Archive for Toenail
Quick and Easy Cure For Toenail Fungus
Posted by: | CommentsIf fungus is unkindly in your toenails presence, there is no need to worry, there is a cure for toenail fungus! After you put your foot down and decide to rid yourself of the fungus, you are graciously provided with a variety of options to curing the pesky bacteria. From home remedies to over the counter medications, there is bound to be one cure or another that will rid the fungus lurking under your toenails.
Toe nail fungus can be caused by a variety of things including sweaty gym shoes, public pools, and even shower stalls. The fungus can easily spread from one toe to another, causing more irritation and stress from the unwanted fungus lurking under your nails. Another great factor to the cause of toenail fungus is personal hygiene. Wearing a pair of socks repeatedly or switching sneakers with another individual can also contribute to the growth in toenail fungus.
Home remedies are a great cure for toenail fungus. A variety of home remedies require you to soak your feet in hot water and the specific substance for a certain amount of time. These remedies are also a great way to sit back, relax and enjoy the feel of hot water easing the pain and irritation in your feet caused by the fungus. By making the decision to use home remedies you are not only able to find a quick cure, but you are also saving money by not purchasing expensive over the counter medications, that can cause unwanted side effects.
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Is there a simple home remedy for toenail fungus?
Posted by: | CommentsToenail Fungus – Tips For Treatment
Posted by: | CommentsThe medical term for toenail fungus is “onychomycosis,” pronounced on * EE * ko * my * ko * sis. Despite the commonly used term “fungal toenails”, onychomycosis describes both fungus and yeast infections in the nail. The prevalence in America is about 2-3%, but some have reported it as high as 13%. Even at a low estimate of 2%, this accounts for 6 million Americans with toenail fungus. Toenail fungus affects men twice as often as it affects women.
The prevalence among elderly individuals and diabetics is 25%. In the 1800s, fungal toenails were very rare. The increased prevalence is linked to the increased exposure to fungus through the use of showering facilities in gyms, the use of hot tubs, saunas and public pool areas. There is an increase in occlusive footwear, an increase in sporting activities, an increase in diabetes and increase in age of the general population.
The risk factors for developing toenail fungus are increasing age, male gender, nail trauma, sweaty feet, poor circulation, poor hygeine, foot fungus and a compromised immune system.
Athlete’s tend to have a higher rate of fungus infection than non-athletes. The moisture in the shoe combined with repeated nail trauma increases the chance of infection. Hikers, runners, backpackers, soccer, basketball and tennis players, athletes wearing loose fitting shoes that allow jamming of the nails against the shoe and any individual wearing shoes that toe tight are at risk for developing toenail fungus.
There are a number of treatments for onychomycosis. The most aggressive and effective way to treat the fungus is with oral anti-fungal medications. The most common oral anti-fungal medications are Itraconazole (Sporonox ®) and Terbinafine (Lamisil ®). Both medications can be quite expensive as they need to be taken once daily for 3 months. The effectiveness of the medications ranges from 60 to 80%, with a recurrence rate of 15%. Lamisil® appears to be more effective and has fewer drug interactions than Sporonox®.
With both medications there is a long list of benign side effects including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rash, headache, taste disturbances and dizziness. Serious adverse events are very rare, less than 0.5%, but do include hepatitis and acute hepatic necrosis.
There are many other options besides oral anti-fungal medications. Unfortunately, they are not very effective. The most effective topical medication is Ciclopirox (Penlac ®) lacquer. Some studies have shown cure rates up to 60%, but in my experience the effectiveness is about 10-15%. Side effects occur in less than 2% of patients and include burning and redness around the nail.
This medication is only available by prescription and is also quite expensive. A few other prescription medications that help decrease the thickness of the fungal nails are Carmol® 40 and Keralac® Nail Gel. I would not expect to see complete cures with these products, but they can decrease the thickness and discoloration of the nail in some cases.
There are many home remedies and over the counter products that you can purchase. Some home remedies that can be used include bleach, tea tree oil, grapeseed extract, and Vics VapoRub®. With any home remedy or non-prescription topical, you must understand that the effectiveness of the treatment is fairly low, less than 10%. If you do try one of these therapies make sure to use it every day. Roughen up the nail surface with a file and apply the medication with a q-tip. Bleach can cause skin irritation and some individuals have had skin reactions to the Vics VapoRub®. In general these treatments are considered very safe.
Combination therapy can help increase the effectiveness of the treatment. If you choose to take an oral medication, make sure you use a topical anti-fungal agent as well. Nail removal is also an option. Once the nail is removed, the topicals can reach the nail bed and they become more effective. The nail will grow back in over a period of 8-10 months. Permanent nail removal is reserved for those with chronic ingrown nails, ulceration under the nails or pain from the fungal nails.
The best form of treatment is prevention and preventing the fungus from spreading to other toenails may be the best treatment option. I recommend choosing a topical that you feel comfortable with and use it once a week. No matter which treatment option you choose, you should take the following steps to avoid re-infection.
1. Make sure you rotate your shoes often and keep them in a cool dry place.
2. Change your insoles frequently, and make sure they dry out between use.
3. Place an anti-fungal powder or spray in the shoes to help fight off the fungus.
4. Bleach out the shower on a weekly basis and wash your shower mat regularly in hot water.
5. Make sure your athletic shoes fit well to prevent jamming at the toes. Jamming at the toes leads to microtrauma at the nails and increases the chance for fungal infection.
6. If you belong to a gym or health club, wear sandals in the locker room and don’t walk around barefoot.
7. Don’t keep your shoes in the gym locker where they cannot dry out.
8. If your feet sweat excessively, try using an antiperspirant spray on your feet before your workout.
9. Cut your toenails straight across. Don’t cut too short and cause breaks in the skin. This will increase the chance for fungal infection. Don’t let the toenails grow too long or they will jam against the shoe and cause bleeding under the nail, again increasing the chance for fungal infection.
The bottom line is that treating onychomycosis is very difficult. If you have fungal toenails that cause pressure, pain or infection, consider talking to your doctor about prescription medications or nail removal. Make sure you take precautions to prevent re-infection and take multiple approaches to eradicate the problem. If your fungal toenails are only unsightly and don’t cause any discomfort, try a weekly application of an over the counter topical along with methods to prevent re-infection.
Christine Dobrowolski, DPM is a podiatrist and owner of Northcoast footcare, Inc an online resource for foot care products and foot health information. To learn more about toenail fungus, visit NorthcoastFootcare/fungus.
Toenail Fungus – What You Can Do
Posted by: | CommentsOver six million Americans have toenail fungus. The medical term for toenail fungus is “onychomycosis,” pronounced on * EE * ko * my * KO * sis. “Onycho” means pertaining to the nails and “mycosis” refers to a disease caused by a fungus. The fungus causes the nails to become thickened and yellow. Sometimes they appear white and splotchy, and sometimes yellowish-brown. The nails can curve in at the sides and thicken substantially at the center. Many times the nails can be uncomfortable, cause pain or result in ingrown toenails. Diabetics, and those with depressed immune systems, have a higher risk of developing toenail fungus. Others with an increased risk of developing toenail fungus are the elderly, athletes and individuals with sweaty feet. The risk of developing toenail fungus increases with age. Athletes have a higher risk because of more wear in occlusive shoes combined with repeated nail trauma. This is especially true for hikers, runners, backpackers, soccer, basketball and tennis players. Fungus likes to grow in moist, warm areas. This increases the chance of infection for those with excess sweating of their feet, also known as hyperhidrosis.
Treatments
There are a number of treatments for onychomycosis. Unfortunately, many are not very effective. The most aggressive and effective way to treat the fungus is with oral anti-fungal medications. The most common oral anti-fungal medications are Itraconazole (Sporonox ®) and Terbinafine (Lamisil ®). Both medications are expensive and insurance companies tend to consider onychomycosis a cosmetic problem. If you are diabetic, your insurance company may consider onychomycosis a medical problem, and will cover the treatment. If you are experiencing pain or have developed ingrown toenails as a result, then your insurance company may cover treatment. The medication needs to be taken once daily for 3 months. The effectiveness of the medications ranges from 60 to 80%, with a recurrence rate of about 10-15%. Complete cure rates have been reported as low as 28%. Lamisil® appears to be more effective and has fewer drug interactions than Sporonox®.
With both medications, there is a long list of benign side effects including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rash, headache, taste disturbances and dizziness. A recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy found the most common side effects with three months of Lamisil®, tin individuals over 65 years of age, were nausea, sinusitis, joint pain and high cholesterol. Serious problems can develop, which is why many doctors will recommend other therapies first. The problems are rare and occur less then 0.5% of the time, but include serious liver diseases like hepatitis and acute hepatic necrosis.
Topical Therapy
Topical therapies are much safer, but also much less effective and sometimes quite expensive. Popular prescription topicals include Ciclopirox laquer (Penlac ®), Carmol® 40 and Keralac® Nail Gel. Don’t expect miracles from these medications, but they can help decrease discoloration and thickness, prevent progression and are a great adjunct therapy.
Over The Counter and Home Remedies
There are many OTC (Over The Counter) products which can be purchased online or at the drug store. A few include Tineacide®, which combines lavender oil and tea tree oil, Lamisil® topical nail treatment, Dr. Scholl’s® Nail Management Kit, and Restore® which is, in my opinion, one of the best medications you can purchase over the counter. Some home remedies that can be used include melaleuca oil (tea tree oil), bleach, grapeseed extract, and Vics VapoRub®. I have had many patients claim complete cures with Vics VapoRub®, popularized by Dr. Gott, but I have yet to see any complete cures with Vics treatment. Vics tends to decrease the thickness of the nails and will sometimes contribute to peeling off of layers of the nail. Most topicals, prescription medications, OTCs and home remedies, tend to have similar effectiveness. One key is to purchase a product that is a gel, solution, laquer or spray. Creams tend to not be as effective. Roughen up the nail surface with a file before application for better penetration. Use treatment daily and plan on going through therapy for 6-8 months. Make sure you take steps to prevent the fungus from worsening, spreading and re-infecting. Follow these steps:
1. Place an anti-fungal powder or spray in the shoes every other day.
2. Make sure you rotate your shoes often and keep them in a cool dry place. Use a shoe dryer in the winter if necessary.
3. Change your insoles frequently, and make sure they dry out between use.
4. Try using an antiperspirant spray on your feet before your workout, if your feet sweat excessively.
5. Wash your shower mat regularly in hot water, or step out of the shower, onto a towel, which is washed after each use.
6. Bleach out the shower on a weekly basis.Bleach works better than antimicrobial cleaners.
7. Make sure your shoes fit well.Ill-fitting shoes can lead to jamming at the toes. Jamming at the toes leads to microtrauma at the nails and increases the chance for fungal infection.
8. If you belong to a gym or health club, wear sandals in the locker room and don’t walk around barefoot. Don’t keep your shoes in the gym locker where they cannot dry out.
9. Ladies, avoid wearing toenail polish.Toenail polish can increases chances of and/or worsen a fungal infection. If you can’t bear to go without polish, keep them painted for only 3-4 days, remove all polish and then go without polish for 2-3 days. Repeat this cycle through the summer.
10. Cut your toenails straight across. Cutting too short can cause breaks in the skin. This will increase the chance for fungal infection. Don’t let the toenails grow too long or they will jam against the shoe and cause bleeding under the nail, again increasing the chance for fungal infection.
The Bottom Line
Toenail fungus is very difficult to treat. If you have fungal toenails that cause pressure, pain or infection, consider talking to your doctor about prescription medications or nail removal. Make sure you take precautions to prevent re-infection and take multiple approaches to eradicate the problem. If your fungal toenails are only unsightly and don’t cause any discomfort, try a weekly application of an over the counter topical along with methods to prevent re-infection.
Christine Dobrowolski, DPM is a podiatrist and owner of Northcoast footcare, Inc an online resource for foot care products and foot health information. To learn more about toenail fungus, visit Northcoast Footcare/fungus.
How To Cure Toenail Fungus Quickly And Naturally
Posted by: | CommentsToenail fungus is embarrassing, uglyand it can be very painful Getting infected with toenail fungus can be painfully, unhealthy and not to mention ugly. Fungus often grows under the nails and once they are infected it can take up to six months to treat and heal.
In this article I am going to share with you how to cure toenail fungus. To start with here are some tips regarding how to avoid toenail fungus.
Toenail fungus is not much different from mould, yeast and mildew. Contracting toenail fungus can be quiet easy from sweating in your socks like playing sport and another common cause is using public showers like gyms, public pool, etc.
Preventing Toenail Fungal Infection
The first thing you want to do is keep your feet and toes clean and dry and don’t sleep with your socks on. You should wear sweat absorbing socks whenever possible, if you do a lot of sport you should go bare foot when at home to allow your toes to air and dry out.
Keep your shower and bathroom clean and free of mouldand wear sandals or flip flops if you have to use a public bathroom.
Here are Some More Tips
Don’t share pedicure tools like nail clippers, etc. Make sure your feet are completely dry before putting on your socks and wear comfortable shoes and tight fitting shoes can increase the risk of toenail fungus.
How To Cure Toenail Fungus
A toenail fungal infection can be very persistent, stubborn and embarrassing, as a result there are a lot of home remedies that have been developed over the years. The most common home remedies are bathing your feet in vinegar, mouth wash and tea tree oil, even though tea tree oil and vinegar have been known to contain healing properties they are not medically prescribed to treat toenail fungus.
These home remedies might work if you if you had mild infection and did it every day for 6 to 12 months. But if you are like me and looking for a fast working solution and one you don’;t need to bath for hours on end then click here If you have a heavier inflection then you should consult your doctor, if you are too embarrassed or like me you like shopping online then you should click here How To Cure Toenail fungus
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Once my toenail fungus starting spreading from one toe to the next I went on a personal quest to cure it as quick as possible. I was so frustrated I put every home remedy I can across to the test, vinegar, mouth wash, tea tree oil and they only made slight improvement for a short time I tried all home remedies vinegar, tea tree oil, mouthwash and none of it worked. Then I found Zetaclear and my toenail fungus cleared up in just a matter of weeks click here
Can Vinegar Cure Toenail Fungus?
Posted by: | CommentsIt is known to most of you that there are home remedies for toenail fungus. As such, the question is “Can vinegar cure toenail fungus?” Of course, vinegar can work to certain extent in this affair. Vinegar treatment for toenail fungus is based on the fact that an acidic environment can block the growth of fungi under and around the nail. The daily application of vinegar to the infected area helps prevent toenail fungus and there is chance for new and healthy nail to grow. Many people are convinced with toenail fungus treatment using vinegar.
There are various types of vinegar to treat toenail fungus discoloration, but what you need here is ordinary white vinegar. You can have it in a basin and soak your feet in it for half an hour with relaxed mind. After half an hour, another dose of vinegar can be added and the toenail feet plunged fully for about fifteen minutes further. This process is repeated every day until the toenail fungal infection is getting completely cured. Another method is to paint the toenail with vinegar two or three times a day and apply a bandage soaked in vinegar. This bandage should be worn all the day and the toenail can be seen getting dry day by day.
Just like other natural cures for toenail fungus, the vinegar cure for toenail fungus is effective to some extent. Even though it may take time to cure completely, vinegar works as long as you take care to soak your feet in vinegar or apply vinegar every day regularly without fail until you get rid of toenail fungus. The nail infection is originating from beneath the thick nail.
If you take apple cider vinegar internally, it can speed up the things for cure. Since vinegar and toe nail fungus are closely associated, you may rely upon apple cider vinegar for toenail fungus. The apple cider works effectively for toenail fungus prevention. It is enough that you take just two teaspoons of vinegar three times a day. As the taste of apple cider may not be relishing for many people, it may be added with some beverage, such as fruit juice or carbonated soft drinks. But you must be cautious that acidic soft drinks may damage tooth enamel in due course.
Once you have cured your ailment and recover to normal appearance for the infected nail, you may stop taking vinegar by any method. It is here you are to be careful that the problem does not have recurrence with you. You have to keep your feet clean and dry all the time and the nails should be clipped short. If you have been used to taking vinegar and want to continue it, you may have it wisely if it is benefiting you in any other thing.
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Varadharajan R is the author of this article. This article cannot be used for reprint on your website omitting the active links in the article
what is the best home remedy for toenail fungus??????
Posted by: | CommentsOne that has actully worked for you. Please.
Antifungal Melaleuca Oil Treatment for Toenail Fungus
Posted by: | CommentsTreatment for toenail fungus varies greatly. Many people suffer with a condition called toenail fungus or onychomycosis. In fact, an estimated 48% of people residing in the United States suffer with toenail fungus in at least one toe by the time they reach 70 years old.
Onychomycosis is a very common ailment that occurs more frequently as a person ages. Toenail fungus is known to be easily transmitted and it is difficult to combat. Today there are some reliable, safe and natural toenail fungus treatment options that can address the problem.
Onychomycosis is a serious condition that causes disfiguration as well as discoloration, eventually destroying the nail. Toenail fungus is caused by a fungi referred to as dermatophytes; which is fueled by a moist warm environment.
These Dermatophytes are destructive because they invade and feed on keratin which is what the hard surface of toenails is constructed from. When the toenails become infected by the fungus you will see them turn yellow or brown. These infected toenails will thicken and become malformed. The nail can become so thick that it makes it uncomfortable to wear shoes. Untreated toenails can eventually fall off which is why toenail fungus treatment is so important.
Known factors actually promote the outbreak and growth of toenail fungus. Wearing dank, dirty shoes and walking across moisture laden floors put you at risk for developing fungal breakouts. The places where you are most likely to contract onychomycosis include public settings such as gyms, showers, pools and restrooms. These environments are all places where the disease is rampant and easily spread.
Developing toenail fungus is also linked to a lack of care in personal hygiene. If you are not drying between the toes regularly, keeping your feet clean and changing your shoes, socks and stockings as necessary you will be more likely to develop this problem. Those individuals who have chronic health ailments and immune disorders are also have a higher risk of getting fungus on their toenails.
Using natural home remedies to treat toenail fungus has proven to be effective. These home remedies include eating a diet with a high level of beneficial bacteria or probiotics, warm water and natural apple cider vinegar, oregano and olive oil or Listerine mouthwash.
One highly effective, natural toenail fungus treatment option is tea tree oil. This essential herbal oil is favored by physicians and homeopathic practitioners because it is cheap, easy to use, and has no side effects. Tea tree oil has some excellent antifungal properties and is only to be used for topical toenail fungus treatment. 100% tea tree oil is best if you are going to try this solution for your problem.
The oil must be carefully applied on the surface of the toenail and any surrounding tissue which is also affected by the fungus. Make certain that this toenail fungus treatment plan includes washing your feet several times a day with a formula made from either tea tree oil soap or shampoo. When you decide to use this herbal therapeutic regimen consult your doctor first and be wary of overusing the product which can create irritation.
Proven Toenail Fungus Treatment
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