Natural Treatment For Nail Fungus

Fungal nail infections, also called onychomycoses, tend to occur more often in toenails than in fingernails. If you are not familiar with what fungal nail infections look like, they tend to make nails look brittle, crumbly, and discolored, usually to a dark yellowish or brownish tinge.

Your body is a host to trillions of microorganisms, some of which are fungi that can live on the outer layers of your skin, your fingernails, your toenails, your hair, and in your digestive tract. When some of these fungi are provided with conditions that allow them to grow rapidly, they can develop into infections.

The most common causes of fungal nail infections are:

• Wearing damp socks for hours at a time
• Wearing tight shoes, especially those that squish your toes together
• Frequently walking barefoot in damp areas like public swimming pools, showers, and spas
• Getting your nails done at an establishment that doesn't properly sterilize their equipment after every session
• A physical injury that creates an opening in your nail that allows fungus to get underneath your nail

Although not a contention supported by any published, peer reviewed studies that I am aware of, consumption of large amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrates also tends to support rapid proliferation of fungi.

Here are the key guidelines that I have used over the years to help people successfully eliminate fungal nail infections:

1. Keep your feet dry whenever possible. This means doing a thorough job of drying your feet (and hands) after showers and baths. It also means changing your socks regularly if your feet tend to perspire a lot.

2. Wear comfortable shoes. When the weather permits, choose sandals over closed shoes whenever possible. Avoid shoes that squeeze your toes together.
3. Do not walk barefoot in damp, public areas like public swimming pools, gyms, showers, and spas.
4. If you must get your nails done, be sure to use your own tools or those that you know with certainty have been properly sterilized.
5. Strive to stay away from sugar, fruit juices, and snacks made out of white flour products like cookies, cakes, donuts, and pastries.
6. Soak the infected area in a small basin that contains one part vinegar and one part warm water for 15 minutes, two times a day. Use unscented bar soap (ivory works fine) to gently clean the area before and after you soak. Be sure to thoroughly dry your feet and hands after each soaking.
7. Use a cotton swab to apply tea tree oil to the infected nail(s) after you finish with step 6.

As it is with most health challenges, fungal nail infections tend to appear in people who have a genetic predisposition to developing them. They also tend to appear in people who have weak immune systems.

Of the recommendations listed above, numbers 1 through 5 should be followed on a regular basis as preventive measures in the absence of an active infection.