Is There Any Real Proof That It Works
Let’s get right to the point here… is there any proof that this stuff actually works? Because I’m sure a lot of people reading this have wasted a lot of time, patience and money trying things that simply turn out to be complete duds.
Does it really work?
Well… when it comes to the effectiveness of VICK’s specifically dealing with nail fungus, there unfortunately isn’t much research out there. That said, there is some…
A study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine in 2011 took a look at the effects of VICKS on 18 patients who were suffering from onychomycosis over a period of 48 weeks .
The results were measured in 3 ways. They measured its effectiveness as a cure both mycologically and clinically, as well as on a personal assessment by the patients themselves.
The results: 15 of the 18 patients, or a whopping 83%, showed positive effects. And… 5 of the patients, or 27.8%, had been cured based on mycological and clinical results after the 48 weeks were up. 10 patients, or 55.6%, had infections that cleared up partially and only 3 had no change.
All in all… pretty good results.
Lack of proof?
As stated, there really isn’t much information and research out there specifically on VICKS VapoRub’s effectiveness when it comes to this.
The study mentioned above definitely proves some effectiveness and has some positives, however there has been some criticism as to the way this study was conducted, which might make it carry a little less weight.
Are Oral Medications For Nail Fungus Toxic
The newer drugs are unlikely to cause any liver problems in patients without known liver disease. Blood tests are not needed for once-weekly treatment with fluconazole however, people taking longer courses often have their liver function tested before starting the medicine and then retested during the course of treatment. It is important to notify the doctor of all side effects while on the medication. You should tell your doctor of all current medications to prevent potential serious drug interactions.
Complications: What If The Infection Is Left Untreated
If the nail fungus spreads deeper into the nail bed, it will cause the nail to thicken and turn green, yellow, brown, or black. As the infection progresses, the infected nail becomes brittle and pieces of it will start to break off from the toe or finger completely. Should the condition be left untreated, it can spread to other nails or cause skin around the infected nail to become inflamed. In more advanced stages, a foul smell may develop and white or yellow patches may be seen on the exposed nail bed. Over time, severe fungal nail infections can cause permanent damage to the nail root or nail bed.
It can be quite embarrassing to have this condition since this is an infection thats hard to hide. People with Onychomycosis may also find it difficult or painful to wear shoes, walk, or stand for long periods of time if their toenails have been infected severely.
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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
Toenail Fungus Home Care
Sometimes itâs possible to treat your toenail fungus at home. You can try:
- Over the counter antifungal creams or ointments. File or cut off any white markings on your nails. Soak your nails in water and dry off before you put on the medicated cream.
- Special nail care. If you keep your nails trimmed, it can reduce the pressure and pain you feel. You can also thin your nail bed by filing it down. This can help antifungal creams get to the problem easier.
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Living With A Toenail Fungus Infection
A toenail fungus might not seem like a big deal compared to other health conditions, but it can affect daily life activities and function to some degree.
Some patients experience pain, difficulty doing everyday activities, and fitting shoes. There is also a stigma surrounding nail fungus so many people are embarrassed that they have this, says Dr. Lipner.
Treatment is a lengthy process. It can be daunting to keep up with the treatment schedule when the results are slow coming.
If youre feeling depressed, embarrassed, and tired of dealing with pain and staying on top of your treatment, reach out to your doctor or mental health professional to chat about your concerns.
Next, these are the common foot problems and podiatrists solutions.
What Are The Dangers Of Using Bleach
Bleach could be chlorine and non-chlorine. There are many bleach solutions available in the market but theyre all highly concentrated as theyre mainly used to remove stains, disinfect surfaces or clothes.
While following this remedy, you must take care of your feet very well. Never soak your feet in an undiluted bleach solution or you may be at risk of severe skin or nail damage.
Some dangers of the wrong usage of bleach solutions include:
- Itching
- Dry and patchy skin
- Burning sensation
In case, you inhale the solution while applying it, you may experience nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath or coughing too. So be very careful.
A step-by-step method to Remove Toenail Fungus Using Bleach Water:
- 1. Buy a Bleach Powder or Solution
Most houses have bleach powders as they use them to do the laundry. Some people even use it to clean their bathroom floorings.
Preferably bleach powder should be bought as it can be diluted easily. A tablespoon of bleach is enough to get your toenail fungus treated.
- 2. Warm Water
It is always better to soak your legs in warm water to remove dirt and mud. It helps soften the nail bed too. When you want to dilute bleach faster, you may warm a gallon of water in the basin or foot bath, or even a bucket is good.
- 3. Add other anti-fungal ingredients
These can prevent your skin discolouration and also take care of your nail cuticles. Essential oils can penetrate in the nail bed and kill the fungi too. Note that this is an optional step.
- 4. Soak
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Doctor Prescribed Ways To Treat Nail Fungus
Fortunately, there several ways to get rid of nail fungus. Most treatments aim to eradicate the causative organism and restore the normal appearance of healthy nails. Treatment options range from self-care remedies, to medications recommended by a general practitioner, to ointments bought over-the-counter without a prescription.
Its important to note that repeat infections are common even with treatment. Whats more, remedies are not all equally effective with some even causing possible side effects.
With that in mind, here are some of the top ways to treat and get rid of nail fungus at home.
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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.
Ask About Antifungal Pills
If topical treatment isnt doing the trick, your doctor may prescribe one of the following antifungal pills:
- Fluconazole
- Itraconazole
- Terbinafine
How to use it: Antifungal pills work faster than medicine applied to the nails, the AAD says, but you should still expect a few months of consistent use, per your doctors instructions.
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# 2 Applying Bleach Directly To The Nail
The second way you can use bleach nail fungus is to apply it directly to the infected nail. All you need is some bleach and a q-tip.
Here is how to do it:
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.
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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 won’t reattach, and a new nail won’t grow from that part of the nail bed. However, your nail will continue to grow from the root at the base.
How To Treat Toenail Fungus With Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is a fantastic herb with powerful properties. Those looking for how to get rid of toenail fungus can use it to heal the distorted nail.
How to use?
- Put a chamomile tea bag in a cup of water
- Take it out after some time and squeeze out the excess water. After that place the tea bag on the infected nail.
- Repeat this remedy two to three times a day to see effective results.
Benefits of Chamomile
Chamomile is one of the effective home remedies for toenail fungus. It has soothing properties that calm the inflamed skin and further inhibit the growth of fungus.
Precautions
Those who have suffered from allergic reactions from plants belonging to the daisy family like marigolds must avoid this remedy. Topical application of chamomile may also cause allergic reactions and the development of rashes.
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Making The Vinegar Foot Soak
Vinegar will not hurt your feet, but you should still dilute it for a foot soak. Generally, using 1-part vinegar to 2-parts water is a good ratio. If youre tolerating the diluted vinegar soaks, and not noticing any difference, you can use a stronger soak.
While the soak will smell strong, the odor will dissipate after the vinegar dries from your feet. You can also use essential oils to change the scent slightly.
What Causes Foot And Toenail Fungus
Fungi are microscopic organisms that can live on your skin and often dont cause any problems. However, if you have any tiny wounds or cracks in your skin, fungi can enter and cause infection. Fungi generally need a moist, warm environment to grow and spread, which is why your feet and especially the skin between your toes are such common areas of fungal infection. Foot fungus can be spread through either direct skin contact or by contact with infected flakes of skin, while toenail fungus can be spread by having a pedicure with unsanitized tools, wearing shoes that cramp your toes, and walking barefoot in warm, damp areas.
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Should One Surgically Remove The Toenail Affected By Fungus Infection
Not everyone needs a surgical removal of the toenail fungus. Doctors try saving the nails as surgical removal of nails could be painful sometimes and it takes a long time for the nail to grow again.
However, when the infection is recurring or a severe one, there is risk of fungi entering other organs or damaging the entire foot. So it is essential for the nail to be removed.
The entire nail is not necessarily removed in all cases. The doctor may remove only the debridement when the fungus infection can be cut off.
And, in worst cases, the doctor may need to remove the entire nail to prevent its spread.
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There are multiple treatments for toenail fungus, though some are faster than others. The fastest way to eliminate the infection is through toenail laser treatment. Laser nail therapy specifically targets the microorganisms under your nail while leaving the keratin intact. In just a few treatments, the infection can be entirely eliminated. This allows your toenail to regrow healthy, clear keratin that then pushes out the old, discolored, damaged areas.
Traditional fungal nail treatments take a little longer to work. Topical medications have to be applied every day to the infected nails for as long as it takes to destroy the infectionwhich can be months. Oral medication is more efficient, since it travels through the blood stream to combat the fungus. Depending on your situation, you may have to take pills for a few weeks to a few months.
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Apple Cider Vinegar And Epsom Salt
Another foot soak method, this is said to work really well for toenail fungal infections. Apple cider vinegar has a number of healing and antibacterial properties if its organic, making it a go-to for many homeopathic treatments.
- 1/3 cup full strength ACV
- 2 cups hot water
- 1/3 cup Epsom salt
Mix and soak your toes/feet for at least 30 minutes every day. Apple cider vinegar is also a good supplement to take internally for overall health and to promote healing of fungus and bacteria from the inside out.
How To Heal Your Toenail Fungus At Home
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HOW TO HEAL YOUR TOENAIL FUNGUS AT HOME
If you have mild toenail fungus, theres a very good chance that a home remedy can help you get rid of it. Though you can definitely try these with moderate to severe toenail fungus, too, as long as youre healthy, it is recommended that you see a specialist if its a bad case of fungus.
As always, if your immune system is compromised or you have diabetes, its always best to see a podiatrist so you dont risk making things worse or needing surgery.
Without further ado, here are several home remedies you can try to heal your toenail fungus.
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So What Causes Toenail Fungus
You can catch toenail fungus in warm, moist places like a pool deck or gym locker rooms. If someone has an infection and walks barefoot on the surface before you, you can easily pick it up, the AAD says.
Having wet nails for long periods of time, like wearing sweaty shoes or soggy boots all day, can also cause toenail fungus.
Certain people are more likely to get toenail fungus than others. Youre more likely to deal with this type of infection if you meet the following criteria:
- You live in a hot, humid climate
- You have athletes foot
- Youve had a nail infection in the past
- You spend a lot of time barefoot
- You wear tight-fitting, closed toe shoes and you have sweaty feet
- You spend a lot of time in water
Ultimately, anyone can get toenail fungus, Dr. Goldenberg says. However, he sees it most commonly with athletes, people who go barefoot at the gym or swimming pool, and older patients.