An infection of the nails with fungi occurs when one or more of the nails are infected. A nail fungus infection may begin as nothing more than a white or yellow spot beneath the tip of the nail but as the infection spreads deeper it can cause a discoloration and thickening of the nails. The infected nail may appear yellowish and with crumbling edges. The condition can pose a painful problem and is also very resilient to treatment because the fungi have your nail acting as a protective barrier against any applications. This is why delay treatment can lead to a worsening of the condition that makes it very hard to treat.
Treating a nail function with home remedies is not always the best idea because many remedies are ineffective and the results may also vary from individual to individual. This would normally not be a problem, but because of the increased resilience with delays in treatment failed attempts can prove costly. If home remedies prove to be ineffective precious time can be wasted giving the infection a chance to take hold and making treatment a lot harder. It also takes longer to cure with the passage of time. Toenail infections are a lot more common and take even longer to treat as compared to finger nail infections because of the slow growth rate of toenails.
fungal infections more frequently affect the toenails as compared to fingernails as fungi thrive in moist and warm environments, which means that your feet, enclosed in socks and shoes offer a much friendlier habitat. For this reason treatment requires a combination of medicated treatments, mostly topical applications, along with stringent hygiene practices and self care measures.
If you are adamant on the usage of home treatments then some suggestions that warrant a mention would include tea tree oil because of its strong antifungal properties. Apply the oil directly or with olive oil onto the infected toenail. You can also soak the toe in a basin of warm water with the oil added in. According to some enthusiasts of natural home medicine Listerine also works wonders. Just apply it lavishly to the toe or simply soak in a Listerine solution. Be warned however that these remedies may vary in effectiveness and results have never been verified.
Whatever the mode of treatment you choose to follow, make sure you follow the strictest hygiene to prevent spreading the infection and also to prevent a recurrence.
answered by a