Nail fungus is a common problem, mainly for toenails but sometimes also
for fingernails. I'm not a doctor, but I do know that there is no magic
cure for nail fungus. It rarely goes away by itself. There is a large
market for treatments and a lot of controversy and misinformation
about them.
CLICK HERE
to read about nail fungus at the Mayo Clinic.
What doctors say is that you need to take a prescription drug
like Sporanox (Itraconazole),
Diflucan (Fluconazole),
or Lamisil (Terbinafine)
for 6-12 weeks. Since these drugs can damage your liver, you have to go for
periodic blood tests while you are taking them. For milder cases, a
prescription solution such as Cicloprox
(which can also have side effects) is applied to the nail once a day for six
months. There is also a new
laser treatment for nail fungus that does not have the side effects of
prescription drugs. Each of these
treatments can be very expensive and usually is not covered by health
insurance (if you have it), and none of them is guaranteed to work.
Because of the expense and/or risk of medical treatment, it might be worth
trying one of the over-the-counter products first to see if they make
a difference. Follow the instructions carefully, don't exceed recommended
doses. You can see a selection of non-prescription antifungal products at
Amazon; just go there and search
for nail fungus. You can read the reviews of each product and see
what customers are saying. For example, the
Tineacide Antifungal Cream has mostly good customer reviews (but of
course that is no guarantee).
On the other hand, many people swear by Australian tea tree oil as a
natural treatment nail fungus. My clients tell me it really works, and it
has the added benefit of making your feet feel all tingly! It has a rather
strong woody smell, like eucalyptus or pine, very earthy; some people like
it, some don't, but it works wonders on your skin, treating not only
funguses but also spots, acne, dandruff, dermatitis, minor burns, cuts and
scrapes, ringworm, athlete's foot, insect bites, head lice, etc.
CLICK
HERE to search Google on this topic, and
CLICK
HERE to shop for 100% tea tree oil at Amazon.
Remember that with any treatment, even when it works perfectly, it takes
four to six months for the new nail to grow out, and you have to take
precautions to prevent the fungus from coming back.