Toenail Problems:Toenail Fungus Cures
Who has ever had an ingrown toenail? They can become really quite painful as the nail starts to grow inwards into the skin surrounding it.
My partner had one on his big toe, where it grew quite deeply into the right hand side of it and caused very uncomfortable pressure, swelling and big toe pain, especially when he tried to walk. His podiatrist said that it was because he hadn’t trimmed the nail properly. Who would have thought that a simple job like cutting your nails could cause such pain! Apparently when trimming nails they need to be cut straight across and not in a curve.
Fortunately the nail hadn’t gone too far inwards and so the remedy was quite simple.
He cut a little ‘v’ shape into the centre of the nail at the top front edge and within a week or so the whole nail started to grow straight again and the pressure was relieved.
Luckily there was no sign of any infection and generally the treatment at this stage consists of simply trimming the nail, either in the middle as above or at the corner to relieve the symptoms.
A slightly more drastic remedy might be to cut the nail right back to the cuticle and then apply a chemical to the base of the nail to stop the ingrown nail from growing back.
Other people, such as diabetics who have an increased risk of developing this problem along with discolored toenails that become thick and hard or turn yellow, might not be so lucky since if not treated early it can lead to infection and inflammation and the pain can spread
Toenail Problem Causes
Ingrown toenails can also come about because of a prior toenail fungal infection in the first place. Toe fungus is quite common and well over 6 million Americans are believed to suffer from this kind of toenail problem. This fungal infection usually causes the nails to thicken and go yellow and often to curve inwards at the sides causing a very uncomfortable ingrown toenail.
People who suffer from diabetes or who have weak immune systems often develop this problem and need to be extra vigilant with foot care. Higher risk groups also include athletes, particularly footballers who suffer repeated nail trauma with all the running and kicking, the elderly and people with sweaty feet. Why sweaty feet? Well it is an ideal warm and moist area for fungus to grow.
How Do You Cure Toenail Fungus?
In the early stages of a fungal infection an anti fungal cream or an oral preparation is often recommended
What is the most effective antifungal nail treatment?
For more serious infections your health practitioner might recommend a course of antibiotics and possibly a complete ingrown toenail removal or a removal of part of it using a local anesthetic.
For those who prefer the natural route, like myself, a natural antibiotic alternative could be used instead.
Do certain vitamins help cure nail fungus?
Well a good intake of vitamin C can certainly help, along with regular (preferably daily) bathing of the toe in lukewarm salt water as a toenail softener and antifungal treatment.
What about Vinegar?
Many have heard that the use of vinegar is an effective treatment for toenail fungus and they are right. Another home remedy for ingrown toenails and organic toenail care is indeed vinegar which has natural properties that help to cure or prevent further fungus growth and vinegar treatment for toenail infection has been widely used for years. Vinegar is a well tried and tested natural remedy and can help to soften thick toenails.
Lavender and Tea Tree Oil
Also regular toe massage with a lavender and tea tree oil preparation is often recommended. It might be a good idea to roughen up the nail surface with a nail file before applying to help the oils or solutions to penetrate more deeply and avoid further toenail thickening
Pure Colloidal Silver
Another remedy that some peole recommend is liquid colloidal silver for nail fungus, which can be applied topically or internally (or both).
Toe nail fungus prevention
The best cure is prevention and there are a number of steps you can take to prevent the development of a toenail fungus or to stop it spreading and getting worse
- Keeping the socks and shoes dry is important and using an anti fungal powder can help with this
- Don’t wear the same shoes every day and store them in an area that is free from damp and not in a dark place
- Change the shoe insoles from time to time or take them out and air them between uses or wear airy shoes
- When washing your feet make sure you dry them thoroughly and don’t share towels
- For sweaty feet, use an antiperspirant foot spray, especially when doing exercise and sports and use cotton socks which are less sweat producing
- Make sure that your shoes are a good fit and that they don’t crush the toes
- Make sure you wear something on your feet like flip flops or sandals inside the swimming pool or gym changing rooms so that you don’t pick up someone else’s infection
- When cutting your toenails, cut them in a straight line, straight across and don’t let them grow too long where they can get crushed by your shoes and suffer toenail trauma with an increased risk of fungal infection. Toenail fungus finds it easier to grow underneath a damaged toe nail.
Remember, in its advanced stages toenail fungus is rather unsightly and ca become an emabarrassing problem so the bst advice is to take precautions to prevent it happening and if you do find yourself with this foot problem then do something about it as soon as possible
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I have horizontal line on my big toe nail. And now, my other toe nails, begining to have similiar horizontal line. What cause this? and how to do away with it?
Well it could be due to something called Beau’s Lines which is when nails show horizontal lines of darkened cells and linear depressions. This can be caused by things like trauma, illness, malnutrition or other metabolic condition, or chemotherapy, and is the result of an interruption in the protein formation of the nail plate. It would probably be best to get some advice from a doctor or local health practitioner. Hope this helps. let me know how you get on
My small toenail is small is curves upward. What causes this and can it be fixed?
I’m not a doctor, but sometimes the nail can curve upwards because of an iron deficiency in the diet or because of wearing the wrong type of shoes. it is probably worth getting it checked out before it becomes any worse. Hope this helps
My big toenails r both slightly yellow.. The botton hailf of the nail (close to the skin) is ok but about half way up it has got very thick- looks almost as if air I’d inside. The sides r yellow. What can I d? I don’t smoke but I do play football a lot. Thanks
I’m no doctor, but here’s some info I found for u using yahoo answers …. Hope it helps
Yellow toenails are usually a sign of trouble to come. Although harmless bacterial colonization can cause a color change in nails (usually green), and there is a rare condition called yellow nail syndrome, by far the most common cause of yellowish or brownish discoloration in the toenails is fungus infection. Many fungi produce colored pigments when they are growing well – Penicillium, for instance, the fungus that produces penicillin, commonly produces a deep green pigment. The fungi that like to grow in nails commonly produce yellowish or brownish colors.
To determine whether, in your case, a fungal infection is the reason for yellow toenails, you should visit your doctor and get a professional diagnosis. Since fungal nail infections are relatively common, your doctor will have seen yellow toenails before, and will be able to judge whether your nails are infected with fungus or whether you have some other problem that requires different treatment. If there is still doubt, a sample of your yellowish toenail can be taken and sent to the laboratory for testing.
Yellow toenails are not necessarily uniformly colored. Only some toenails may be affected – sometimes only one – and the fungus may only be growing in part of the nail, producing a yellow toenail streak. Untreated, infections that involve only part of the nail will usually spread to cover the whole nail, and generally advance towards the nail root over time. Once you know for sure that fungus is the reason for yellow toenails in your case, don’t delay treatment. Infections are more easily treated if they do not involve the lunula (the whitish crescent shaped area near the cuticle).
You will have to decide between various types of treatment for yellow toenails. Your doctor can prescribe an oral medication that is taken daily for a few months to a year to get rid of the infection. Many people avoid the oral prescription drugs because they are expensive, and because of the potential for unpleasant side effects. There is also a topical prescription nail lacquer that is painted on, but this can only be used for yellow toenails, or a yellow toenail streak that does not involve the lunula (the whitish crescent-shaped region near the cuticle).
Besides the prescription drugs, natural remedies probably work better than over the counter antifungals for yellow toenails and any yellow toenail streak. This is because topical ointments and lotions don’t get through the nail to kill the fungus. Natural and home remedies attempt to soften the nail for better penetration, and often contain natural ingredients that have been found to be effective against fungus. Some are even backed up by scientific study.