See Your Nails

It is very important to check your nails from time to time to find out any abnormality or change. Any type of fungal infection affecting the nails usually starts with a yellow or white patch or spot that develops under the tops of toenail or fingernail. When the infection starts spreading, it will gradually get deeper into the nail. At such point, it may start causing the nail to become thicker, with visible signs of discoloration and breaking edges. The nail will gradually lose its shine or luster, and debris start building up within the nails. Infected nails tend to be separated from nail beds. A foul odor may be detected.

Make an Appointment

Once you notice any of these signs, you should not waste any further time. Make an appointment with the doctor at the earliest, preferably a podiatrist. At the appointment, your nails will be examined for fungus infection. In order to confirm nail fungus diagnosis, your doctor may even scrape some part of your nail and collect debris for an analysis. This debris will be taken to the lab for an examination under microscope or a culture will be done to identify the cause of infection. It is imperative to know the cause of infection so that the best treatment can be given at the earliest.

Starting the Treatment

After diagnosis, it is time to start the treatment for nail fungus infection. Depending on the condition, your doctor will prescribe the necessary medications. Nail fungus is often very difficult to treat, and may lead to repeated or recurrent infections in the future. There are different options for medications that help in treating the condition and allow the nails to grow freely by gradually replacing the chapped and infected potion of the nail. Such medications will usually take 6 to 12 weeks to show results. However, it will take more than 4 to 6 months to eliminate the infection completely.

Because these fungal infections are stubborn, there are times when aggressive treatments have to be given. In some cases, a surgery may be needed.

THE WINNING TOENAIL FUNGUS TREATMENT

• Fungi, the same one that causes infections like athlete’s foot
• mold, or
• yeast

Fungi have been found to be the most common of all culprits, leading to disgusting toenail fungal infections. The signs and symptoms of the infection onsets with a small brown, yellow or white spot, that seems to be deep-seated right under the nail. The fungus starts growing, leading to discoloration of the nail, making it brittle and separating it from the skin too. In certain cases, the condition results in pain and unpleasant odor too. The condition may affect one or multiple toenails.

How Does Someone Get Toenail Fungus?

Nail fungus affecting toenails is caused due to exposure to fungi, mold or yeast organisms. Exposure may happen through direct or indirect contact with these organisms. These organisms are commonly found in public showers, swimming pools and parks. In order to prevent contraction, people should not share their personal belongings, such as shoes, socks, bedding and towels with any infected person.

Conditions That Worsen Nail Fungus

Fungus affecting toenails can be worse when exposed to organisms. In addition, these organisms can thrive rapidly under favorable conditions, such as warm or moist environment. The responsible organism – yeast, mold or fungi, can flourish in damp warm environment. Wearing closed shoes, sweaty socks and keep the toes moist can provide an optimum environment for the infection to aggravate. People with athlete’s foot may develop fungal infections, if left untreated.

Diagnosis

It is very important to diagnose toenail infection and get it treated at the earliest. The course of treatment will depend on the type of organisms responsible for causing these infections. Besides, there are certain medical conditions that produce similar symptoms like toenail infections. In order to diagnose the condition, doctors will do the necessary tests and determine the prime offending organism.

Treatment and Home Remedies

Infections diagnosed early can be treated with over-the-counter topical creams for fungal infections. There are infections that may not respond to any topical cream; such infections that have been growing or progressing require prescription anti-fungal medications. There are many doctors that prescribe both oral as well as topical medications for better results. As nail fungus is a stubborn infection, it has to be treated from its roots. Patients should cooperate with their doctor and attend follow-up visits to make sure their condition does not aggravate.

Toenail fungus is often treated with home remedies like vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Although there is no sufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of these treatments, they are still used randomly for quick results.

THE WINNING TOENAIL FUNGUS TREATMENT

Coconut oil is just one of them. When used in combination with oregano oil in purest form, coconut oil can help in restoring and strengthening the nails and its surrounding tissues, while providing the perfect vehicle for antifungal acids of oregano as well as coconut oil to penetrate deep into the nails where the fungus lives.

The First Step

Nail fungus infection generally results in a yellowish hue and makes the nail thicker than usual, unusually brittle and misshapen. Although there is no pain usually, the nail may be separated from the nail bed or skin underneath because of the progressing infection.
Of all the nails are deteriorating equally, you may not have nail fungus, but it could be a condition triggered by nutritional deficiency or something else. If dark spots are noticed on the nails, there is a high possibility that it could be melanoma. In either of the cases, you should see a doctor without any further delay.

Treating with Coconut Oil – Things to Gather

Before you start the treatment with coconut oil, you will need extra virgin coconut oil that can be purchased from any health food shop.

You will also need pure oregano oil – you will find it in any health shop. Buy oil, not capsule.

Steps to Take

• You have to prepare an ointment first, by mixing 1 part of pure oregano oil to 5 parts of coconut oil. Don’t use undiluted oregano oil directly on your skin, as can burn your skin.
• Wash your toenails or fingernails (infected nails) properly and keep the nails well-trimmed.
• Take small amount of the prepared ointment and massage thoroughly into your infected nails, emphasizing on the worst affected areas where your nails meet the skin. Skin tingling is very common, as oregano oil can make it burn. If it burns excessively, reduce the oregano oil proportion in the ointment.
• Allow the ointment to soak completely before you wear your shoes or socks, or walk around.
• Make this process a regular practice; do it every morning and evening, for at least 2 weeks till the infection disappears completely.

THE WINNING TOENAIL FUNGUS TREATMENT

Tip #1: Get Rid of Acrylic Nails

The initial phase you have to do is eliminate the acrylic nails or artificial nails. If you are going to use acrylic nails to conceal the infectivity, you can exacerbate the situation. Request a respectable nail salon to eliminate the nails.

Tip #2: Cut the Artificial Nails

Once you had eliminated the artificial nails, cut your natural nails short and in a straight line. Leave behind nail polish so as to let the nails restore to health appropriately.

Tip #3: Utilize Anti-fungal Nail Lacquer

If you have nail fungus, you must visit your physician concerning medication. He/she might prescribe Penlac, a nail polish that remedies fungus once painted on contaminated nails and adjacent skin.

Tip #4: Obtain a Prescription for an Oral Antifungal Medicine

Even though medicines might not at all times clear up nail fungus immediately, they can aid avoid the infectivity from proliferating and exacerbating. Your physician might recommend that you ingest Diflucan for six weeks or more.

Tip #5: Eliminate Fingernails

Ask concerning fingernail elimination. If the nail fungus is serious, your physician might recommend eliminating your genuine nail and waiting for the new one to develop once again.

Tip #6: Know the Link between Water and Synthetic Nails

Synthetic nails and water do not blend. Women washing plenty of dishes or require washing their hands all the time due to their line of work might desire considering the treatment of synthetic nails. Water will sooner or later instigate the glue that fastens the synthetic nails to disconnect from the real nail, instigating air pockets. Fungus discovers these air pockets extremely appealing.

Tip #7: Learn about Air Pockets

If synthetic nails are not put on cautiously, air pocket can develop amid the artificial nail and the real nail. As stated at the Online Pharmacy News, the opening can turn out to be a propagating base for fungus, particularly if moisture or food is ensnared in between. Thus, it is necessary that once synthetic nails are put on, no air pockets should be present. If synthetic nail starts raising it must be right away dried and rearrange with nail glue, or totally eliminated.

If the synthetic nails are left on the fingernails in spite of the existence of fungus, additional problems might consequence. NHS Warwickshire shows that not treated situations of fungus can turn out to be a resource of intense soreness and uneasiness. The fungus can also proliferate to the skin that encircles the fingernail ensuing in further situation identified as cellulites, which is indicated by puffiness of the skin. Osteomyelitis can also start to hatch, bringing about irritation of the bone marrow and the bone itself.

THE WINNING TOENAIL FUNGUS TREATMENT