Fungus on one’s toenails is not only unsightly, but it can also be a major health problem. In time, it can impact your mobility and lead to other medical maladies. If you want to keep your feet in top condition and get rid of the fungus, you should take the time to consider the following ways to rid yourself of toenail fungus.
Natural Cures
There are a few home remedies for getting rid of toenail fungus, though these remedies vary in effectiveness from person to person. The heart of each remedy is personal hygiene – you want to avoid getting your feet wet and keep them aired out as much as possible. The remedies themselves include putting the following substances on your nail or toes:
- Vicks Vap-o-Rub
- Vinegar and Water
- Essential Oils
Applied regularly, these substances will supposedly help clear up fungus on your toenails.
Medical Remedies
It should come as no surprise that the medical community has a few treatment options for those who have fungal infections. If you want to get rid of toenail fungus, the most commonly prescribed route is the use of anti-fungal cream that is applied once a day. This cream can help to clear up some problems if used for about a year, but it is not always effective.
Some doctors prescribe oral medication for fungus growth to help your body grow a new toenail and to replace the old, infected nail. This process does carry some possible side-effects, notably damage to the liver. Oral medication only tends to be prescribed to very specific patients with severe symptoms.
Surprisingly, surgery is also an option for those who have severe fungal infections. The surgery generally exists to help remove the old toenail and to allow your body to regrow a new nail from scratch. While this procedure is certainly effective, it can also be quite painful and lead to a great deal of time off of one’s feet.
Laser Treatment
Laser treatment is generally the best toenail fungus treatment option. The process is a bit quicker than taking oral medication, but it does not carry the often-dangerous side effects that make the older form of treatment so dangerous for so many. In fact, there is very little to suggest that laser treatment for toenail fungus can cause any harm at all.
Laser treatment works through one of two methods – either inhibiting growth or outright destroying fungus. Both are usually preferable to having to regrow the toenail, and both give the body more of a chance to act on its own. Though the treatment is a bit more expensive, it is the best way to get rid of toenail fungus.
