Toe Nail Fungus

Factors that cause toenail fungus include the abnormal pH level of the skin, trauma to the nail, poor hygiene of the foot, susceptibility (such as decreased immunity) of the person who has contact with the fungus.

Now fungal infections are actually very common on both fingernail and toenails. Toes are more likely to be affected by fungus rather than fingers on the hand. If the affected nails have a yellowish or brownish discoloration then it is a severe case of toenail fungus. Other symptoms are swelling, crumbling or thickening of the nails, spots down the side of the nail, and even complete loss of the nail.

There are ways to avoid such fungus. Wearing natural cotton socks, for instance. When drying your feet, only use your towel once on your fungus area and then wash it. Never share your towels or wash clothes with others or you may spread or collect spores. Use a toilet paper to dry your affected area, and throw away when finished. Wear breathable shoes. Never use nail polish until the disease is gone. File the infected nail thin so that a local treatment can penetrate the nail more effectively. Reduce sugar consumption which will make your body less capable of hosting fungi.

Oil from tea tree is a natural antiseptic that will help cure your fungus. Apply tea tree oil with olive oil on the affected area. You can also put a few drops of tea tree oil on your toes and rub thoroughly everyday. You can soak your toes with Listerine mouthwash which helps. Mix natural apple cider vinegar in warm water in equal proportions and then soak your toenails in it for fifteen minutes. When done dry your toes and you can even use a hair dryer to absorb all the moisture. Putting equal amounts of tea oil and lavender oil on a cotton ball apply on your toes twice or thrice a day. Later apply Alpha Hydroxy Acid creams onto your feet before going to bed.

Include probiotics in your diet chart as this is also very important. Yogurt and Kefir are good sources of probiotics. Avoid dairy products and vinegar along with sugar. Olive leaf extract is a great internal anti-fungal agent.

When you go to places like spas, swimming pools, locker rooms wash your feet thoroughly and dry them well. Whenever your socks are damp take them out and dry your feet before wearing fresh pair of socks. Always avoid borrowing someone else's shoes or socks. Check with your foot doctor for you might be given oral anti-fungi medicines. Only in extremely serious cases surgical removal of the toe nail will be advised.

So if you maintain proper hygiene of the foot then you are not likely to get toenail fungus. But if you get it anyways or from someone else you can first try out the natural remedies suggested above to cure the fungus. And continue to do all of that for quite sometime. If you are still suffering from it then go to a doctor and get treated.