Avoid Nail Fungus

Anyone who has seen a fingernail or toenail destroyed by fungal growth wants to avoid nail fungus. Nail fungus infection, or onychomycosis, affects up to 13% of the North American population - that's more than one in ten. The organisms that cause the infection are common in the environment - in the soil, in damp locations, and in the clothing of people who already have onychomycosis. It's almost impossible not to come in contact with these potentially infectious fungi but you can take some precautions to avoid infection.

Preventing nail fungus begins with good hygiene. Onychomycosis usually starts on the feet, so this is where you should concentrate your efforts. Keep your feet cool and dry. This means regular washing and careful drying. Sandals are preferable to closed shoes, whenever possible, and sweaty feet should be allowed to breathe. You can use a foot powder or antiperspirant to keep your feet dry if sweating is a problem. Air your shoes out - don't wear the same pair on consecutive days so they have ample time to dry completely. Laundering your socks after each use will also help avoid nail fungus.

Keep both fingernails and toenails trimmed and clean. Avoid cutting them too short and damaging the delicate tissues underneath and at the sides. Also try to avoid injuries to the cuticle and the skin around your nails: preventing nail fungus means having intact skin to stop the fungi from gaining entry. It's especially important to protect your fingernails, as hands are more often injured during day to day activities. To avoid nail fungus infections in your fingernails, wear work gloves while gardening or cleaning in damp areas like basements and sheds, and wear rubber gloves when your hands will be immersed in water.

If you get professional manicures or pedicures, you'll want to avoid nail fungus risks at the salon. Keep in mind that previous clients may have had onychomycosis, and fungal spores may be present in the salon and on equipment. Ask about the measures being taken in the salon for preventing nail fungus from spreading from person to person. There are regulations that these professionals must follow to protect themselves and their clients. If you are distrustful of your manicurist, take your business elsewhere, or purchase your own tools and bring them with you.

It's common sense of course, but we'll say it anyway: to avoid nail fungus, don't wear another person's shoes, socks or gloves, or use emery boards or nail files that have been used by others. Do wear sandals or flip flops in public changing rooms and showers, on swimming pool decks, and in other public places where fungal spores may linger. And if you see any sign that a fingernail or toenail has become infected, see your doctor immediately.

Tea Tree Oil

The Australian Tea Tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, is being used to produce an essential oil known as Tea Tree oil. The oil is usually extracted from the leaves and stems of the plants using a steam distillation process, and marketed as a natural healing agent for diverse uses. It is one of the more promising natural healing agents on the market today, with evidence from scientific studies to back up claims of its healing properties.

Among the benefits of tea tree oil is its ability to fight infectious agents: bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The fact that it has activity against these pathogens makes it ideal as a topical antiseptic for wounds, burns, acne, insect bites and localized infections. (Tea Tree oil may cause irritation to the skin if applied directly in concentrated form. As well, it should not be taken internally: its safety as an oral remedy has not been established.) It is recommended by alternative healing practitioners for fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails, and it has also been used as a natural treatment for lice and mites.

Other Tea Tree oil uses include aromatherapy, and as an anti-inflammatory and an agent to clear the nasal passages in head colds. Rubbed on the skin, it is said to penetrate well and act as a painkiller. Scientific study has not yet verified the benefits of Tea Tree in all of these applications; however the antiseptic qualities of the oil are well documented, at least in the research laboratory setting.

The antifungal benefits of Tea Tree oil make it a good alternative healing remedy for fungal nail infections, something that is badly needed in an area where the choice of treatments is basically limited to old home remedies or expensive and possibly dangerous prescription drugs. Many natural remedies for fungal nail infections now contain the oil in various concentrations, sometimes combined with other essential oils or herbal extracts thought to have antifungal action. This has become one of the top Tea Tree oil uses.

Most topical treatments for nail fungus infections are not very effective because they do not penetrate the nail to contact the fungus directly. One of the benefits of Tea Tree oil as a topical treatment applied to nails is that it seems to be able to penetrate the nail unusually well, working its way down through the layers of keratin until it reaches the fungus where it is growing near the nail bed. Other antifungal Tea Tree oil uses include topical treatment of skin infections such as ringworm and athlete’s foot. It is truly a multipurpose first aid and natural treatment remedy.

Yeast Nail Infection

Most people know about fungal nail infections, those slow infections that turn the nail black and cause it to crumble, but the idea of a yeast nail infection is less familiar. Scientifically, the yeasts do belong with the fungi, but in general they grow more quickly, they don't have the fluffy dusty appearance of molds, and they don't have a moldy odor. Colonies of yeast are typically rather smooth and creamy - these organisms cause vaginal yeast infections and thrush in the mouth, but they are also used for making bread and beer.

Many species of yeast can cause a nail infection. Typically, it is actually an infection of the skin under or around the nail called a paronychia. The yeasts like to grow where it is warm and moist, so the nail bed under the nail or the creases around the edge of the nail are ideal places for them. In addition, people who get these infections typically have their hands in water a lot so there is frequent abundant water applied to the site. A yeast nail infection can come on rather slowly, or it can flare up suddenly.

Bacteria can cause paronychia as well as yeast and nail infections should be seen by a doctor to be sure that treatment is appropriate. In a typical case, the tissue around the nail is red, swollen and tender, and there may be pockets of pus or pussy drainage. The infection can quickly spread to other fingers and toes. In a chronic yeast nail infection, that is, one that has come on slowly over days or weeks, the nail may be discolored, soft, and distorted.

Yeasts in general do not like an acid environment, so a good home remedy for yeast nail, infection is to soak the affected digits in a vinegar solution. This is thought to have some therapeutic value for paronychia caused by bacteria as well, and even for fungal nail infections - but again, if the infection has flared up suddenly, and particularly if it is uncomfortable, it should be seen by a doctor. If there is fever, pain in the arm or leg, or swollen lymph nodes, there should be no delay in seeking medical treatment - serious systemic infections are caused by bacteria and yeast and nail infections can be the source of organisms traveling to other parts of the body.

A nail infection that has developed over months without noticeable inflammation, turning the nail brownish or black and making it look distorted and flaky is probably a fungal nail infection rather than a yeast nail infection. In questionable cases, a doctor can take samples for laboratory testing to aid in diagnosis.

Onychomycosis

The word onychomycosis simply refers to fungal infection of the nail: "onycho" is Greek for "claw" and mycosis is the medical term for fungal infection of any kind. Though this term may be unfamiliar to most people, the infection, unfortunately, is far from uncommon. In North America, as many as 13% of people may suffer from fungal nail infections, with the incidence increasing with age.

Early signs of onychomycosis include a yellowish or brownish discoloration of the nail, often starting near the tip of the toe or the fingertip and progressing back toward the cuticle. In some cases a white spot appears and grows gradually larger. The nail may appear to be separating from the nailbed and it usually becomes distorted and crumbly. Onychomycosis remedies tend to work better when started early in the course of the infection. The first step is to get a proper diagnosis from a medical professional, then begin treatment.

Onychomycosis treatment may require topical application of an antifungal agent or a prescription for an oral medication. Curing the infection tends to take months or years, depending on severity, thus it is better to start in the early stages. Prescription medications for nail fungus infections are relatively new and are still quite costly and plagued with side effects but, because this type of infection has been around since ancient times, there are many home onychomycosis remedies that people swear by. Most of these involve soaking the affected nail in a solution (dilute bleach, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide etc.).

A third category of onychomycosis remedies have sprung up in response to the high cost and side effects of the prescription drugs - natural or homeopathic products that mostly incorporate essential oils of certain plants or herbal extracts. Though many of these products have not been scientifically tested as antifungals, a few common ingredients are backed up by scientific evidence, the most promising of which is tea tree oil. When selecting a natural product for onychomycosis treatment, one that contains tea tree oil is a good choice.

Regardless of whether you choose to use a prescription medication, a natural remedy, or a home onychomycosis treatment, it's a good idea to have a physician confirm that you have a fungal nail infection. Though more uncommon, other conditions can have similar symptoms and should be treated differently.

Home Remedies for Nail Fungus

Home remedies for nail fungus infections have been popular for many years for a variety of reasons. Fungal nail infections have been troubling people down through the millennia, so people have naturally sought a cure for the problem. Drug treatments for the condition are relatively recent, and they are still expensive and prone to cause side effects. For these reasons, home remedies still outnumber medical solutions. The new global village however, interconnected through the internet, has mixed the home remedy lore of many cultures to create a third group of solutions - alternative and homeopathic remedies for fungal nail infections.

The most popular home remedy for nail fungus is probably soaking the affected nail in a solution that will kill the fungus. Common soaking solutions contain dilute chlorine bleach, household vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or Listerine mouthwash. It requires daily soaking for weeks or months to clear the infection, and better results are often obtained if the nail is filed from the top to make it thinner, which allows for better penetration. Other home remedies for nail fungus involve the direct application of these same substances, as well as others like Vicks VapoRub and various essential oils. Again regular application over a long period, combined with filing and good foot and hand care bring the best results.

Tea tree oil, a product from Australia, is among the essential oil home remedies for nail fungus that show great promise. An extract of the leaves and stems of the tea tree, tea tree oil has been scientifically proven to have some antifungal properties, and it appears to penetrate a thick distorted infected nail better than many other topical products. Tea tree oil is available in pure form or in a blend of other ingredients, and is usually applied directly to the affected nail. If you are shopping for an alternative or homeopathic home remedy for nail fungus, those that contain this essential oil are good choices.

A product from the Czech Republic called Saprox may also be helpful. This is a therapeutic antifungal mud that is particularly recommended for the treatment of fungal skin infections, but it can also be used as a home remedy for nail fungus. The action of this product will likely be enhanced if it is combined with other measures, such as regular soaking in one of the solutions mentioned above. Like all the home remedies for nail fungus this approach will take time, but keep in mind that prescription drugs for fungal infections are slow acting as well, and come with greater risks of side effects.

Before using any of the home remedies for nail fungus, see your doctor to confirm that your nail is, in fact, infected with fungus. Your doctor can take samples for laboratory testing if the diagnosis is in doubt, and help you decide on a course of treatment that’s right for you.