Struggling With Fungal Nails? 7 Tips to Your Rescue
Fungal nails are a very common problem. In fact, almost 23% of the people who approach dermatologists with a foot infection are actually suffering from fungal nails. There are a lot of things that can trigger a fungal nail infection in the foot and sometimes, even in the fingernails.
If you are someone struggling with this problem, you can find some of the best ways for fungal nails treatment below:
1. Apply Vicks VapoRub
Almost everyone has a pack of Vicks VapoRub at their home to deal with colds and blocked noses. If you have one at your home, you can use it to treat your fungal nails as well!
It is a topical ointment basically designed to suppress cough. However, the active ingredients in it – eucalyptus oil and camphor are excellent for treating fungal problems.
You can rub a small amount of VapoRub to the area affected by the fungal nail at least once a day.
2. Use Snakeroot Extract
Snakeroot is an excellent treatment for fungal infections, especially fungal nails. It belongs to the sunflower family and has naturally occurring anti-fungal properties that can improve the condition you are suffering from.
Applying snakeroot extract on your fungus-infected nail every third day for a month and twice every week the next month will reduce the infection quite a lot and as effectively as an over-the-counter medication.
3. Apply Tea Tree Oil
Melaleuca, popularly known as tea tree oil, is used by a lot of people to treat fungal nails. It is an essential oil that has natural anti-fungal and antiseptic abilities. A number of studies have shown that using tea tree oil on the area affected by fungus regularly can reduce the infection.
You should use a cotton swab and apply the oil to the nails that are affected with the fungus at least two times every day. After some time, you will be able to see some improvement in the condition.
4. Maintain Food Hygiene
One of the major causes of a fungal infection is not maintaining proper hygiene. Not cleaning your feet and hands regularly and letting your nails grow without cleaning them will result in you getting a fungal infection.
Make sure that you wash your feet daily and trim the nails on a regular basis. Simple hygiene practices can help you reduce the fungal infection and avoid getting it in the future.
5. Keep the Nails Dry
Wet and damp environments trigger fungal nails. A lot of times, when people wash their feet and fingers, they don’t dry off their nails properly. If your nails are damp and you don’t dry them off after washing, it will be difficult to treat your fungal infection and it can increase even more.
So, make sure that you use a clean, dry towel and wipe off any water from your nails. Get good shoes that reduce perspiration and wash them regularly as well.
6. Avoid Cosmetics
When you are suffering from a fungal infection, the last thing that you want is the infection spreading and infecting all of your nails. Using cosmetics like nail paints and fake nails can do just that.
When you are undergoing treatment for your nails, make sure that you avoid nail varnishes and artificial nails. Also, remember to not share your clippers with others as the infection can spread to others who use them.
7. Adjust Your Diet
A lot of people ignore their diet when it comes to treating fungal nail infection. When you follow a proper diet and eat healthy foods that give your body proper nutrients, you can speed up the treatment process and avoid getting the infection in the future.
You should include foods that are rich in iron to strengthen your nails and foods that have good calcium and vitamin D content. You can also include other things like probiotic-rich yoghurts as well. Consulting a dietician can give you a better perspective on the diet that you need to follow.
Over to you…
As a general rule, you should avoid going to damp and moist environments that can trigger fungal nails and wear shoes and socks when you go out in public. Using the tricks mentioned above, you will be able to improve your fungal nail infection and also avoid getting one in the future.
