Nail Fungus

Nail Fungas / Fungus or Onychomycosis meaning fungal infection of the nails can be one of the most difficult and time consuming diseases to treat. The fungi often responsible for Onychomycosis are called Dermatophytes however a range of other fungi can cause toenail and fingernail fungus. Toe nails are the more commonly affected nails due to the constant enclosure in a warm and humid environment.

The key action before commencing any medical or alternative treatments is the identification with your GP the specific type of fungal infection you have. This can be completed by your GP using nail scrapings or clippings to determine the specific infection after which an appropriate medication can be recommended by your GP.

Many of the alternative remedies used to try and rid or kill toenail fungus such as tea-tree oil and vinegar are unproven and may have limited effectiveness because they are topical and can have difficulty penetrating the under nail structure to have any effect. Here is a list of some of the alternative remedies tried to cure toenail or finger nail fungus:

• cider vinegar

• white vinegar

• listerine

• tea tree oil

• oregano oil

• vicks vaporub

One of the conventional medical treatments use lamisil tablets which work to stop fungus growth in order to allow your nail to grow the fungus out. Lamisil usually require GP analysis and prescription before use. This allows correct diagnosis and in some countries government subsidies.