Home Remedy for Nail Fungus

The traditional home remedy for nail fungus went something like this: trim the affected nail as much as possible and immerse the hand or foot in a solution of one part bleach in 100 parts of water (or pure household vinegar) for 30 minutes each day until the infection is gone. This method may be effective, but for most of us, it's extremely difficult to find the time, especially when you consider that fungal nail infections typically take many months to go away unless they are in the very early stages when treatment is begun.

Hand nail fungus is particularly difficult: it's easier to sit with your feet in a basin while you are doing something else than to have your hands immersed for a long period of time. However, for the determined individual who decides to try this type of home remedy for nail fungus, there are some things that you can do to increase your chances of success. First, file the nail - not just to keep it as short as possible, but also to keep it as thin as possible. This means filing and trimming away any loose crumbly bits and also filing down the thickness of the nail from the top. Many nails with fungal infection are distorted, thick, and fairly soft. This is because the fungus is actually growing through the layers of nail. Filing some of this thickness away will not only remove some of the fungal growth but also ensure that the soaking solution comes in contact with the fungus. File as much as you can without damaging the nail bed under the nail.

When using the bleach or vinegar cure toe nail fungus will only be affected by the treatment while you are soaking. (The same is true for hand nail fungus). To add an extra boost to your treatment, try painting the affected nail with some other preparation between soaks. Here you have a choice of many things, either commonly found in most households or readily available over the counter or from an internet source. You might use hydrogen peroxide, Vicks VapoRub ointment, Listerine mouthwash, Tea Tree oil or any of a number of essential herbal oils or oil blends available from natural healing providers. All of these things have been said to be an effective home remedy for nail fungus.

Whatever you choose, be aware that foot and hand nail fungus typically takes a long time to go away because nails grow very slowly and because treatments take time to penetrate a tough thick nail. Even prescription drugs take a long time to cure the problem, and like a natural healing or home remedy for nail fungus, they don't always work. Many people claim that bleach and vinegar cure toe nail fungus if you are patient and persistent - natural remedies like Tea Tree oil also have a lot of anecdotal support (and some scientific support) and are somewhat easier to use.

Nail Fungus Cure

People who suffer from fungal infections of the fingernails and toenails (onychomycosis) have long been searching for a nail fungus cure. It is one type of common superficial infection that medical science has not managed to find an easy solution to. This is partly because fungal nail infections tend to be more cosmetic than debilitating, and because fungal infections of any kind are relatively rare compared to bacterial and viral infections and research has not placed a high priority on finding antifungal agents. Most antibiotics have no activity against fungi and the few antifungals we do have tend to be quite toxic to the patient.

The history of the treatment of onychomycosis begins with the home remedy to cure nail fungus. The first natural treatments were probably ointments and salves, and herbal remedies. Today, home remedies tend to be more chemical in approach, using substances commonly found around the house or readily available in community pharmacies. Some of these things include vinegar, dilute chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, Listerine mouthwash, and Vick's VapoRub gel. Ingenious people have also suggested the use of certain beneficial bacteria in beer or other solutions. None of these, however, has proved to be the perfect nail fungus cure.

The development of safer antifungal drugs and consumer demand for a reliable nail fungus cure has inspired drug companies to market some prescription drugs aimed at this type of infection. In general, they are very expensive and in some instances they have caused serious side effects including liver and kidney damage. Many consumers understandably feel that a case of onychomycosis, which is often more of a cosmetic concern than a health concern, is not serious enough to risk severe health consequences, and turn once again to the home remedy to cure nail fungus.

Ironically, the search for a nail fungus cure has swung back to the natural, herbal approach. Natural healers have investigated the lore of various cultures and the healing properties of many plants, and they have found plants with antifungal properties. This is perhaps not too surprising since plants must fight off fungal invaders in the natural environment and have evolved ways to do that - they produce substances that prevent fungi from getting a foothold. Today, the natural healers approach to a home remedy to cure nail fungus will be application of an essential oil from some familiar herb such as thyme or oregano, Tea Tree oil, extract of Pau d'Arco bark (a South American tree), or a natural antifungal mud. There is considerable evidence that many of these approaches do work, and they are safer and more acceptable to the average consumer than the expensive prescription medications.

Before spending time and money on a traditional nail fungus cure or a new natural home remedy to cure nail fungus, consult your family doctor for a proper diagnosis of your nail problem.

Toe Nail Fungus

Toe nail fungus is a phrase often used to refer to a common type of fungal infection - an infection where a fungus has somehow gotten into a toenail and begun to grow there, causing discoloration, disintegration of the nail and, frequently, considerable discomfort. Although there are many species of fungi in the world, only a relatively small number of them are capable of living and growing on human nails. Most of them belong to a group collectively known as dermatophytes: these fungi typically live on hair, skin, and nails and spread from person to person. A few others belong to the saprophytes, fungi that live on decaying organic materials in nature and sometimes infect nails more or less accidentally.

Invading fungus in nail and skin is fairly common - more than ten percent of the North American population suffers from such an infection, with the risk increasing with age. While fungal invasion of a fingernail does occur, toe nail fungus is much more common, probably because feet have more contact with damp earth and floors, are washed less frequently, and spend more time in enclosed, humid coverings such as shoes and boots. Fungal nail infections tend to start in a toe nail and then spread to other toe nails, skin, and finger nails secondarily.

Risk factors for acquiring a toe nail fungus include injury to the nail or the skin around the nail. Cuts and scrapes, hangnails, ingrown toenails, dry cracked skin and damp conditions all provide a route of entry into the skin and nails, as will toenails that are damaged or deformed due to recent or prior injury. Nails that have lifted away from the nail bed are particularly susceptible. Public swimming and wading pools, public showers, and shared footwear are all likely places to come in contact with a dermatophyte. Saprophytes are more likely to come from soil, decaying leaves or other organic material in the environment. In salons, fungus in nail clippings and filings or on manicure or pedicure equipment is a documented source of infection in people who use these services.

Once established, a toe nail fungus is generally quite difficult to get rid of. The invader grows within the nail itself, deriving nutrients from keratin, a protein found in nails, hair and skin cells. Nails are meant to be a tough shield to protect the tips of our fingers and toes, and they are quite good at blocking medications and treatments applied to nails. In order to kill the fungus, you need to find something that can penetrate the nail or get underneath it like the fungus did. Most prescription medications are taken internally and act on the infection systemically, while natural and home remedies are applied topically. The key to any treatment for fungus in nail infections is patience: nails grow slowly and it usually takes months before the nail looks normal again.

Any suspected toe nail fungus infection should be seen and diagnosed by a doctor because other types of nail infection and nail abnormality can mimic a fungal infection. If the problem is fungal, spores of the fungus in nail clippings will grow in the laboratory and the fungal species can be identified. Once you know for sure that the problem is fungal, treatment can be started.

Nail Fungus Remedy

Years ago, a nail fungus remedy meant soaking your hands or feet for hours in a solution of vinegar, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide, or applying some pungent slave or ointment that was unlikely to work very well. These treatments sometimes worked for the lucky and the dedicated, but for many people, a fungal infection in a toenail was a long term, if not lifelong problem, once established.

One of the reasons the home remedies remained popular for so long, and remain in use today, is that nail fungus medication simply was not available. Medicine has been slow to develop antifungal agents, and when they did start to appear, they worked much better for skin infections and even deeper soft tissue infections than they did for nail infections. For a nail fungus remedy to really work, it must be able to either reach the infection through the bloodstream and tissues, or penetrate the thick tough nail to reach the fungus.

Today, there is a range of nail fungus medication endorsed by the medical community. Most are systemic antifungal drugs that are taken orally and attack the growing fungus from within. There is at least one topical prescription drug that is applied to the nail like a nail polish. It penetrates the nail to reach the fungus, removing the need to take a systemic drug, but it can only be used in the earlier stages of infection. Unfortunately, a prescription nail fungus remedy is certain to be prohibitively expensive, placing it out of reach for anyone who doesn't have a drug plan that will cover it. The systemic drugs have also proven to be toxic and, although the newest versions come with less risk of side effects, many people are reluctant to take the drugs for a superficial infection.

The various problems with prescription nail fungus medication, and the imperfections of home remedies have quickly given rise to another type of treatment - the natural, or alternative healing preparations. A natural nail fungus remedy is typically a plant derivative that has been found to have antifungal properties. Essential oils of various plants, as well as ointments and teas are popular. The most promising ingredient to date is probably Tea Tree oil, an essential oil of the Australian Tea Tree that has been found to have antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Many preparations for the treatment of nail fungus contain Tea Tree oil in combination with other plant derivatives. A growing body of experience suggests that these preparations are the best alternative to date for treating stubborn fungal nail infections.

Black Fingernail

If you have a black fingernail, you may be wondering whether it is caused by a fungal infection under the nail. This may well be the case, however, other things can cause a nail to turn black, so it's important to consider other possibilities and perhaps consult your doctor before jumping to conclusions.

Fungal infection of fingernails and toenails is called onychomycosis. Only a few species of fungus are capable of invading human hair and nails - they often gain access through a break in the skin or under the nail at the tip of the finger or toe. Because they derive their nutrients from the protein found in human nails and dead skin cells, these fungi do not invade healthy tissue. Instead, they invade the matrix of the nail itself and grow there, causing a black fingernail or toenail.

Onychomycosis is quite common: more than ten percent of the North American population will experience a fungal nail infection at some time in their lives: it is probably the most common cause of nail abnormalities in the general population, however, there are other causes. A blow to the affected nail is the most obvious alternative. When a nail or the root of a nail is struck so that blood vessels are broken and a bruise forms under the nail, a black area develops that takes a very long time to clear up. Depending on the severity of the bleeding, the whole nail or only part of the nail will be affected. Nails grow very slowly and bruises are similarly slow to disappear even after soreness subsides - a black nail that persists long after the initial injury is no cause for alarm. It will grow out in time.

Nail injuries are, however, the route of entry for other organism that can either live in and under the nail without causing a problem or set up an infection in exposed tissue. Some species of bacteria are known to colonize spaces in nail beds without causing infection. Some of these bacteria produce color changes, though shades of green are more typical than black. The bacterial colonies can persist for long periods of time without causing noticeable inflammation. Various species of yeast can set up severe and progressive infections of the nail bed and tissues around the nail, however these infections usually do not cause a black fingernail, and are generally severe enough that the need for medical attention is obvious. Yeast infections are, in fact, another form of onychomycosis.

If you have not suffered a nail injury and your black fingernail is slowly progressing and causing the nail to become thick, deformed, and crumbly, you may have true onychomycosis. Typically, infected nails are white, yellow, brown or black, and variations on these shades may be present. The infection often starts on a toenail and progresses to other toes and fingers, and is very resistant to treatment. If you suspect you have a fungal nail infection, make an appointment with your physician for a proper diagnosis.