.
Tips For Healthy Nails And Healthy Feet
In addition to the tips above, you can keep your toenails and feet healthy by always remembering the following:
We hope this guide has helped.
If you have any tips for curing toenail fungus or experiences good or bad please share them below.
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How Long Will It Take To See Results
Unfortunately, using Vicks Vaporub can take a long time to provide results for your fungal infection. This is one of the main downsides of utilizing this product. For some users, it can take a few months to start seeing results, but for others, it can take upwards of a year. For quicker results, we recommend checking out our buyers guide for the best nail fungus products on the market today.
Best Antifungal Home Remedies
Home remedies for fungal nail infections are very popular with people looking either to top up their prescribed or over-the-counter treatment, or with those looking to avoid the chemical-laden products entirely.
Not all home treatments were created equal some simply wont work while others will yield only very minimal results like softening the skin on your toes.
If you do want to try antifungal home remedies, you need to pick ingredients that have some antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties that can stop the fungus from growing and even help it to die. If possible, you need the remedy to actually come into contact with the fungus to yield the best results.
These are the most popular home remedies for fungal nail infections:
- Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree is an essential oil that is known for its antifungal and antiseptic qualities.
Add a couple of drops to the end of a cotton bud and insert under and on the surface of your nail try to apply it to the fungus if you can. Note that tea tree oil is very powerful so you may need to dilute it will a drop or two of coconut oil or olive oil if you have sensitive skin.
This is our favourite brand of Tea Tree Oil its inexpensive, 100% pure and FDA registered.
- Vinegar
Vinegar is another natural product thats widely lauded for its antifungal and acidic properties.
- Oil of Oregano
For an inexpensive, 100% pure and therapeutic grade product, try this Oil of Oregano.
- Vicks VapoRub
You can buy Vicks VapoRub here.
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What Does It Mean When Toenail Fungus Turns Black
- Patients frequently ask us, what does it mean when toenail fungus turns black?
- There is a chance that this could be a black yeast or a black toenail fungus, but it is usually dry blood.
- This usually means that the toenail is getting thick and ripping away from the underlying skin.
- These small blood vessels called capillaries rupture and form dry blood underneath the toenail.
- As the toenail dies, the toenail will eventually turn black and die.
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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Does Vicks Vaporub Cure Nail Fungus
You may have heard that Vicks Vaporub can treat nail fungus. Many people share their experience using Vicks Vaporub for treating fungal nail infections. Even though there are success stories using this product, It is still considered a myth. There are no significant studies that prove the effectivity of Vicks Vaporub in treating nail fungus. It is proven to cure other issues such as cough and colds, but not for toenail fungus
Here are the reasons why people think Vicks Vaporub can cure Toenail Fungus:
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What Real Users Are Saying
There is a lot of talk about using VICKS for toenail fungus and a lot of people recommending it online, HOWEVER, there is a lack of information coming from people who have actually used it to treat such.
Most of the information I have found comes from sources saying things like “it can be used for this”, “it has been used for that”, and things like this.
It would be nice to see some more good evidence of it working, but at the same time, the lack of good evidence doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work.
I was able to find a small number of reviews on Amazon. Of course there weren’t many because most people’s reviews talk about other things since treating toenail fungus isn’t the reason most people buy it.
*If you do have your own success story with VICKS VapoRub be sure to leave it in the comment section below for others to see!
What Is Black Fungus Under Toenail
Patients routinely ask us, what is black fungus under the toenail?
- Black fungus under the toenail is caused by a toenail fungus-infected toenail detaching from the skin.
- This can usually result from the rupture of the small blood vessels called capillaries.
- When the capillaries rupture, they will create bleeding between the toenail and the skin.
- This small amount of blood flow between the nail and the underlying skin will eventually turn black and form a scab.
- This prevents the toenail from re-attaching to the skin.
- This essentially results in a dead toenail.
- Watch the video below to see how to fix black fungus under the toenails.
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Does Vicks Vapor Rub Cure Toenail Fungus
It has been rumored that curing toenail fungus is as easy as going to your kitchen pantry or bathroom medicine cabinet. Vinegar and Vicks Vapor Rub are two products that are supposed to cure toenail fungus.
The problem with these home remedies is that there is no recommended treatment regimen for either product. There also have not been any clinical studies confirming that either treatment is effective. The Mayo Clinic mentions both treatments, but emphasizes that there is no clinical evidence supporting either claim.
A podiatrist can diagnose your condition as onychomycosis and provide scientifically-based treatment that is right for you.
There are three types of treatment for onychomycosis:
- Topical Medications
- Oral Medications
- Laser Treatment
All of these treatments penetrate the nail bed at the source of nail infection. The problem with vinegar baths or applying Vicks Vapor Rub is that they dont penetrate the nail bed and get to the source of the fungal infection.
If you want the best treatment options available for killing fungus, call our office at 816-943-1111. Dr. Mark Green has been treating conditions of the foot and ankle for over nineteen years.