Plant Oils that Kill Nail Fungus

Alternative medicine practitioners put considerable faith in plant oils that kill nail fungus (onychomycosis) as an alternative to costly and risky prescription drugs. Unfortunately, like many alternative treatments, these extracts lack the scientific proof of efficacy that doctors and many informed people demand. This does not mean that they don’t work – it means they haven’t been studied. Properly conducted scientific studies are costly and take a long time. To date, the financial backing for trials of these alternative treatments has been largely lacking.

The essential oil treatment for onychomycosis with the greatest scientific evidence so far is tea tree oil. Testing under laboratory conditions has proven that essence of tea tree has antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Pitting it against fungal cultures grown in the lab and using it to cure infection in actual patients, however, are two different things. Clinical trials with tea tree oil and other plant oils that kill nail fungus have been inconclusive.

One of the reasons that essential oil treatment for onychomycosis may not work as well on infected nails is the structure of the nail itself. Built of layers of tough keratin, the nail is meant to protect tender finger-and toenails – it is hard, resilient, and difficult to penetrate. Keratin is the very substance that fungi use for nutrients. They break it down, but they usually do so from underneath where plant oils that kill nail fungus cannot penetrate. This is the reason that modern medicine places so much stock in oral medications – the drug can reach the infection from underneath.

The information available about plant oils that kill nail fungus generally mentions some or all of the following plants: tea tree, oregano, lavender, and olive. Frequently, blends incorporate several of these, and olive oil is often the base for one of the other three. An interesting addition to the list is the cold remedy marketed as “vapo-rub.” A clear gel with a strong smell of menthol, vapo-rub contains several herbal extracts and is reported by some to cure fungal infections of the finger- and toenails.

If you’re suffering from persistent fungal nail infection, essential oil treatment for onychomycosis is worth a try. Before self-treating, however, it’s always a good idea to have a medical professional confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment options with you.

Nail Hygiene to Avoid Fungal Infection

Some simple nail hygiene to avoid fungal infection (onychomycosis) can help fend off this common and distressing medical problem. The fungi that can live in fingernails and toenails, and cause them to become deformed and discolored, are found in the environment around us: some of them are specially adapted to living in the nails, hair, skin, horns, and hooves of living things; others land there by accident. The best defense against both kinds involves not only taking good care of nails, but also altering behavior so that we are less likely to pick up the fungi in the first place.

Onychomycosis prevention is harder for some people than for others. Doctors aren’t sure why some people seem to be more susceptible to the infection, but it probably has something to do with the way their immune system reacts to fungi. People tend to be more susceptible as they get older and some families seem prone to infection. There’s not much any of us can do about this, but we can all use basic nail hygiene to avoid fungal infection: keep nails clean and trimmed. Fungi usually get in under the front edge of nails where dirt tends to collect: clean your nails frequently and thoroughly!

Some other basic advice about nail hygiene to avoid fungal infection includes responding promptly to warning signs. Treat skin infections such as athletes foot promptly because these infections can spread to the nails. Any time there is injury to a nail or to the skin immediately surrounding it, take special care to keep the site clean and try to leave it exposed to the air as much as possible. Keep your feet dry all the time; after swimming, showering, or bathing, dry carefully between the toes so that no moisture is trapped there. Onychomycosis prevention depends on not giving the fungi the right conditions for growth.

The dermatophytes - fungi adapted to live in nails, hair etc. – usually spread indirectly from one person to another: infectious spores fall from infected nails, catch in footwear and clothing, spread themselves around pool decks, communal showers, dressing rooms, spas, hot tubs etc., and on equipment in beauty salons. Onychomycosis prevention in these circumstances depends on everybody keeping things clean, protecting their feet and hands, and avoiding such places if they think they are infected. Don’t share footwear, socks, towels etc. with other people; always wear something on your feet in damp public places, and practice good nail hygiene to avoid fungal infection.