One of the most common infections in human is a fungal infection that appears on the skin. Many folks struggle with the best toenail fungus treatment. “Onychomycosis” or tineaunguium is the name for the type of infection that causes the fungi to appear on the nails. With dietary changes, supplements and certain essential oils, you can treat and eliminate the root cause of the toenail fungus, even when you’ve been struggling with it for years.
Symptoms of Toenail Fungus
A toenail fungus can change the way your nails look, feel, and smell. Everyone will experience these symptoms differently, of course. Specific symptoms may be more severe for one person than another. But, most of the time the signs are similar. This makes it easy to self-diagnose.
- Discoloration of nails-It usually appears as white spots or streaks on the nail. It may look like a scratch or injury, or a white powdery substance along the edge of the nail. Some people may even see that their nails have turned cloudy.
- Injury turning to fungus- If you do have an injury to your toenail, you might notice things like a subungual hematoma. This is when blood pools underneath the nail. It can make the nail turn dark, or even black. This doesn’t automatically mean you have a nail fungus.
- Ridges in nails- The ridges that form on a toenail can be deep and jagged-looking. If ridges have started to form, it usually means the structure and integrity of the nail are beginning to change.
- Toenails become thicker- Nails that have become thicker due to toenail fungus are a sign that the fungus is growing and thriving. Don’t mistake thick nails as a sign that the toenails are strong or healthy.
- Bad smell– One of the more embarrassing symptoms of toenail fungus is a foul odor. Some people’s feet may not smell great, to begin with, but a fungal smell can be much worse.
- Pain– Depending on what caused the infection, it can become painful. This is definitely the case if the nail is pulling away from the nail bed.
Unfortunately, these severe symptoms aren’t always easy to manage. It’s much better to pay attention to the early warning signs if you want to get a head start on treating a toenail fungus.
Best Toenail Fungus Treatment Ways
Fungal nail infections can be difficult to treat. But you can have best toenail fungus treatment. Treatment depends on the severity of your condition and the type of fungus causing it. It can take months to see results. And even if your nail condition improves, repeat infections are common.
Your doctor may prescribe antifungal drugs that you take orally or apply to the nail. In some situations, it helps to combine oral and topical antifungal therapies.
- Oral anti fungal drugs- These drugs are often the first choice because they clear the infection more quickly than do topical drugs.
- Medicated nail polish- You paint it on your infected nails and surrounding skin once a day. After seven days, you wipe the piled-on layers clean with alcohol and begin fresh applications. You may need to use this type of nail polish daily for almost a year.
- Medicated nail cream- Doctors may also prescribe a medicated nail cream This helps the medication get through the hard nail surface to the underlying fungus.
- Surgery- Your doctor might suggest temporary removal of the nail so that he or she can apply the antifungal drug directly to the infection under the nail. Some fungal nail infections don’t respond to medicines. Your doctor might suggest permanent nail removal if the infection is severe or extremely painful.
Talk with your doctor if self-care strategies and over-the-counter (nonprescription) products haven’t helped.