Toenail Fungus Vinegar Soak: Does It Work And How To Do One
If you have an irritating foot or toenail fungus, you want it gone – ASAP.And if you are someone who likes to try and take care of things yourself, you might be looking to alternative home remedies to make that foot fungus a thing of the past.In this article, we will review the research to see if vinegar might be a viable option for podiatry fungus issues and teach you how to do a vinegar foot soak step-by-step.But, there may only be so much a vinegar soak can handle, and ultimately if the fungus is severe, doesnât respond to a foot soak, or you have diabetes you are better off seeing a doctor for professional treatment.
Does Vinegar Help With Toenail Fungus
There are no current studies out there pitting toenail fungus against a vinegar foot soak directly, but there are a few studies pointing to vinegar having some potential benefits as a general anti-fungal.All kinds of vinegar contain a natural mild acid called acetic acid, and this acid may be responsible for the antimicrobial abilities of vinegar.And one study found apple cider vinegar and acetic acid to display significant antifungal activity against ear fungal infections.So, while there is no conclusive evidence on vinegar helping with toenail fungus specifically, for a mild case it may be worth a few soaks since there is no harm from using one.But, toenail fungus tends to be a stubborn infection, so we recommend pairing any sort of potentially beneficial foot soak with validated prescription therapy guided by a physician.Alternatively, some may look into using an occasional vinegar foot soak to help get foot fungus reinfections at bay or as a preventative measure.
Side Effects Of Listerine Foot Soak
Well, if we start counting the uses and wide range of benefits associated with soaking foot on Listerine, it will undoubtedly outnumber the after-effects that can trouble you by following this foot soak. Even though no side effects have been reported with proof, still there are a few bad reputations about Listerine foot soak. Some of them are:
- The blue Listerine will turn your feet blue.
- If you have bruises or cuts in feet, then it is always recommended to consult a physician before opting for foot soak procedure.
- It is not recommended for diabetic patients to follow this foot soak procedure, as their problems on feet can be due to other reasons, so the best bet will be to rely on a doctor for treatment.
These are the opinions and suggestions of people who used it already, but only you know what works better for you.
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What Is Toenail Fungus
Toenail fungus is a foot infection that can be seen on your toenails. A person suffering from this condition will have discolored toenails.
It is very important for a patient to treat it as soon as possible. If you leave it as it is, the fungal infection will spread to adjacent toenails. In the worst-case scenario, your whole toenails will start dropping! Keep in mind your toenails may still drop even if you start therapy. However, if you’re under a therapy, this can be a sign that a new, healthy toenail will rise in its stead.
Doctors recommend strong oral drugs for the toenail fungus. The main issue with these medicines is the fact they can cause various side effects. There are even cases where toenail fungus drugs caused entire organs to malfunction. Perhaps the scariest thing is how these drugs affect the liver. This is precisely why patients have to take a blood test before starting their oral drug therapy.
Topical drugs are a bit better as they dont cause side effects. Still, it takes a lot of time until they start showing results. This is precisely why a lot of people use home remedies and alternative methods such as betadine foot soak.
Reasons Why You Should Use Hydrogen Peroxide For Your Feet
When you are beginning treatment for your nail fungal infection it is important to consider a few things like is it safe, is it affordable, and does it work?
Here are three reasons you should consider using hydrogen peroxide for fungus:
Reason #1: Its safe.
Hydrogen peroxide is generally safe to be used on the skin for wounds and cuts. In addition, it is safe to use it for nail fungus without any adverse health effects.
Reason #2: Its affordable
The average cost for a 2 pack of Equate 3% Hydrogen Peroxide can be purchased at Walmart for $1.71 which makes it one of the most affordable ways to cure toenail fungus. It equals about $0.03 / fl oz which compared to other treatments like Lamisil which is roughly $15.35 / fl oz. This makes hydrogen peroxide is quite the bargain!
Reason #3: No prescription needed
There is no shortage online of people posting the results of their nails but the best thing is starting this type of treatment is that it can be as simple as opening your medicine cabinet. If not a simply run to the grocery store can be the first step of treating your nail fungus.
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Do Soften Creams Work
Yes, it all depends on how effective the cream is and how thick your toenails are, most softening creams work by hydrating the toenails. They contain ingredients that are able to properly penetrate through tough nails and hydrate the nail itself. Many creams also instruct that you use them before going to bed so that the product is able to soak in overnight, so your nails will soften when youre awake in the morning.
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Can I Continue Exercising If I Have Athletes Foot
Athletes foot shouldnt stop you from exercising, though you should stay away from swimming in order to help prevent spreading the infection. When exercising, you should wear cotton socks and in changing rooms you should wear flip flops or sandals. After exercising, be sure to properly clean and dry your feet, wash your socks in hot water and let your shoes dry after wearing them.
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Causes Of Foot Fungus
When a person has foot fungus it will usually attack your skin and nails which are referred to as dermatophytes. They cause diseases that are parasitic in nature. Onychomycosis is the scientific terminology for nail fungus. There are many different causes of foot fungus. Many times what the cause is depends on what type of foot fungus you have.
- Candida nail infection what is responsible for this type of foot fungus is yeast called Candida and is the worse type of fungal infection to have.
- Proximal subungual onychomycosis dermatophytes is the main culprit that causes this type of foot fungus.
- Distal subungual onychomycosis this foot fungus infection is caused by an organism called trichophyton rubrum
- White superficial onychomycosis trichophyton mentagrophytes is the organism that causes this type of foot fungus.
Other causes of foot fungus that can affect your toenails can include:
- Have trauma to your toenails
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Wearing underwear that is closed off and tight
- Diabetes
- Showering in public places like dressing rooms at public pools, gyms, schools, etc.
- Activities that involve exertion
Funny Fairytales Debunked About Foot Fungus Treatment
When it comes to what you can get away with regarding your feet, it seems as if the internet doesnt hold back. Old wives tales about how to treat a variety of foot ailmentsespecially foot fungushave reared their ugly heads in the guise of viral truth bombs posted across social media.
Well, were here to set the record straight on some of these wacky myths with some truth bombs of our own. Here are four myths about foot fungus treatment that we have effectively debunked:
Myth #1: Rubbing cut onions on foot fungus will clear it up.
Fact: Lets start off with saying: The ONLY thing rubbing an onion on your foot will accomplish is making your foot smell like an onion.
There is a wild claim out there that cut onions have magical antifungal, antibacterial and detoxifying properties for the body. In reality, all they do is magically add flavor to food. Please do not rub your foot fungus with onions as it may only make the problem worse.
Myth #2: Urine kills foot fungus.
Fact: We see this a lot with regards to athletes foot, and while there is a tiny kernel of science buried in this gem, theres still no justification for using urine as an effective treatment for foot fungus .
It isnt the urine per se that is the treatment but rather the urea . Urea is an inactive ingredient found in many athletes foot treatments. Urea doesnt kill fungus it targets the thickened skin that athletes foot produces, allowing the ACTUAL antifungals to penetrate the affected area.
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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.
What The Experts Say
The most common presentation of toenail fungus is a white/yellow discoloration of the nail that is thick and filled with yellow/white keratin debris. 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.” Orit Markowitz, MD, founder and CEO of OptiSkin treatment center in New York City.
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Wash With Antifungal Cleanser
Antifungal washes, such as Nizoral, can help dry, scaly moccasin type foot fungus, Rodney says. Gently lather it onto the entire feet, let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse off with water, she adds. As it is a wash, the medication can penetrate through all the dry, scaly skin and easily get to the fungus.
Healthy Now Newsletter
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!
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Doctors Weigh Best Treatments
The best treatment for fungal nail infections is a prescription that your dermatologist can prescribe that you take every day for two-to-three months. The pill is not for everyone, since oral antifungals can interact with other medications and can affect the liver.
Fortunately if you dont want to or cant take a pill, there are topical solutions to treat nail fungus. Although topical medications are desirable because of the low risk of side effects and interaction with other medications, they have much longer treatment regimens. Generally, topical medications have a lower clearance rate compared to oral pills.
Newer topical antifungals including Efinaconazole and Tavaborole have better penetration of the nail plate and so they work better compared to older topical medications, says Dr. Ng. She says the topical medications work best if you only have partial nail involvement.
Lasers are approved by the FDA to temporarily increase the amount of clear nail. However, the cure rates are lower than oral medications and topical solutions.
Hydrogen Peroxide With Iodine
Peroxide and iodine are commonly used to disinfect cuts and wounds and to kill germs on the skin.
A recent study found that peroxide combined with iodine killed 16 different fungi. The two used together were more effective than using them separately.
To try this remedy, mix iodine solution and hydrogen peroxide in a bucket or large bowl. Iodine solution is available at most drugstores in the wound care section. Dip the feet directly in the solution or use a cotton pad to apply it to the affected areas.
Do not use iodine on the skin without diluting it because it can damage the skin if used by itself.
Peroxide may sting if the skin is broken or irritated, and it can bleach hair and fabrics. Iodine may also cause stains.
Applying this mixture in a bathtub or shower may prevent unwanted stains, bleaching, and spills.
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Why Does Vinegar Soak Work
The idea behind vinegar foot soaks is relatively simple: vinegar is acidic, which gives it antifungal and antibacterial properties.
To explain a bit further, vinegar is a diluted form of acetic acid . As a result, it is an antifungal agent meaning it slows down the growth of some types of foot fungus and may kill fungus entirely.
It might also make your body less hospitable to fungus because the acidity affects the pH level of your skin. This makes fungal overgrowth and infection much more unlikely.
Its worth noting though, that there is no scientific evidence that shows vinegar soaks is a reliable method for treating toenail fungus.
So Here Are My Recommendations
Have at least 1 -2 cups of kefir every day. Any of the kefirs will work: milk kefir, goat kefir, and coconut kefir. Coconut is wonderful because it has caprylic acid in it that kills fungi too. I have lots of recipes to make it easy to consume every day. I do have it every day, so I get really creative and create a lot of recipes. Some of the bacteria in kefir are transient, and some of the strains are permanent but if you’re serious about getting rid of your ailments, then you need it every day. If you only want to do one cultured food, this is the one you should choose. It has the most benefits and it’s super powerful, so even if you don’t want to have the veggies or kombucha, then do this one. It can work all by itself if you’re consistent.
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How Do You Make A Vinegar Foot Soak
If you would like to try out a vinegar foot soak at home, you can follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Get a bottle of vinegar. The type of vinegar you use doesnt necessarily matter most people use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. The important thing is the pH of the vinegar, which should typically be 2-3.
Step 2: Fill a sink or bowl with 1 part vinegar and 2 parts warm water .
Top tip: if youre finding the smell of vinegar too strong or unpleasant, you can add a few drops of essential oils to the mixture, such as lavender oil.
Step 3: Soak foot for 15-30 minutes daily in the mixture. Do not soak for longer than 30 minutes.
Step 4: Make sure that you dry your foot/feet thoroughly after your soak. The fungus grows best in a moist environment, so leaving feet damp encourages fungal growth especially if you are putting on socks or shoes next.
Step 5: Repeat this process daily until you can see that your infection has disappeared.
If you have particularly sensitive skin, you may find that vinegar causes some skin irritation. If this is the case, you can try decreasing the time you spend soaking your feet to 10-15 minutes or diluting the mixture with more water. You could also try reducing the amount of foot soaks you try to a few times a week instead.
A Pharmacist Can Help With Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot is unlikely to get better on its own, but you can buy antifungal medicines for it from a pharmacy. They usually take a few weeks to work.
Athlete’s foot treatments are available as:
- creams
- sprays
- powders
They’re not all suitable for everyone for example, some are only for adults. Always check the packet or ask a pharmacist.
You might need to try a few treatments to find one that works best for you.
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