Fungal Toenail Infections and Using Home Remedies

Home Remedies can fight Fungal Infections

‘Home remedy’, is the phrase people think of when something has been passed through generations of family or many people by word of mouth. In some cases, these home remedies do work. Most of these remedies were brought about by people when it wasn’t easy to get to a doctor; so they used the next best thing, by using household items.

Many people agree that many of these home remedies work for nail fungus. Applying Vicks VapoRub, or soaking the nail in Listerine, vinegar, bleach, peroxide, or various essential oils on the affected areas of skin can help.

Although bleach is an item we don’t recommend, people online have suggested it.

Some Useful Remedies

These items change the pH level of the area you apply them to. Since fungus needs a certain amount of pH, this makes it unlivable for the nail fungus. Doing this may affect any other skin that comes in contact with the area. This can cause the skin to dry out, which can cause it to be more susceptible to infection. To help keep this from happening, you can take the solution of vinegar or Listerine and soak a cotton ball in it. Then apply it to the affected area for 15-20 minutes. This will keep the healthy skin around the infection from becoming dry and lower risk for infection.

Many people ask why or how Vicks VapoRub can work. It is pretty unanimous that the eucalyptus rub does show quick results in clearing up toenail fungus. To do this you must rub the entire affected area with the compound. You should see results in clearing of the infection in just a few days.

Although proven to be effective, rubbing alcohol or peroxide can irritate the skin.

If applied to the nail and the area around the infection they will kill the toenail fungus.

When using these remedies remember to be smart about it. All of them have been shown to help slow, kill and/or remove toenail fungus. But, just like any other medications, over-the-counter or prescribed, you should stop treatment right away if the infection gets worse or spreads. If the infected area is already releasing pus or has separated from the nail, don’t use these remedies and seek advice from your healthcare provider.

Toenail Fungus Treatment Options

Treatments for Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus is a common disease that can be contracted by everyone. It is also one of the most difficult ones to cure. Before it can be treated, you have to determine what caused it, which requires the help of a physician. Toenail infections can be fungal, bacterial, or something completely unrelated. If it is found to be an infection, you must then determine whether it is Dermatophyte or yeast that is causing the infection.

Most people are not aware that there are home remedies for treating nail fungus, while others are not sure whether their particular fungus is treatable using a home remedy. Please note, that if your infection has reached the point where there is drainage, pain, or swelling, you must see a physician because you are past the point where a home remedy will work effectively. Trying to treat it yourself at that stage may pose the risk of more damage to the surrounding tissue. At such a point, medical intervention is necessary.

Home Remedies

Home remedies are extremely effective, especially when treating the early signs and symptoms of toenail fungus. While some people still see home remedies as “iffy”, they are effective. When you really think about it, home remedies were the only option a few hundred years ago and science is showing that they are, in some cases, more effective than standard medicine.

Many of the home remedy methods may seem a bit strange, but the science that backs them is very strong. Natural fungicides are widely available on the market, and even doctors attest that sometimes they are more effective than prescription options.

For example, soaking your feet in vinegar may sound gross at first, not to mention vinegar is rather smelly. However, for years vinegar has been used as a natural disinfectant in both treating illness and in cleaning. Just like any home remedy, vinegar must be tried in the early stages of a nail fungus infection. Once the fungus has caused separation of the nail or open sores, dipping your feet in vinegar or Listerine can be very painful.

Modern Medical Community

The modern medical community has created a lot of different solutions for nail fungus by using pharmaceutical companies to create various medications to treat them.

If you catch the infection early on, your doctor is likely to prescribe a paint-on, clear-coat nail medication. If the product does not work to clear up the infection, your doctor may next prescribe an oral medication taken in pill form. Do this only under the close supervision of a doctor. This is because oral anti-fungal medications can cause severe, toxic effects to the liver. See your doctor regularly if you are taking oral anti-fungal medications, which can make this method of treatment very expensive.

Make sure to let your doctor know about any medications you are taking, both prescription and herbal, even vitamin supplements. Knowing this information lets your doctor make the right choice with the medication he or she prescribes, because some of them can cause severe interactions if used with other things.

While the best course of treatment is prevention and early detection, nail fungus does not cause any severe side effects early on. This means that it is easy to overlook, especially for those who wear nail polish or shoes on a regular basis. Nail fungus is easier to ignore if it is on your feet, very likely during the colder months where your feet are covered with shoes. Those who do not know much about nail fungus may feel that it will go away on its own or that it is just the lighting in the room they are in. Shortly after, they forget about it until it begins to cause issues, like disfiguring the nail.

The most important thing in treatment is catching the infection early on and preventing the fungus from reaching the nail bed, where it will grow faster.

About the Condition Called Hangnails

Hangnails and their Prevention

The hangnail is one of the most common problems with nails. There are a few things you can do to help prevent hangnails from ruining the look of your hands. Hangnails do more than just make our hands look bad; they cause us pain by snagging on anything and everything. Here we will show you some simple solutions to stopping hangnails.

What Is A Hangnail?

The hangnail is caused by extra skin building up around the nail’s base and sides. This extra skin detaches itself from the nail and sticks up. This skin sticking up can be painful while removing, or commonly ripping and biting it off.

What Causes Hangnails?

Dry cuticles are usually the cause of Hangnails. At the base of the nail is the cuticle, which can dry out and break away from the nail causing a hangnail. Biting, picking, and pulling at hangnails tend to make them worse and last longer. The risk of hangnails is increased if the person spends more time with their hands in water.

This causes the skin to get soft, which allows the skin to be more easily damaged. Children are more commonly seen getting hangnails by biting their nails.

How Do I Prevent Hangnails?

The best way to solve the problem is by preventing it before it happens. You can do this by moisturizing the cuticle.

Some Simple Hangnail Prevention Tips:

Avoid biting or ripping off your hangnails. This can cause bleeding and infection. Use a pair of nail scissors and cut the hangnail close to the base to stop deterioration.
Soak your hand in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, dry thoroughly, then apply a moisturizing cream or oil to the skin surrounding the nails.
Don’t bite your nails. This will prevent you from getting hangnails. If you find this difficult, there are products you can get to put on your nails. These products will make the nails taste bad and prevent you from biting your nails.
Wear gloves when using cleaners or when your hands are submerged in water for a really long time.