Signs of Toenail Fungus
Discoloured toenails are not necessarily a sign of fungus. Toenail fungus should be identified as early as possible since it can be very difficult to remove once it has taken hold. The longer the condition is left untreated the longer the treatment will have to be.
heer we discuss the conditionand its treatment, inclusing a brief introduction to the use of unusual treatments such as Listerine and vinegar.
The most common symptom of toenail fungus is a brown or yellow discolouration of the nail. The nail then dries up, thickens and an accumulation of layers of material builds up under and along the nail. It may may become brittle and break off or crumble. Toenail fungus can be quickly identified by a doctor, chiopodist or podiatrician.
Your doctor or physician should be able to recommend the best treatment for your toenail fungus. If the fungus has gone untreated for too long, however, you may lose your nail. There are other risks of leaving nail fungus untreated, such as the possibility of it spreading to other nails on the foot. Check below for some alternative treatments.
The symtoms normall appear initially on the big toe. Many fungal infections are restriocted to the big toe, and do not affect the other toes on the foot. Toenail fungus is frequently misdiagnosed as athlete's foot, and you doctor will be able to distinguish between the two. After the nails and feet have been examined, your doctor will probably trim as much of the nail off os possible in order to prevent the infection from spreading. The nail will then be ready for treatment.
It is not uncommon for fungi to live undetected for months lying on the nail bed, waiting for the opportunity to strike, and taking the appropriate preventative measures decreases the chance of the infection developing. These include frequent washing and powdering of the feet, and frequent change of socks.
Toenail fungus can be picked up in any place with moist conditions, such as locker rooms, showers and swimming pools. Always dry your feet thoroughly after showering and swimming.
If you thing that you have an infection in your toenail see your doctor. The same applies with any other complaint regarding your nails, such as ingrowing toenails. It is better to have such complaints treated early than to wait and face the possibility of prolonged painful treatment later on.
Alternative Treatments
I have come across some alternative treatments which are well recommended. There are various ways to apply them, but I suggest you follow these instructions:
- Vick's Vapor Rub: Rub over and round the infected nails, and put a sock on at night. I suspect Vick's may work because it contains Thymol, a substance which kills bacteria and may have some effect on fungus. Not all toenail 'fungus' infections are actually fungus. In fact a large proportion are caused by bacteria which may be why Vicks works.
- Vinegar: White spirit vinegar changes the nail's structure and makes it less appetizing to the fungus. Paint it on with a brush or Q-tip, especially around the base of the nail. and again wear a sock at night. Use it at least twice daily and don't miss a day.
- Listerine: Listerine also seems to help. You can soak in Listerine for 15 mins, or paint it on like the vinegar. You can also try a 50/50 mixture of Listerine and vinegar, but don't mix either with Vick's Vapor Rub.
There is some debate as to the effectiveness of these treatments, but most people who have persevered with them seem to have found them to work. It is important to keep up the use until the affected parts of the nail have completely grown out and been cut off. Any fungus left behind will quickly work its way down the nail again once the treatment stops.
I don't think that the treatments actually kill the fungus. They may work by stopping it from infecting new nail. The vinegar changes the nail structure Though this does the nail no harm, it renders it unsuitable for the fungus, so it comes out as the infected nail grows and is clipped off. The Listerine may do something similar, and it is believed that the thymol in the Vick's either kills off or hibernates the fungus. The thymol would kill off any bacterial infection, and many toenail infections are actually bacterial, rather than fungal.
So keep it up, persevere, and you may be free from this condition in between 6 and 12 months. It sounds a long time, but if nothing else works for you, a year is not long to wait.
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