When To See Your Doctor
If you think you have athletes foot and it hasnt subsided after a week of home treatment, make an appointment to see your doctor. You may need prescription antifungals to get rid of the infection.
You should also make an appointment to see your doctor if you have athletes foot and diabetes. This is especially true if you have signs of a secondary bacterial infection, which can be more dangerous in those with diabetes due to their nerve damage.
Signs of infection include redness, pus, swelling, drainage, and fever. If you have diabetes, you may not feel pain in your feet due to nerve damage.
Your doctor will likely be able to diagnose athletes foot just by looking at it.
Treating Athletes Foot Fungus
Athletes foot is one of the most common foot infections. It is easily acquired, especially by people who often use communal showers and pools, such as those in college dorms or gyms. It grows in warm, damp places like public showers, locker rooms, and pools.
This foot condition is also common with shoes that are too tight or socks or shoes that are damp. Athletes foot can also be contracted from getting pedicures with not properly sanitized equipment.
Tinea pedis, the scientific name for athletes foot, is often characterized by itching, burning, redness, peeling, and sores and blisters. Athletes foot can also be known as jungle rot, from military personnel who contract it in warm, damp climates.
Four different kinds of fungus can cause of athletes foot. These fungi live on dead skin, hair, or toenails.
Athletes foot consists of three different kinds of infections. The most common variety is called interdigital and grows between the toes, usually the two smallest. It often causes scaling, itching, and burning and can move to the rest of the foot. Interdigital infections can also be called toe web infections.
An infection on the sole is known as moccasin infection. It causes the skin to crack and thicken and is accompanied by dry skin, itching, scaling, and irritation. It can move to the sides of feet, as well.
Potential Safe Uses For Bleach
The myth that bleach could treat toenail fungus may be less related to topical applications and more about using bleach to clean other items that could potentially infect the toenails, such as nail clippers or files.
Shoes and socks exposed to toenail fungus can be washed with bleach. Follow the bleach products directions for your washer and laundry load size. You can also use bleach-based solutions to clean areas where fungus may grow in your home, such as your shower tiles, bath mats, or floor.
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Oregano Oil Remedy For Toenail Fungus
Oregano oil is an essential and strong oil to treat different types of skin infections. It has two main ingredients that are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.
The only con of using oregano oil is finding a compatible carrier oil. You cannot use oregano oil alone it is highly reactive.
Only the diluted version of oregano oil is the best to treat nail fungus. You can use different carrier oils for dilution.
The most important part in using oregano oil for toenail fungus is the proportion of oregano oil.
You need to mix only six to eight drops of oregano oil with an ounce of carrier oil. Following this proportion, you can make an entire bottle of carrier oil and essential oil.
The two main ingredients in oregano oil, are the thymol and the carvacrol. Both these are highly reactive and anti-fungal.
They will wipe off all the fungal spores after continuous use.
How to use oregano oil for nail fungus treatment
Pros of using oregano oil for nail fungus as a home remedy
- An anti-inflammatory compound.
Cons of using oregano oil
- Takes almost 8 months to treat toenail fungus.
- Need to use it at least twice a day regularly.
Note: For a detailed guide on using the Oregano Oil for toenail fungus treatment and also to know how it performed on a patient with toenail fungus, you can check the case study with out review & guide below:
Read Our Ultimate Guide on Using Oregano Oil for Toenail fungus.
Why Does It Develop
A fungal nail infection occurs from the overgrowth of fungi in, under, or on the nail. Fungi thrive in warm, moist environments, so this type of environment can cause them to naturally overpopulate. The same fungi that cause jock itch, athletes foot, and ringworm can cause nail infections.
Fungi that are already present in or on your body can cause nail infections. If you have come in contact with someone else who has a fungal infection, you may have contracted it as well. Fungal infections affect toenails more commonly than fingernails, likely because your toes are usually confined to shoes, where theyre in a warm, moist environment.
If you get a manicure or pedicure at a nail salon, be sure to ask how the staff disinfects their tools and how often they do it. Tools, such as emery boards and nail clippers, can spread fungal infections from person to person if theyre not sanitized.
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How To Cure Toenail Fungus: Can Vinegar Help
This article was co-authored by Zora Degrandpre, ND. Dr. Degrandpre is a Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Vancouver, Washington. She is also a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She received her ND from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2007.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 20 testimonials and 86% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,163,707 times.
Nail fungus refers to a fungal infection that starts underneath your toenails. It could cause discoloration, thickening, or crumbling on one or more of your nails. This is a frustrating problem, so youll naturally want to get rid of nail fungus as soon as possible. One remedy you may have heard of is soaking your foot in vinegar to clear the infection. Vinegar is acidic, so it will kill bacteria and fungus.XResearch source However, this remedy has very limited success because the vinegar cant penetrate under the nail. You can try it if you want to, but visit a podiatrist for further treatment if you dont see any results in 2 weeks.
Understanding Nail Infections To Get Rid Of Toenail Fungus
Any one of these treatment options can offer relief for toenail fungus, but in order to effectively treat and then prevent re-infection, it is important to understand how nail infections work. Knowledge is power, and, in this case, it gives you the tools to answer the question, how to get rid of toenail fungus fast!
Approximately 12% of the adult population suffers with a nail fungus to some degree. This problem can affect both old and young but is more common in older adults and particularly those with a compromised immune system.
You should understand you have both good and bad bacteria in and even on your body at all times. Inside the body, the good bacteria work to keep bad bacteria in check, but when the scales get tipped in the other direction, it can leave you vulnerable to all sorts of infections, including toenail fungus.
Of course, imbalances in your system is only one of the many ways you could acquire a toenail fungus. Here are just a few more culprits:
- Tight, dirty footwear
- Contact- nail salon , pool, gym or sauna that are contaminated.
- Athletes foot
- Poor circulation arterial disease or diabetes are common causes
- Genetic condition
- Contaminated nail utensils
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Your Options For Treating Toenail Fungus
If you think you may have toenail fungus, you should see a podiatrist or dermatologist, who will send a specimen or a piece of your nail to a lab. Different types of fungus are treated slightly differently, so its important to know which type you have, says Sundling.
Also, sometimes the root of the problem is not a fungus at all, but rather another condition, or some kind of trauma to the nail bed for instance, if you dropped something on your toe. There is no treatment for toenail trauma, but removing the nail may be an option if the nail is painful.
If you do have a toenail fungus, your doctor will likely recommend one or more of the following treatment options:
See A Dermatologist To Pinpoint The Problem
Foot fungus wont just go away on its own, Dr. Ng says. If you think you have foot or toenail fungus, see your dermatologist, she says. There are several tests that your dermatologist can perform to identify exactly whats going on.
Its important to be aware that there are other diseases which can cause nail changes, she says. For example, we do see things like squamous cell skin cancers in the nail beds and even melanomas, which have a brownish or blackish discoloration.
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When To Contact A Doctor
Toenail fungus is typically not a significant problem for most people. However, if there are no improvements or complications occur as a result of home remedies, people should speak with a doctor and stop using the home remedy as soon as possible. It is also advisable to contact a podiatrist if a person notices any discoloration, thickening, or abnormality of the toenails.
Furthermore, people at higher risk for complications should seek medical treatment for their toenail fungus and avoid home remedies altogether. This includes those with diabetes or with weakened immune systems.
Hydrogen Peroxide For Nail Fungus
Hydrogen peroxide is a known treatment for nail fungus.
However, we still do not know what the scientific evidence for it are, as no scientific research proves it. It is still a matter of debate.
What is so far known of the Hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for nail fungus is the developing of Hypochlorous acid which is an effective way to kill nail fungus.
The Hydrogen peroxide is an extremely active, why many people use Hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for nail fungus is the affordability.
It is available almost at every place, moreover they do not need a prescription for this.
How to use Hydrogen peroxide for nail fungus?
- Apply it directly with a Q-tip. Take a little of Hydrogen peroxide and dip a Q- tip in it, apply it on the infected area only.
- Try the breathing foot soak method. All you have to do is take almost 2 to 3 percent of hydrogen per oxide with water. Put your foot in it and press the infected area for almost 2 minutes and release, repeat this process several times for 15 minutes.
- Use it with baking soda, you can either make a paste of baking soda and Hydrogen peroxide or make a foot soak. Whichever is more convenient. Th easier one is the paste, but it is for the extreme cases, if it is the onset of the infection you can try making the foot soak.
Pros of using Hydrogen peroxide as a home remedy for nail fungus
Cons of Hydrogen peroxide as a remedy for nail fungus
- It is not skin friendly.
- Not approved by any doctor specifically for toenail fungus.
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Thyme Oil For Toenail Fungus Treatment
Thyme/thymol oil is a very effective essential oil. If you are suing the oregano oil for nail fungus but want to have a change as both these oils can take months to show some results, you can alternate these two oils.
The reason why we are suggesting you alternate these two is the similarities in construction.
The oregano oil and thyme oil have an 85% similar structuring. Both have the strongest compounds for fungus and bacterial infections. They have the carvacrol, and thymol.
Along with it, the thyme oil has camphor, borneol, and linalool.
To use the thyme oil, you need to find a carrier oil, the best carrier oil for thyme oil can be the mustard and coconut oil.
However, if you feel annoyed by the mustard oil, you can try the olive oil or any other pleasant fragrant oil.
How to use thyme oil remedy for nail fungus treatment?
- Apply it directly, take a few drops of thyme oil and rub it on your entire foot. Many people think that applying it on the infected spot is enough, which is not. You need to detoxify the entire foot, because a lot of times the bacteria residing on the skin can support the growth of the nail fungus.
- Mix it in a foot soak. If you are making a foot soak of baking soda/Epson salt/ Hydrogen per oxide, mix a few drops of the diluted thyme oil in it.
- Make a paste with baking soda and thyme oil. It is a least known treatment and is mainly applied with clove oil, but you can shuffle the clove oil with thyme oil as well.
Cons of using thyme oil
Soak Your Feet In Hydrogen Peroxide
Method
How Often?
You have to repeat this process every day until, and even after, the problem subsides. Getting rid of nail fungus is not easy and will take a lot of patience and effort.
Why This Works
This oxidate therapy using hydrogen peroxide is highly effective when it comes to treating nail fungus. The method involves using the peroxide to soak the infected and affected nails. As the oxygen levels increase, the fungus on your nails gets destroyed.
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How To Get Rid Of Toe Fungus
This article was co-authored by . Dr. Mark Co is a Podiatrist who runs his own private practice in San Francisco, California. Dr. Co specializes in treatments for bunions, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, warts, plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain. He also offers custom orthotics for the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle issues. Dr. Co completed a Master of Business Administration at New York University and an MA in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Co also completed his DPM at the California School of Podiatric Medicine and a residency and internship at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, California. Dr. Co was awarded San Francisco’s “Top 3 Podiatrists” in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Dr. Co is also a member of the CPMA .There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 96% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,500,161 times.
How Effective Are Topical Treatments
So far, only a few studies have looked into topical nail fungus treatments with nail polishes or creams. Because these studies had weaknesses, the results should be interpreted with caution. Amorolfine has not yet been well studied. Ciclopirox polish and treatment sets with urea and bifonazole cream were tested in a few studies.
Research on the effectiveness of nail polish containing ciclopirox showed that, after one year:
- About 10 out of 100 people who did not use ciclopirox no longer had a detectable fungal nail infection.
- About 32 out of 100 people who used ciclopirox no longer had a detectable fungal nail infection.
In other words, treatment with ciclopirox got rid of the fungal infection in about 22 out of 100 people. But even if the fungus had gone away, the cosmetic result wasnt always satisfying. The nails only looked healthy after treatment in 7 out of 100 people.
Treatment with sets containing urea and bifonazole cream was tested in one study. It was compared with a treatment in which only urea cream was applied and the nail was removed, but without applying bifonazole cream afterwards. Three months after treatment was completed, it was found that:
- No fungus was visible or detectable in about 41 out of 100 people who only used urea cream.
- No fungus was visible or detectable in about 51 out of 100 people who used both urea and bifonazole cream.
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