Natural Remedies for Toe Nail Fungus
A toenail fungus infection is caused by the same fungus that is responsible for an athlete's foot infection. Often, a toenail fungus infection is caused by an untreated athlete's foot infection that has spread to the toenails. Fungus in the toenails can be tricky to treat because the fungus is protected underneath the toenail. If treatment is ended too early, before all the fungus is killed, the infection can come back quickly. There are several natural remedies available to treat toenail fungus. Natural treatments should be continued for at least two weeks after all signs of the fungus infection is gone.
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Instructions
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Keep feet clean and dry. Toenail fungus thrives in a warm and moist environment. Change your socks frequently, especially after sweating. Make sure shoes are fully dry before you put them on. Better yet, alternate shoes. Only wear a particular pair of shoes every other day. Even though shoes feel dry to the touch, they may contain a slight amount of moisture that is undetectable by touch. That slight amount of moisture is enough to feed fungus.
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Eat plenty of garlicky foods. Garlic has natural antifungal properties. There is not enough scientific evidence to prove that eating garlic can treat fungal infections, but there have been reports by individuals that garlic has helped them. Alternative health practitioners often recommend including garlic in the diet to treat fungal infections.
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Soak feet in a large pot of salty warm water. Mix one cup of salt per one gallon of warm water to make this foot soak. Or, if you are lucky enough to live near an ocean or the Dead Sea, soak your feet in natures salt water. A salt water foot soak to treat toenail fungus is a popular longtime folk remedy. Dr. Militello at the University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, recommends a salt water foot soak to maintain foot health.
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Apply Aloe Vera gel to the toenails and surrounding skin twice a day to clean dry feet. Aloe Vera contains compounds that are useful for their anti-fungal properties (1988 Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology).
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Apply one drop of tea tree oil to each infected nail. Apply the tea tree oil twice a day to clean dry feet. Do not rinse the tea tree oil off. Tea tree oil has natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. A study conducted by Dr. K. Hammer, Dr. C. Carson and A/Prof T. Riley at the University of Western Australia determined that a topical solution of tea tree oil can kill fungus.
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Tips & Warnings
Going barefoot or wearing open sandals gives the feet air which fights fungi.
If you are unsure if the toenail condition is caused by a fungus, have the condition evaluated by a licensed medical professional. If a toenail fungus infection does not respond to natural treatment, medical advice from a licensed health care professional should be sought.
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- Photo Credit Credit: CDC/PHIL - Copyright: Public Domain
