How to Treat Toenail Fungus

Onychomycosis, the medical term for toenail fungus, is a common fungal condition. The most obvious symptom is discoloration of one or more toenails, white, brown, or yellow. It might spread to the nails, thickening or cracking them.

Your doctor may prescribe antifungal medications that you apply topically or consume orally. Combining oral and topical antifungal medications can be beneficial in some cases on how to treat toenail fungus.

Here are some treatments on how to treat toenail fungus which may be medication or Home Remedies.

How to Treat Toenail Fungus Medication

• Oral Antifungal Drugs

Oral antifungal medications are preferred over topical antifungal treatments because they work faster. Tarbafine (Lamisil) plus itraconazole (Sporanox). In addition, these medications let a healthy nail grow in place of the infected one.

This medicine is usually taken for six-Twelve weeks. The treatment won't be complete until the nail grows back entirely. Infection may take four months or more to clear. The efficacy of these medications appears to decrease with age.

Oral antifungal medications might cause skin rashes and liver damage. You may need periodic blood tests to monitor your progress with these medicines. Patients who have

• Congestive heart failure 
• Liver illness 
• Or taking certain drugs should avoid this treatment. 
• Antifungal Nail Polish

Cyclopirox is an antifungal nail polish that your doctor may prescribe to you (Penlac). Once a day, you apply it to the affected nails and skin around them with a thin brush. After a week, use rubbing alcohol to remove the built-up layers before reapplying for new ones. They may require this kind of nail paint daily for nearly a year.

• Medicated Nail Cream

After soaking your infected nails in an antifungal ointment, your doctor may prescribe it. However, it may improve the effectiveness of these lotions if your nails are first thinned before using them. This aids the medication's ability to penetrate the nail's hard surface and reach the fungus beneath it.

You can use an available over-the-counter urea ointment to thin your nails. Another option to treat toenail fungus is for your doctor to use a file or maybe another tool to thin the nail's surface before filing it away.

Home Remedies

• Garlic

Garlic contains antifungal and antimicrobial properties, according to a reliable study conducted in 2009.

You can use garlic to cure toenail fungus if you apply chopped or crushed cloves topically for 30 minutes each day.

Garlic pills may be a preferable option because they are less pungent when taken internally. Follow the company's directions carefully.

• Extracts from Oil Leaf

Oleuropein, an antifungal, antibacterial, and immune-boosting compound found in olive leaf extract, is a promising new treatment option.

You can either apply an olive leaf salve directly to the infected area or take a pill containing the remedy inside.

Toenail fungus can be treated more effectively with olive leaf capsules than with olive leaf salve. During the therapy, make sure to stay hydrated by drinking the right amount of water, as determined in a review done in 2012.

• Ozonized Oils

Ozonized oils are infused with ozone gas, like olive oil or sunflower oil.

For example, in research conducted in 2011 on how to treat toenail fungus is when exposed to low amounts of ozone for a brief period, many microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria are rendered inactive.

According to yet another study, ozonized sunflower oil was superior to the pharmaceutical topical antifungal, ketoconazole, treating toenail fungus (Xolegel).

You should use ozonized oil twice daily on the affected toenail if you have a fungal infection.

• Extracts from Snakeroots

Snakeroot (Ageratina pichinchensis) extract is a natural antifungal derived from sunflower plants.

The therapy is just as efficient in treating toenail fungus as the prescription antifungal medication ciclopirox, as per a study conducted in 2008.

The affected area was treated with snakeroot extract every third day for the first month, twice weekly for the second month, and once weekly for the third month.

• Oregano Oil

Thymol is found in oregano oil. Thymol possesses antifungal and antibacterial effects, according to a 2016 assessment.

To cure toenail fungus, use a cotton swab to apply oregano oil to the afflicted nail twice daily. Some people combine oregano with tea tree oil.

Both products are highly concentrated and may result in irritation or an allergic reaction. Combining them may heighten this danger.

• Listerine Mouthwash

Listerine mouthwash includes antibacterial and antifungal compounds such as menthol, thymol, and eucalyptus. This may account for its popularity as a folk treatment for toenail fungus.

Proponents of the remedy advocate soaking the injured foot for 30 minutes every day in a basin of amber-colored Listerine.

• Vicks VapoRub

A topical ointment like Vicks VapoRub is used to relieve pain. The active ingredients (camphor and eucalyptus oil) may help treat toenail fungus, despite the product's stated purpose of suppressing coughs.

Vicks VapoRub was reported to have a "good clinical effect" in treating toenail fungus in a study carried out in 2011.

You should apply a tiny amount of Vicks VapoRub to the afflicted area at least once daily.

• Diet Changes

There is a direct correlation between diet and health. The more nutritious your diet, the better equipped your body is to battle illnesses like toenail fungus.

Consume the nutrition your body needs by

• Yoghurt that is high in probiotics 
• Sufficient protein to promote nail regrowth 
• Enough amount of iron to avoid brittle nails 
• Necessary fatty acid-rich diet 
• Calcium- and vitamin-D-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy products