Are home remedies Effective for toenail fungus?
There are plenty of good reasons to take a do-it-yourself approach to minor medical problems. There’s no doctor’s visit involved, and without prescription medication there’s no risk of side effects. Many home remedies also have little to no cost, making them an even more attractive option.
What’s the only problem? When it comes to toenail fungus, known as onychomycosis by podiatrists, home remedies rarely if ever work. Good self-care in the form of proper foot and nail hygiene, however, is essential.
Chronic toenail fungus has the reputation of being very difficult to cure completely. To further complicate matters reinfection is quite common. As such, prescription antifungals represent a patient’s best hope of completely eradicating the fungus. These drugs aren’t perfect, but clearance rates of over 70% are possible when topical and oral agents are used.
Toenail fungus is by nature difficult to treat since the active infection is shielded by the nail itself. In order to give any treatment, the best chance of working the feet must be kept as clean as possible. All nails, even those which don’t appear to be infected, should be kept neatly trimmed. If nail thickness is an issue it pays to manually thin the affected nails with a small file. This last measure is especially important because it helps topical agents penetrate the nail to reach the infection below.
Toenail fungus Treatment and prognosis
While vertically growing toenails may look a bit odd, they rarely pose any kind of health risk. Whenever nail growth changes direction it’s a good idea to go back to proper nail care basics. Many cases of vertical nail will resolve themselves over a period of weeks as the nails are cared for properly.
The Best Natural Treatments for Toenail Fungus
Oil of the Olive Tree
When used as a regular supplement, olive leaf extract effectively treats toenail fungus. You may get a prescription from your neighborhood podiatrist in University Area, or you can get these capsules without a prescription. The antibacterial and antiviral properties of this extract make it extremely effective. This substance also offers a plethora of other health advantages and lowers cholesterol very well.
Garlic Oil
To get rid of toenail fungus, combine a few drops of oregano oil with a carrier oil. Due to its anti-fungal characteristics, dab some onto the diseased toenails each day to help clear up your toes.
Contact our Harrisburg, North Carolina, podiatry office right now for additional details or to make an appointment with one of our skilled local podiatrists to address any toenail problems or to prevent or treat toenail fungus.
Baking soda
Baking soda, often known as sodium bicarbonate, has powerful antifungal properties. Baking soda is effective against a variety of fungi known to cause toenail fungus, according to laboratory studies. In fact, it prevented the growth of 80% of the tested fungal isolates. Try mixing water and baking soda into a paste and applying it to your nails. Alternately, make a bucket of water with some baking soda and soak your feet every day.
Tea tree oil
An extremely helpful essential oil is tea tree oil. It’s among the greatest home treatments for toenail fungus and can be used to treat diseases like dandruff and athlete’s foot. Together with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and substantial antifungal actions, this essential oil contains. Tea tree oil nanocapsules stop the growth of rubrum, one of the more frequent fungus that cause toenail infections. In one trial, 100% tea tree oil given twice daily for six months was just as efficient as the antifungal drug clotrimazole.
Should this type of conservative treatment fail it’s best to consult with a podiatrist. In general, this is a good idea if you’ve begun to suspect that your nails have been slowly changing over time.
Vicks Vapor Rub
It is basically a mentholated ointment used as a cough suppressant but can be used to treat a toenail fungus as it has an active ingredient eucalyptus oil, camphor, and menthol, which shows positive clinical effects in the treatment of toenail fungus. So, it is recommendable to use it once a day.
FAQ
What is the Fastest way to kill toenail Fungus?
The Fastest way to kill toenail Fungus is the latest Laser therapy which is FDA approved. this method light penetrates the skin and treats nail fungus. It does not harm the surrounding skin.
What are the best foot soaks to treat toenail fungus at home?
The best foot soak to treat nail fungus at home is Epsom Salt with warm water or vinegar. It is advisable to soak the feet for 10-15 minutes daily, as it can aid in killing fungal spores in mild cases.
How does Vicks vapor rub be effective for nail fungus?
As Vicks vapor rubs have main ingredients like menthol, camphor, and eucalyptus, which can stop certain fungal growth. In a small study, people applied VapoRub each day for 48 weeks. The outcome of this study was that only 28.7% people were cured from toenail fungus while 55.6% got partially cured from VapoRub.
What natural cure is more effective against toenail fungus?
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Tea tree oil, due to its antiseptic and antifungal properties, showed effectiveness against toenail Fungus in mild cases.
Final Thoughts
Home remedies work only in treating toenail fungus when they are mild to moderate as it is a common belief that home remedies have fewer side effects but on the other hand home remedies takes longer time than oral antifungals and topical medications. It is recommended to keep your toenails dry, clean, and properly trimmed.
Consult your doctor immediately if home remedies do not show any effect or cause side effects.