Toenail Fungal Infections

Toenail fungal infections are a very common occurrence and usually the result of unhygienic habits or a general neglect of the cleanliness of your toes and nails. While the condition will not affect the overall quality of your life in its early stages, which is often the reason that a number of people do not take it seriously enough, if left untreated, could lead to rather serious complications. Moreover, a fungal infection may also turn inwards after a point and spread over the inside of the body as well – which can lead to a whole set of other medical problems. When affected by a fungal infection, the toenail will turn yellow or brown in color and become significantly overgrown; making is considerably hard to wear shoes.  Most cases will also result in some amount of foul smelling debris accumulating under the nail as well as the nail becoming substantially brittle – allowing it to break off rather easily. The fungus is known to be able to survive in humid and warm environments. This is the main reason that you are likely to acquire the infection at a local bathing house, gym shower or even locker room. Athletes also need to wear tight fitting shoes in order to enhance their performances, but this may tend to cause some amount of trauma to the toe – increasing the risk of suffering from a toenail infection.

Tea tree oil is highly regarded for its antifungal properties, making it a very effective treatment option when it comes to dealing with a fungal toenail infection. Try applying some undiluted tea tree oil with some mount of olive oil and apply it over the affected toe nail. Another option would be to soak your toenails for a period of about 15 to 20 minutes in a basin full of warm water and natural apple cider vinegar – mixed together in equal quantities. Make sure you dry your toenails thoroughly after withdrawing them from the solution and use a hair dryer on its warm setting in order to absorb all the moisture in and around the toes. You could also try blending 2 drops of oregano essential oil with a teaspoon of olive oil and apply the mixture over the affected toenails on a daily basis for a period of three weeks. Oregano’s antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties make it one of the best treatment options when it comes to dealing with toenail fungi.