Content
- To step
- Method 1 of 2: Make a vinegar foot bath
- Method 2 of 2: Apply traditional treatments
- Medical advice
- Tips
- Warnings
Many people suffer from fungal nails, especially on their toes. Fungal nails are caused by a fungal infection that usually starts under your toenails. The infection can discolor, thicken, or crumble your nails. It is a persistent problem that you obviously want to get rid of as quickly as possible, but it is often not easy. One remedy you may have heard of is soaking your feet in vinegar to kill the fungus. Vinegar is acidic, so it can kill bacteria and fungi. Unfortunately, the chance of success with this method is not that great, because the vinegar cannot penetrate under your nail. You can try it if you want, but if you don't see any improvement after two weeks, go to a doctor or a podiatrist for further treatment.
To step
Method 1 of 2: Make a vinegar foot bath
To try to treat the fungal problem with vinegar, it is best to completely immerse the base with the fungal nail (s) in a mixture of water and vinegar. To make sure the vinegar doesn't irritate your skin, it's important to dilute the vinegar with water. Take a foot bath with vinegar once or twice a day and see if it clears the infection. Don't worry if it doesn't seem to work. You can always try a more traditional treatment.
Cut the infected nail (s) before submerging your feet. If the fungus is under your nail, so-called topical treatment, or treatment from the outside, is unlikely to have much effect. Therefore, cut your nails as short as you can with a nail clipper. That way, the vinegar can get to the fungus to kill it. - Try not to cut your nails shorter than the end of the white border. If you cut further, you can injure yourself.
- If you find it difficult to trim your nails, soften them first with urea ointment. Urea ointment is often used for skin irritations. You can find it at most drug stores.
- Disinfect the nail clippers immediately after use to avoid spreading the infection further. To kill the fungus, dip the blinker in isopropyl alcohol for at least half an hour.
Mix a quarter of a liter of warm water and a quarter of a liter of white vinegar in a bowl. Grab a tub or bucket that fits your feet. Pour in the vinegar and warm water and stir the liquids together. - Instead of regular white vinegar, you could use apple cider vinegar. Both contain similar amounts of acetic acid.
Soak your feet in the bath for ten to twenty minutes. Lower your foot (s) into the tub and make sure the water completely covers your infected toes. Then soak your feet in the water for 10 to 20 minutes to allow the vinegar to soak into the fungus. - If you have cuts on your foot, the vinegar may sting a little. Don't worry about that because it can't hurt.
When you're done, dry your feet as best you can. Mold grows well in a humid environment, so dry them off after every foot bath. Carefully pat your feet dry with a clean towel before putting your socks and shoes back on. - The towel can also spread the virus, so wash it well before using it again.
Take a foot bath twice a day until the symptoms disappear. It is not easy to get rid of fungal nails, so it may take a while before you see results. Soak your feet in the vinegar water twice a day. If you see some improvement after a few weeks, you can continue. If you don't see any progress, make an appointment with your doctor or podiatrist so he or she can prescribe more effective treatment for you. - If your nails grow in the meantime, trim them back again so that the vinegar can get to the fungus.
- It may take several months for this medicine to work. If you can't keep taking a foot bath twice a day, or if the infection doesn't seem to go away, make an appointment with your doctor or a podiatrist.
Method 2 of 2: Apply traditional treatments
Unfortunately, there are not many success stories known when it comes to treating fungal nails with vinegar. That is of course quite frustrating, but there are professional forms of treatment that often work well. For example, an ointment might work, but oral drugs are generally most effective against nail fungus. See your doctor or podiatrist for an official diagnosis, then follow his or her directions to get rid of those pesky fungal nails once and for all.
If you want to try an easy way first, buy an anti-fungal ointment or cream from the drug store. Specially developed anti-fungal creams often work better than vinegar foot baths. Buy an ointment at the drugstore and treat your nails with it exactly according to the instructions for use in the package leaflet. Most ointments require you to use them every day for at least several weeks. Follow the directions in the package insert exactly and see if you see any improvement. - Approved anti-fungal creams are available under the names Scholl, ciclopirox (Loprox) and miconazole (Daktarin), among others.
- Keep your nails short so that the cream can penetrate the fungus well.
- Most of the time, creams do not work well against nail fungus, unfortunately, because they cannot penetrate the inside of the nail. So don't be surprised if you don't see much improvement and you still need to see a doctor or a podiatrist for more effective treatment.
Ask if your doctor or podiatrist can prescribe an oral medicine for you. Oral medication is often the best option for nail fungus because it works from the inside out. If the fungal infection doesn't go away with the home remedies you tried, make an appointment with your doctor or a podiatrist. Your doctor will likely examine your toenail and then prescribe a medicine to treat the fungus. Take the medicine to get rid of the infection for two or three months exactly as the doctor instructs you. - Medicines for fungal infections that the doctor might prescribe are Lamisil and Itraconazole.
- Do not stop the medication prematurely. If you stop the treatment before the medicine has been able to kill the fungus, the infection may return.
- During the first appointment, your doctor or podiatrist may cut part of your nail to remove some of the fungus. This can help, but it probably won't completely cure the infection.
- Anti-fungal drugs can be quite aggressive. That is why the doctor may want to test your blood every now and then to check whether everything is still okay based on the values in your blood. Too much of the drug can harm your liver.
Try medicated nail polish that penetrates the inside of your nail. The doctor or podiatrist may prescribe this in combination with an oral medicine. Medicinal nail polish, such as Mycosan, can penetrate the inside of your nails and treat the fungus. Usually you have to apply the nail polish to your nail with a brush or brush and let it sit for a week. Then you can take it off with alcohol and apply a new layer. Keep repeating this process for the period prescribed by your doctor or podiatrist. - The method of use can vary, depending on the medicine that your doctor or podiatrist has prescribed for you. Follow his or her instructions as precisely as possible.
Medical advice
Although vinegar is a common home remedy for fungal infections, it usually doesn't work very well for fungal nails. Since the vinegar cannot penetrate under your nails, it cannot kill the fungus. You can try it if you want, but chances are you won't see great results. If the infection doesn't go away after a few weeks, see your doctor or a podiatrist so he or she can prescribe you a more traditional treatment. Even with ointments and other medicines it can sometimes take months for the fungus to disappear completely. Therefore, to increase the chance of success, follow the directions of your doctor or podiatrist as carefully as possible with every new treatment you are going to try.
Tips
- There are a number of other home remedies for fungal nails. For example, rubbing your nails daily with Vicks VapoRub could also help.
Warnings
- Nail fungus is contagious, so anything your foot comes into contact with was fine. Wear socks indoors to avoid passing the infection on to your roommates.
- Another remedy you could try is to rub your infected nails with tea tree oil once a day.
