Diets high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol feed the yeast naturally present in your body. While factors such as birth control pills or a high-stress lifestyle may disrupt the delicate balance of your gut flora, providing the ideal environment for yeast to flourish and manifest as a fungal infection.
Added sugars (examples: cane sugar, honey, syrup) Natural sugars (examples: fresh and dried fruit, fruit juice) Refined starches (examples: white bread, pastries) Starchy vegetables (examples: potatoes, carrots, peas, beans)
Essential oils are also a way to clear the fungi from your nails. Most contain antibacterial and antifungal properties. Some of the best include Tea Tree oil, Clove oil, Jasmine oil, Lavender oil, Eucalyptus oil, Cinnamon oil, and more.
Hydrogen can kill the fungus that grows on toenails, causing the unsightly disfigurement that comes with this condition. There are two common ways to use hydrogen peroxide to treat your toenail fungus. Wipe hydrogen peroxide directly on the infected area with a clean cloth or cotton swab.
Some of the foods that may help to keep the body healthy can include fresh vegetables, chicken, and fish. Eating these types of foods may be instrumental in improving the immune system and are often considered when beginning treatment for toenail fungus.
Terbinafine and itraconazole are the 2 medicines most commonly prescribed for fungal nail infections. These usually need to be taken once or twice a day for several months to ensure the infection has completely cleared up.
Although the fungus affects the appearance of the nails, it actually lives on the layer directly beneath the toenail. That's why it's so difficult to treat. Your nails are made up of keratin, a tough, fibrous protein. The same hard shell that protects your toes is giving shelter to the fungus.
Vicks has a little impact on toenails. Vicks Vaporub softens and lightens toenails. This makes it look like the fungus is being treated. Vicks may have some antifungal qualities, but it is unable to penetrate the toenail well enough to cure the infection.
These drugs are often the first choice. One option is itraconazole (Sporanox). These drugs help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected part. You typically take this type of drug daily for 6 to 12 weeks.
To get rid of the infection, you will need to treat all infected areas. Before giving you the diagnosis, your dermatologist may also take some samples. Collecting a bit of debris from beneath a nail, trimming off part your nail, or scraping off a bit of skin can be very helpful.
If you do have a toenail fungus, your doctor will likely recommend one or more of the following treatment options: Trimming the Toenail Trimming the toenail is usually combined with medication, but having a podiatrist periodically trim the nail down is helpful and allows the medication to work better, says Sundling.
Causes of Toenail Fungus
Just like with other health conditions that stem from gut-related problems, when you don't have enough good bacteria living within your gut, you wind up developing high levels of yeast and fungus (bad bacteria) in your body that can show up on your skin.
Fungal nail infections typically don't go away on their own, and the best treatment is usually prescription antifungal pills taken by mouth. In severe cases, a healthcare professional might remove the nail completely. It can take several months to a year for the infection to go away.
Maybe it doesn't hurt, and the yellow, thick nails don't bother you. But nail fungus doesn't go away by itself. And if you don't treat it, there's a chance it could get worse. It could spread to other nails or through your body.
If toenail fungus is left untreated, it can spread to the surrounding skin on the foot, causing another condition known as athlete's foot. An athlete's foot is a condition resulting in itchy, red, and cracked skin, which can become very uncomfortable.
Fungus thrives in moist and dark places so give it some light. Keep them naturally dry by exposing them to the sun whenever you can.
You'll know that the medication is working and the toenail fungus is dying when your toenail changes back to its natural color, decreases in thickness, shows healthy new growth, and you see a clear delineation between the infected part of the toenail and your new nail growth.
Despite its rather rancid scent, vinegar can prove to be quite useful in a wide variety of situations. The best type of vinegar to treat toenail fungus is apple cider vinegar, a very acidic and strong solution that destroys toenail fungus at the source.
Nail polish traps in moisture from your nailbed (the tissue below your toenail). Because fungi thrive in moist environments, wearing nail polish may make a fungal infection worse.
Toenails may take 12 to 18 months to grow back. The area exposed by the nail removal should be kept clean. You may cover the area with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a nonstick bandage.
Soaking your feet and toes in a bath containing Epsom salts can help dry out fungal infections by killing fungal spores. Add 1–2 cups of Epsom salt to a footbath of warm water and soak for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt to 2 cups of water and soak a cotton ball in it.