Toenail fungus is an infection that gets in through the cracks in your nail or cuts in your skin. It can make your toenail change colour or get thicker.
A toenail is a horn-like envelope covering the tips of the toes in humans. Toenails are made of a tough protective protein called keratin. It is made up of dead skin cells. A healthy toe nail has the function of protecting soft tissues from injuries.
Toe Fungus
Nail fungus is a common condition that begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your toenail. As the fungal infection goes deeper, nail fungus may cause your nail to discolor, thicken and crumble at the edge. It can affect other nails but usually not all of them. The technical name for the fungal nail infection is “onychomycosis.” When fungus infects the areas between your toes and the skin of your feet, it’s called athlete’s foot (tinea pedis).
Types of toe fungus
Dermatophytes cause almost all fungal nail infections. Distal sublungual onychomycosis (DSO) is the most common type of fungal nail infection. It is caused by the same fungus that causes most cases of athlete’s foot (dermatophytes). DSO infects the skin under the end of the nail (nail bed) and in the nail.
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How to get rid of toe nail fungus:
Home remedies to get rid of toe fungus
Rub tea tree oil on the affected nail, this oil has antifungal properties. Rub Vicks VapoRub into the nail each night; this product contains thymol which is a proven fungus killer.
Medications/treatment for toe nail fungus
Studies show the most effective treatments are terbinafine (Lamisil) and itraconazole (Sporanox). These drugs help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected part.
Also there are several other ways to get rid of toenail fungus and there are different ways for treatment of toe nail fungal, few of them are:
Surgical methods
Nail removal
If your nail infection is severe or extremely painful, then that nail should be removed. A new nail will usually grow in its place. But it will come in slowly and may take as long as a year to grow back completely.
Medicated nail polish
an antifungal nail polish called ciclopirox (Penlac). Paint it on infected nails and surrounding skin once a day. After seven days, wipe the piled-on layers clean with alcohol and begin fresh applications. You may need to use this type of nail polish daily for a year.
Medicated nail creams
Rub an antifungal cream into the infected nails after soaking. These creams may work better if you first thin the nails. This helps the medication get through the hard nail surface to the underlying fungus. Apply lotion containing urea or thin the surface of the nail with a file or other tool.
Laser and light based therapies
These methods, alone or with medications, may help your nails improve. One study tested the effectiveness of carbon-dioxide laser therapy combined with antifungal nail cream. Most of the 24 people in the study benefited from the treatment.
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- Laser and light-based therapies are not available everywhere, are expensive, and often are not covered by insurance.
- Prevention/treatment for toenail fungus
- Wash feet regularly and keep your feet clean all the time
- Keep your toe nail short in size do not let them grow too much
- Wear socks while wearing shoes and discard old shoes because they may be rich in fungus and cause many diseases
- Do not use artificial nail polish because it may cause infections and also do not hide any infection by using any nail paint or any other artificial method
- Do not trim or pick skin near to the nail area because it may cause fungus to grow on that area
Conclusion:
There is a series of natural and effective methods for how to get rid of toenail fungus. You can use any of the mentioned remedy for the treatment of toe nail fungus.
