Nail fungus is a common condition that begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail. As the fungal infection goes deeper, nail fungus may cause your nail to discolour, thicken and crumble at the edge. It can affect several nails.
If your condition is mild and not bothering you, you may not need treatment. If your nail fungus is painful and has caused thickened nails, self-care steps and medications may help. But even if treatment is successful, nail fungus often comes back.
Nail fungus is also called onychomycosis (on-ih-koh-my-KOH-sis). When the fungus infects the areas between your toes and the skin of your feet, it’s called athlete’s foot (tinea pedis).
Symptoms
You may have nail fungus if one or more of your nails are:
- Thickened
- Whitish to yellow-brown discolouration
- Brittle, crumbly or ragged
- Distorted in shape
- A dark colour, caused by debris building up under your nail
- Smelling slightly foul
- Nail fungus can affect fingernails, but it’s more common in toenails.
Here are few natural remedies for nail fungus:
Vicks Vaporub
Vicks VapoRub contains known anti-fungal ingredients such as camphor and eucalyptus oil. In a small study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 83 per cent of people who used a cotton swab to apply a small amount of Vicks to an affected nail at least once a day reported improvement, with almost 20 per cent getting rid of the infection entirely.
How to use it: Follow the study participants’ lead and use a cotton swab to apply a small amount of Vicks to the affected nail once a day. For best results, apply the solution when you have time to let it dry before putting on socks or shoes.
Listerine and white vinegar
The mouthwash has ingredients such as thymol and menthol that have anti-fungal properties, and the vinegar is acidic, which makes an inhospitable environment for fungi.
How to use it: Combine the two in equal portions and soak your toes in the solution, ideally for 45 to 60 minutes daily.
Tea tree
Tea tree oil has been used for many years to combat skin conditions, especially fungal infections.
How to use it: Dab a few drops of oil on the affected nails twice a day.
Cornmeal
We’ve heard from a few readers that this has gotten rid of the fungus. Cornmeal has long been used as a way to banish black-spot fungal disease from roses, so it does have some sort of anti-fungal properties.
How to use it: Pour cornmeal into a shallow pan, mix it with water hot enough to dissolve it into a paste, let it cool, and then soak your feet in it for an hour a week
Also Read: Natural Home Remedies for Urinary Tract Infections
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