Toenail Fungus Home Remedies

Number of people that are affected by toenail fungus keeps on growing in the United States. This can be developed on the skin and nail through a variety of origins. Those molds, yeasts, and fungi that have contact with our body can grow in the cracks of our nail or even in the skin that surrounds the toenail. If it happens that your feet sweat, it gives fungus the opportunity to breed on your toenails. Fungus skin problems are very common to happen in summer. 

Toenail might turn white or present yellow spots or worst, have an odd or foul odor caused by the developed toenail fungus. The nail infected by this might become brittle, rough, and crumbly. Luckily, there are a lot of treatment options that can be used for toenail fungus, these include the natural remedies, medicine that can be bought over-the-counter, and prescription drugs as well. There were people who tried items that can be found around the house first before buying medication or going to their doctor. 

Home remedies 

As your nail’s preparation for the treatment, trim them once a week. Clipping the toenails helps in relieving the pressure on the nails and helps the antifungal solutions get through the nail too. Use the typical clippers and an emery board in keeping your nails thin and short. Maintaining your nails trimmed and neat is necessary in treating toenail fungus and prevents it from happening in the future. 

Keeping your feet clean and dry is a good thing to do in preventing toenail fungus to spread. You can wash or soak them with warm soapy water or have a foot bath using everyday household items in treating your foot condition. Doing such things is beneficial to reduce or eliminate toenail fungus. 

Here are some common home remedies in treating toenail fungus. 

Baking soda

Put baking soda to a foot soak to cure the affected nail. Also, you can make a baking soda paste with just a minimal amount of water and directly apply it to the foot. Let the paste sit on the nail for 10 to 20 minutes, after that, rinse it with warm water and dry your foot thoroughly. You can sprinkle baking soda onto the foot or shoes like a foot powder. After applying it, wear clean socks, it can drain away moisture while the healing properties work in reducing toenail fungus.

Hydrogen peroxide

This can kill fungus that are growing on toenails. Hydrogen peroxide can be directly wiped on the infected toenails by using a clean cloth or cotton swab. It can also be used in a foot soak. In four cups of cool water, mix ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide and soak your feet for at least 10 to 20 minutes. You can rinse your feet with warm water after and let them dry. 

Black tea

In treating toenail fungus, dipping feet in plain tea can be beneficial as well. It contains tannic acid that kills the bacteria, dries out the feet, and also helps in closing the pores of the foot to reduce sweating. Boil eight cups of water and after that add 5 to 6 tea bags. Let it cool and soak your feet for 30 minutes. If you want, you can use this foot soak daily.

Epsom salt

Epsom salt or magnesium sulfate foot bath are very beneficial in relieving foot fungus. Mix one cup of this on eight cups of warm to hot water and soak your feet for 10 to 20 minutes. This has a more detailed mix that includes four cups warm to hot water, ½ cup of epsom salt and baking soda, and ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Mix all of these and soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes. It will be a great addition if you’ll add essential oils. To prevent contaminating your clean foot, wear clean socks and shoes after your foot bath.

Apple cider vinegar

Another home remedy that can help in treating toenail fungus is the use of apple cider vinegar. It is an antifungal that you can mix with water to produce a foot soak. Mix two parts vinegar to one part warm water and soak your feet for 20 minutes everyday. If you want more strong foot soak, then change the ration to one part vinegar to one part water. 

Clean shoes and socks

If you want to reduce the growth of any unpleasant foot fungus, changing your socks and shoes regularly can be a big help. Socks and shoes are both washable in hot water to get rid the growth of yeasts and as well as fungi that may grow on the fabric. You can machine dry some shoes, for sure. The other other option when you are cleaning any footwear is drying them under the sun. Add  a half cup of baking soda or one cup of vinegar to the washing machine to help eliminate fungus or bacteria that are present on socks and shoes. 

For boots and other kinds of footwear that can’t be machine washed, it can be wiped out with a vinegar and water solution or you can spray it with an over-the-counter antifungal spray. Allow the feet to breathe, take off your shoes and socks when possible to prevent fungal growth. There are a lot of ways to reduce the growth of bacteria and yeast in your footwear. 

Essential oils

Essential keeps on gaining popularity in homeopathic treatment to cure a variety of common ailments. There are present antibacterial and antifungal properties in many essential oils. Essential oils that can help in reducing toenail fungus include tea tree oil, jasmine oil, lavender oil, lemon and lemongrass oil, eucalyptus oil, and many more. These are just some of them but there are a lot of essential oils that can help you reduce toenail fungus. Mix your desired oil or combination of oils with a carrier oil, applying a few drops to the affected nail. Also,  you can add two to three drops of these essential oils to your foot baths. 

Ozonated oils

Some examples of these are olive and sunflower oil which contain gas. The idea that ozone is delivering oxygen to the affected areas, killing the bacteria and stimulating skin cells for faster healing. These oils are effective home remedies for toenail fungus, according to one study. If you want to try this, be sure to clean and dry your foot, then massage gently a little amount of ozonated oil into the skin, work it out into the affected nails and as well as around the entire toe. 

Zinc 

This can be applied or sprayed to the affected area as your skin protectant and to fight the infection and reduce the signs of foot fungus. Check it first with your doctor to know if adding zinc to your foot care is a right thing to do. 

Garlic 

Garlic is a strong antimicrobial plant. Cut cloves of garlic and leave it on the affected area for 30 minutes. Use raw garlic only because it may result in a chemical burn. You can ask for herbal supplements that contain garlic, it gives a lot of benefits not only for treating skin infections. But, for those people who have ulcers or digestion problems, unfortunately, you can’t take garlic supplements. Visit a healthcare professional before you take any oral garlic supplements. 

Cornmeal 

This contains some antifungal properties. Try to apply cornmeal as a paste or soak. If you’ll try making a paste of this, use a shallow pan, then, dissolve cornmeal in warm water and let it cool before using it for an hour. For soaking, put an inch of cornmeal to a shallow container and pour in an inch of warm water as well, let them mix naturally for an hour. Soak your feet for an hour too. You can do it as your weekly remedy for toenail fungus. 

Diet and exercise

Here are some diet changes you can do to starve the yeast and improve toenail fungus because your current diet might be feeding fungus. Don’t drink alcohol, limit to one cup a day your carbohydrates, cut out sugar, cook with coconut oil, and supplement with a probiotic. Partner it with exercise, regularly doing exercise can quicken the healing process. Be sure you are practicing proper hygiene to avoid worsening the toenail fungus after workout. This combination can help you a lot. 

Over-the-counter choices

Home remedies might be the cure you're looking for as your treatment for toenail fungus, they are not approved by FDA. Your next option can be this over-the-counter antifungal medication that is available in different forms, like cream, spray, and medicated nail polish. Still, home remedies can enhance the effectiveness of these products. 

Vicks VapoRub

This is the one of the popular over-the-counter remedies to treat toenail fungus. Clean your feet and apply vicks everyday, using vicks alone or along with other treatments and medications is good as these contain natural ingredients like menthol, eucalyptus oil, and camphor. 

Listerine

Listerine helps in reducing or killing toenail fungus by soaking an infected nail into it. This may be commonly used as a mouthwash, applying listerine to the affected toenail for 20 minutes twice a day can really lessen the signs of onychomycosis. 

Athlete’s foot medication

Foot sprays, powders, and creams help to stop growth. Ask the pharmacist what is the best medication that you can use and that is really for you. You can purchase this without a prescription, so better know more about this. 

Trying an online product

Aside from these home remedies and over-the-counter options, visiting a doctor before trying something can be your very best option. Know and learn the effects of trying any of these. But, if it happens that you are fond of shopping online, might as well search and try Arishine nail repair cream and pencil bright. They are very effective in treating toenail fungus, safe to use and in great quality at a very affordable price. You probably regret trying and see its effectiveness after using it regularly. They come in different forms, a cream and pencil-like, so choose your desired item and try it. Get yours now!