The Danger Of Waiting To Treat The Fungus
The greatest danger of not treating the foot or toenail fungus is that it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the hands and groin.
If for some reason you cant treat your toenails or your feet right away, at least use an antifungal topical cream on the surrounding skin, Dr. Ng says. That will help keep it from spreading and keep the skin intact.
Home Remedies For Toenail Fungus: Stop The Rot
Fungal nail infections can give you discolored, thickened, and misshapen nails. These infections are caused by various kinds of fungi that invade your nail through cracks in the nail or a cut in the skin near it. But if the thought of unsightly feet is embarrassing you, there are various ways of treating this condition.
Your doctor may recommend antifungal tablets, antifungal nail paints which are applied topically to deal with infections, or laser treatment . Nail softening kits which remove the infected parts of your nail can also be useful. In some cases, complete removal of the nail may also be advised.1 However, if youre wary of expensive treatments or of taking strong medication with possible side effects, you may want to try a few home remedies to deal with your infected toenail.
Is The Distortion Of Your Nails Due To Underactive Thyroid
Fungus nail infection can be caused by thyroid issues. In a small percentage of people this common foot condition is related to sub par or over working of thyroid gland in the body. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland that sits low on the front of the neck. Its main function is to keep the body warm, keep the immune response at optimum levels and maintain metabolism.
Thyroid problems such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism may cause abnormality in nail shape, brittle nails or splitting of the nail bed from the nail plate and dry cuticles.
The reason this nail fungus like symptoms occur is that the thyroid hormone controls the strength with which our heart pumps blood. So stronger the contractions, the greater the amount of blood that will be supplied to body parts, such as the toes. Thus, when pumping are weaker they provide sluggish blood flow, the toes receive decreased amounts of oxygen, get cold and allow for an environment conducive for nail fungus.
Iodine is an important mineral for proper thyroid functioning. Your body uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. Deficiencies of Iodine are commonly found in Europe and Third World countries, where the soil and food supply dont have sufficient iodine levels.
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Prevention Of Toenail Fungus
Adopting a few preventive measures can mitigate your chances of getting infected by nail fungus or reinfections as well as athletes foot :
- Keep your hands and feet clean by washing them regularly. Be especially mindful of avoiding contact with an infected nail, and in case you do, wash your hands thoroughly. Moisturize your nails after washing.
- Keep your nails properly trimmed, file the rough edges to make them smooth, and file down thickened areas. Make a habit of disinfecting your nail clippers thereafter.
- Wear socks that absorb perspiration or change your socks throughout the day.
- Wear shoes made of materials that breathe.
- Let go of any old shoes or treat them with disinfectants or antifungal powders. Alternatively, consider using a medicated shoe spray after every use.
- Either carry your own manicure tools when visiting a nail salon or opt for a salon that uses sterilized tools for each customer.
- Abstain from using nail polish and artificial nails.
- Wearing shower footwear in hotels, gyms, public pools, and showers is essential to prevent reinfection.
Soak In Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a folk remedy for almost everything these days, including ingrown toenails. Its believed to have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving abilities, although scientific evidence is limited at best.
To try this remedy, prepare a basin of warm water combined with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Soak the affected foot for up to 20 minutes daily. Dry your foot thoroughly after soaking.
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Other Options For Toenail Fungus Infections
Removal of the toenail is only used when just one nail is infected, but it does work. Light therapy and lasers are also being studied as possible toenail fungus treatments. Laser therapy has shown promise when combined with oral or topical antifungals. A multicenter trial investigating the efficacy of a device, the Pinpointe FootLaser, is currently underway, so stay tuned to that.
How To Cure Toenail Fungus With Garlic
Garlic is an effective remedy for treating toenail fungus. It has excellent properties that can kill the fungus and prevent it from damaging your nail.
How to use?
- Place the crushed garlic on the affected nail
- Leave it for around thirty minutes
- After that wash off the area with water
- Repeat this remedy daily until the infection clears.
- Alternatively, you can also ingest garlic or take garlic capsules that treat the problem from inside.
Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has strong antifungal and antimicrobial properties which make it an effective remedy for treating fungal infections. Those looking for how to kill the growth of fungus on the nail can try using garlic. It gives surprising results in no time.
Precautions
Those with sensitive skin must do a skin patch test before using garlic. Rub some garlic on your arm, if it stings badly, then do not use this garlic remedy.
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Risk Factors Associated With Toenail Fungus
Certain health conditions and lifestyle factors can make you increasingly vulnerable to developing nail fungus:
Health: You have a greater chance of contracting a fungal nail infection if you suffer from one or more of the following issues:
- Other fungal skin infections, such as athletes foot or ringworm
- Diabetes
- Increasingly brittle, crumbly, or ragged nail
- Nail that appears warped or distorted in shape
- Nail that appears dull without any luster
- Dark color, caused by the accumulation of debris under your nail
- Slightly foul odor in the affected area
Why Are Spices Good For Health And Toenail Fungus
Before we study each spice separately, it would be better to let you understand how useful spices are. Here we have given a general account about spices as many people doubt their value.
Cure inflation
According to researches, spices are great in tackling the issue of inflammation. Herbs and spices, like mint, and cinnamon are great to cure any kind of inflammation in your body. As toenail fungus can also cause inflammation on your thumb thus, it would be wise to add these spices to your diet.
Moreover, ginger is also an anti-inflammatory spice, you can use it in powder form to fight inflammation.
Phytochemicals
These spices that would be discussed later contain phytochemicals that are good for the overall health. These are known to treat inflammation, strengthen the immune system, and inhibit the production of cancerous cells.
Regulates hormones
As hormones, such as androgens, cortisol, and other stress hormones make our bodies receptive for the toenail fungus and other skin infections, thus it is necessary to take food that can help regulate hormone production. Spices and herbs are quite efficient in doing so.
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How To Get Rid Of Toenail Fungus With Onion
Onion, like garlic, is a potent remedy for treating toenail fungus. Those unsightly yellow toenails can be effectively corrected by using onion. So what are you waiting for? Head to your kitchen and grab an onion.
How to use?
- Take an onion and cut its slices
- Rub a slice of onion gently on the affected toenail
- Repeat this process daily to get rid of the toenail fungus.
Benefits of onion
Rubbing onion on the infected nail inhibits the growth of fungus on the toenail. It fights off the build-up and clears the infection fast.
Precautions
If you have sensitive skin or a history of allergy, then do a skin patch test before using this remedy. In case of intense burning sensation, wash off the area immediately.
How To Cure Toenail Fungus With Sea Salt
Sea salt is a cheap and easy remedy for treating toenail fungus. The natural treatment helps in curing the fungal growth and preventing the infection.
How to use?
- To a bowl of water add half a cup of sea salt
- Soak your feet in the sea salt solution for at least thirty minutes
- After that rinse your feet and pat them dry.
Benefits of Sea Salt solution
Sea salt is one of the most effective ways for how to get rid of toenail fungus. It not only prevents the fungal growth but also pampers your feet. You can dip your feet in the solution as and when you want to treat the fungal growth and rejuvenate yourself. It gives you excellent results.
Precautions
After dipping your feet in the solution do moisturize them as the sea salt solution will dry your skin.
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Best Ointment: Fungi Nail Anti
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Infused with five oils for skin healing
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Easy-to-use brush applicator
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Only for mild infections
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Doesn’t heal the nail plate
Fungi Nail Antifungal Ointment uses an innovative design to address multiple forms of fungal infections one can find on their feet. Its wide-tip applicator applies the appointment on larger areas of the feet, such as the soles and in-between toes. Then the smaller applicator works to get around the nail cuticles and underneath the nail.
Once applied, the maximum-strength ointment kills the fungus with the active ingredients of zinc undecylenate and undecylenic acid to help treat toenail fungus. The ointment also soothes itching and burning that can come with an infection, all while healing the skin. For best results, apply twice a day to clean, dry feet.
The ointment also soothes itching and burning that can come with an infection, all while healing the skin. For best results, apply twice a day to clean, dry feet.
Active Ingredients: Zinc undecylenate 20% and Undecylenic acid 5% | Dose: Tube and brush applicator delivers the appropriate amount. Apply thin layer on affected area twice daily or as directed by a doctor. | Uses: Treats and prevents fungal infections fights athletes foot and ringworm
How Do I Know If I Have A Fungal Nail Infection
Because other infections can affect the nail and mimic symptoms of a fungal nail infection, the only way to confirm a diagnosis is to see a doctor. Theyll take a scraping of the nail and look under a microscope for signs of fungus.
In some cases, your doctor may send the sample to a lab for analysis and identification.
Over-the-counter products arent usually recommended to treat nail infections since they dont provide reliable results. Instead, your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal medication, such as:
- terbinafine
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Acrylic Nail Fungus Home Remedies
The first step after noticing an infection is to have the acrylic nail removed and to wash your fingernail with soap and water. Avoid putting on a new nail until the infection clears.
Anecdotally, some people claim the following home remedies have helped them clear their infection:
- Vinegar. Vinegar contains acid that can inhibit the growth of fungi and bacteria. Try soaking your finger in a 2:1 ratio of warm water to vinegar.
- Vicks VapoRub. An older 2011 study found Vicks VapoRub seemed to have a positive clinical effect on killing toenail fungi. You can try applying a small amount to your finger once a day.
- Tea tree oil. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health , one small study found evidence that tea tree oil may help treat nail fungus, but more research is needed. Try applying oil to your nail twice per day.
- Oregano oil. The chemical thymol found in oregano oil may have antifungal properties. Try applying oregano oil to your nail twice per day with a cotton swab.
- Listerine mouthwash. Listerine contains ingredients that have antifungal properties. Some people claim soaking your finger in original Listerine for 30 minutes a day may help clear the infection.
Soak In Listerine And White Vinegar
The combination of Listerines antifungal ingredients and vinegars acidity makes an inhospitable environment for fungi. This treatment is effective for green nails which may have whats called atypical organisms, says Dr. Goldenberg. If you have true toenail fungus, its less likely to work, though.
How to use it: Combine the two in equal portions and soak your toes in the solution, ideally for 45 to 60 minutes daily.
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Natural Ways To Defeat Toenail Fungus
Dont let this sometimes painful condition sideline you. Treat it early with these easy, natural solutions.
The showers at the local gym may have left you with an unwelcome gift: onychomycosis, otherwise known as nail fungus. Or maybe its a souvenir from a barefoot run or just a sign that you arent changing your running socks often enough. Although it starts innocuously enough, as a white or yellow spot underneath your toenail, the nail can start to thicken and even crumble as the fungus penetrates deeper and deeper. And, while it can can appear on your fingers, the fungus is more likely to appear and persist in your toenails because of the warm, moist environment of your shoes, where these little buggers can thrive, and unfortunately, where its most likely to affect your running.
If you see a dermatologist, youll most likely get a prescription for an antifungal oral medication such as Lamisil or Sporanox, which tend to be expensive and carry side effects ranging from skin rashes to potentially toxic liver damage. Thats not pleasant, which is why so many people look for a drug-free alternative, says Joe Graedon, MS, a pharmacologist at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at Chapel Hill and author of The Peoples Pharmacy. There are newer topical treatments, such as Kerydin, but they also require a prescription and can take up to a year to work. Here are some of Graedons top drug-free remedies for toenail fungus.
Essential Oils And Other Home Remedies
Using vinegar, baking soda, Hydrogen peroxide, and bleach to kill the toenail fungus is also common among many people. You can use these compounds in different ways as per your need.
Essential oils are also an effective home remedy for the toenail fungus. Mixing tea tree oil, oregano oil, clove oil, or cinnamon oil with a carrier oil and then applying it on the infected toenail fungus will kill the toenail fungus.
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What Therapies Does Dr Weil Recommend Fo Nail Fungus
Dr. Weil has always recommended using tea tree oil as a step toward a toenail fungus cure. This natural disinfectant sold at health food stores, as a home remedy for toenail fungus and fingernail fungus. Here, too, you wont get speedy results. Paint the oil on affected nails twice a day for at least two months. The nail has to grow out for the toenail fungus to be eradicated, so you may not see results for a year. An alternative remedy is grapefruit seed extract used the same way as tea tree oil twice a day for at least two months. Eating one to two cloves of raw garlic a day may also be helpful over time as garlic has significant antifungal properties.
The oral antifungal drugs that serve as fingernail and toenail fungus treatments of fingernail and toenail fungus seem to be effective but are expensive and not as safe. While cases of toxicity are rare, Dr. Weil sees no reason to take even a small risk for a problem that is usually cosmetic. In painful cases, podiatrists may temporarily remove infected nails so that a topical antifungal medication can be applied directly to the nail bed. In stubborn cases, an infected nail can be permanently removed.
Ibs And Gut Microbiota
Yeast overgrowth has been blamed for a number of chronic health conditions with unexplained clinical symptoms, including IBS.1,2,6 However, the science that connects the dots between yeast and IBS is limited.6
There is convincing evidence that the gut microbiota plays a role in IBS, especially post-infectious IBS.7 Probiotics are a widely used treatment for IBS, and they are thought to help restore balance to the gut environment. Yet, there are no studies that proveor disprovethe theory that Candida causes IBS in some patients.6
A position statement from the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology states that the idea that people are oversensitive to Candida is speculative and unproven.3 The authors raise concerns that long-term treatment with anti-fungal medications could lead to fungal resistance and rare side effects.
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How To Get Rid Of Toenail Fungus
By Joan Clark
A lot of people take their feet for granted and tend to neglect them. Foot health is a part of overall health, however. Cracked, yellowing, or discolored toenails do more than just affect your ability to wear flip flops it may be the result of a nail fungus. Onychomycosis more commonly referred to as toenail fungus can cause nails to thicken, yellow, and crack, as well as cause pain, swelling, and inflammation of the toe.
And while fungal toenail infection may not be life-threatening, youll still realize the importance of your feet. You might feel self-conscious about the appearance of your toes, or you might have a symptom of a larger problem .
Whatever the case, youre better off avoiding a fungus infection. Or, if you already have one, here are a few ways for how to get rid of toenail fungus.
- Closed-toe shoes
While fingernail infections can occur, toenail fungus infections are much more widespread, because of the conditions of the hands versus the feet.
A particular fungus known as dermatophyte yeast causes fungal infections. The fungi typically live and thrive in warm, moist environments such as pools and showers because shoes recreate these conditions, toenails are at a much higher risk for developing fungus.