Content

• Steps

Toe infections can range from relatively mild, such as an ingrown toenail or a fungal infection, up to a more severe infection such as an infection on the skin (abscess or cellulitis). Toe infection can become very serious and lead to joint or bone infection. Superficial infections are usually relatively mild and can be easily treated at home, but severe infections require medical treatment. You should learn to distinguish these two, as a serious condition needs to be evaluated by a doctor to make sure the infection does not get worse or spread.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Evaluate for toe infections

1. 

   Evaluate your symptoms. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell what kind of infection to your toe and if it's serious. Maybe it's just a simple ingrown toenail or a more severe infection that has the potential to spread to other parts of the body. To distinguish between these two cases, you should consider the symptoms.
   • Signs and symptoms of a mild infection include: pain and / or soreness, swelling, redness, and warmth.
   • Signs and symptoms of a serious infection include: pus, red streaks radiating from the original wound, fever.

2. 

   
   
   Seek medical help if you have symptoms of a serious infection. Again, these symptoms include: pus, red streaks radiating from the wound, or fever. If you experience any of the above, promptly call your doctor for advice.
   • Severe infections can spread from the toes to other parts of the body. Severe cases can also lead to shock and life-threatening. So be sure to see your doctor as soon as possible if the infection is severe.

3. 

   
   
   Determine if a mild toe infection can be treated at home. If there are no serious symptoms and only mild discomfort, you can treat the infection at home. As with all minor injuries, you can cure an infection by cleaning the wound, applying an antibiotic, and covering it for a few days. If this appears to be the case for your wound, treat it in the same manner.
   • If you have thoroughly cleaned the wound, applied proper antibiotics, bandaged and kept the wound clean but is still painful, or if the pain is increasing or inflamed, then you need to see a medical professional for treatment.
   • If the infection appears to be mild and does not pose a risk to your health, you can still make an appointment with your doctor to be checked. Use your judgment and remember that "care is not good".
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Method 2 of 3: Specialized treatment

1. 

   
   
   Follow your doctor's instructions when treating a mild infection. Treatments will vary depending on the cause of the infection. Your doctor can prescribe an oral or topical antibiotic. However, in many cases you are only instructed to soak your toe in a solution of half warm water and half liquid antibacterial soap for about 15 minutes, 3-4 times a day, while keeping the wound clean.
   • Foot baths help reduce infection and soften the skin to treat the infection.
   • For a fungal toenail infection, your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal or nail polish remover.

2. 

   Specialized treatment for severe infections. If you have a deep and severe infection, your doctor may recommend minor surgery. This is a quick procedure to drain an infection, usually done in the case of an abscess.
   • The doctor may first numb the toe with anesthetic and use a scalpel to cut into the infection to drain the pus. Then, depending on the depth of the infection, the doctor may place the wick in the wound to help drain fluid.
   • Then the wound will be covered in 24-48 hours. After this time, you can remove the bandage to check the wound and re-bandage.
   • You may also be prescribed an antibiotic.

3. 

   Use medicine to treat a superficial infection. Superficial infections (superficial infections) of the toe can be treated with a number of methods, which include:
   • Soak: Similar to a more severe infection, a soak in a solution of ½ warm water and ½ liquid antibacterial soap is often recommended. You should soak for about 15 minutes, once a day.
   • Over-the-counter antibiotic creams and ointments to treat bacterial infections: include Polysporin, Neosporin, Bacitracin or Triple Antibiotic ointment.
   • Over-the-counter antifungal creams to treat a fungal infection: Lotrimin, Derman, Canesten, or another antifungal medicine.
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Method 3 of 3: Use home remedies

1. 

   Use tea tree oil to treat infections. Apply tea tree oil directly to the infected or fungal skin. Tea tree tea has natural antibacterial properties and can help kill the fungal infection.
   • Tea tree oil has been shown to reduce foot fungus in medical studies.

2. 

   Soak your toes in apple cider vinegar. You should do this therapy every day for 15 minutes. You can use either warm or cold apple cider vinegar, whichever is comfortable for you.
   • Apple cider vinegar is noted for having antimicrobial properties, perhaps in part due to the acidity in it. Vinegar has been commonly used for hundreds of years for its anti-infectious properties.

3. 

   Apply crushed garlic to the infected area. Crush two or three peeled garlic cloves and mix with olive oil, or castor oil, or manuka honey, ingredients that are also antimicrobial. Apply the crushed garlic mixture to the infection and cover it with a bandage.
   • Change the garlic mixture daily.
   • Garlic has natural antibiotic properties, so it can be helpful in fighting skin infections, such as staph infections.

4. 

   Soak toes on Epsom salt daily. Mix about ½ cup Epsom salt with 3 cups warm water. Soak your toes in the solution for 15 minutes or until the water gets too cold.
   • High salt concentrations can kill bacteria and cure fungal infections.

5. 

   Dilute Listerine mouthwash with warm water and soak your toes. Mix equal amounts of Listerine mouthwash and warm water and soak your toes daily. Listerin can treat mild infections because it contains menthol, thyme and eucalyptus, all extracted from natural sources of antibiotics.
   • If you have a nail fungus infection, you can use a 50/50 vinegar-mixed mouthwash solution to treat the fungus.

6. 

   See your doctor if home remedies aren't working. If your infection doesn't improve within a few days of using home remedies or seems to get worse, see your doctor for treatment. Do not continue to use if it is ineffective. advertisement