Nail fungus, or onychomyscosis, infect the fingernails as well as toenails of a person. These fungi are parasitic and they do not need sunlight in order to survive. They thrive in places where it is moist, such as showers, bathrooms or locker rooms where people usually walk barefoot. It can be also transmitted through sharing nail clippers and files. Susceptibility to nail fungus can be increased through wound on the nail, wearing tight footwear, or a weakened immune system.

A nail fungus infection can be easily detected. Symptoms include:

1. The toenail may change into a brown, or yellowish color. It may also turn black or have little white patches all over.

2. Your toenails will emit a foul smell.

3. Discomfort on the toenail, causing pain when walking.

4. Flakes and chips are observed on the nails.

Once you have these symptoms, consult a medical professional immediately so that he/she can recommend a toe nail fungus cure. There are quite a lot of good options out there, but there are only a few that work well and fast. Most people often try to do their treatment at home. Using vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or bleach are the most common do-it-yourself treatments that don’t work in most cases. The time wasted in trying these remedies will buy some time for the nail fungus to grow and worsen the infection. These are the best treatment options available:

1. Prescription medication such as Sporanox and Lamisil are sometimes used as a toe nail fungus cure. But there are very adverse side effects that come with these medications. The FDA has issued a public health advisory warning that there is evidence that these medicines can cause congestive heart failure, liver failure, or worse, death.

2. Others have also tried treatments such as vicks, Listerine, Epsom salts, and hydrogen peroxide for a toe nail fungus cure, but these have been met with mixed results. You do put yourself at a risk of worsening it if doesn’t work.

3. There is also a natural toe nail fungus cure that is very effective as well as safer than these prescription medicines. They don’t have these adverse side effects since they contain natural ingredients. One of the best of these treatments is Zetaclear. It contains Jojoba oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil and clove oil, which are proven to be very effective anti-fungal and soothing remedies for fungal infections. They are giving an unconditional 30 day guarantee, which means a lot about their confidence in their product. Whichever toe nail fungus cure option you choose, please consult a doctor immediately when you discover you have toe nail fungus. The sooner it is treated, the sooner it will be gone.

Here are some of the top toe nail fungus treatments available today:

1. Zetaclear - An all-natural treatment such as Zetaclear has been proven as an effective toe nail fungus treatment. It contains an effective formulation of natural oils which have been effective in treating toenail fungus. These include jojoba oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil, which have anti-fungal properties. They don’t have any adverse side effects, unlike other medications. They also have a 30 day guarantee that stipulates you can return your purchase if it doesn’t work.  Click here for more information on Zetaclear.

2. Medicines - The doctor may give you prescription medicines as treatment for the toe nail fungus. The 3 approved toe nail fungus treatments by the US FDA are terbinafine, itraconazole and griseofulvin. But patients are warned of prolonged use of these medicines since it can lead to heart and liver damage, or even death.

3. Epsom - The use of Epsom salts is also another good way of treating toe nail fungus infections. One simply soaks in a footbath with Epsom salt solution every day. Some patients have said that it reduces the swelling of the toe and can make walking with them much more comfortable. This may take a lot of time and patience since it has to be done everyday. Most of the time it may take several months for the fungus to be completely eliminated.

4. Vinegar - Others have recommended soaking in vinegar as another toe nail fungus treatment. Others have added oil of oregano as an alternate treatment. This has to be done regularly though, just like the use of Epsom salts. Just like Epsom salts, some improvement may come in a couple of weeks but it will take a lot months before it can be healed. Others have reported mixed results with this kind of treatment.

5. Vicks - Another alternative treatment is the use of vicks vapor rub. A lot of  people have recommended it, but still it doesn’t recommend 100% effectivity.

These are some of the top toe nail fungus treatments based on the experience of patients who have tried these treatments. So it is best that one consults expert medical advice over do-it-yourself approaches. Some treatments may work on some patients, most will not, so it is good that one seeks immediate treatment so that it will not go to the worst case scenario, such as surgery.

People with toe nail fungus have thick, ugly, odorous, discolored and out-of-shape toe nails which can be a source of embarrassment as well as pain.  One can get this by walking barefoot in moist places such as swimming pools, baths and lockers. One is not alone in this, as about 35 million Americans are suffering from this disease.

Of course, there are a lot of remedies to toe nail fungus that everybody has come up with. These are some of the most popular ones:

1. Tea Tree Oil - Applying Tea tree oil on the toenails everyday is one toe nail fungus remedy. It can be used with olive oil for the best results. This will take some time to see the results, or even there are no positive results as all.

2. Mouthwash - Listerine mouthwash has been also shared by many as another good toe nail fungus remedy. One has to simply soak his/her toes in Listerine mouthwash. Listerine is an antiseptic so it can clear up the fungus. Remember, like tea tree oil, this has produced mixed results.

3. Creams - Applying Alpha Hydroxyl Acid, or AHA creams, before sleeping is another recommended remedy. This will remove the scaly skin from the feet, thus lessening the onset of a toe nail fungus infection.

4. Combinations - Tea tree oil with lavender oil is another great combination in battling toe nail fungus. Tea tree oil is nature’s antibiotic and antiseptic, while lavender is the one that will prevent skin irritation.

5. Doctor’s Prescription - Medical Prescriptions are also recommended by doctors as toe nail fungus remedy. This includes such medicines such as itraconazole (Sporonox), fluconazole (Diflucan), griseofulvin (Fulvicin), and terfinabine (Lamisil). But these have some moderate to serious side effects such as headaches, upset stomach, to liver damage to even death. One must be careful in using these prescription medications.

6. All-Natural Products - Another effective toe nail fungus remedy is the use of natural treatments such as Zetaclear. It has ingredients from the most effective treatments stated above such as tea tree oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil as well as clove oil. They have no adverse side effects like that of prescription medications, but they are as effective. To top it, they also offer a return guarantee, no questions asked, if one is unsatisfied with the medicine.

These different toe nail fungus remedies have their own advantages and disadvantages but some are better than others. So one has to have the proper knowledge in order to get the best toe nail fungus remedy. One cannot simply rely on word-of-mouth or self-care, because chances are, it might not heal and worse, it can lead to other complications. So if you have toe nail fungus, better seek medical help right away.

1. Apple and Vinegar - Using water with natural apple cider vinegar and soaking one’s toenails on it is one good toe nail fungus home remedy. One has to do this everyday at least 15 to 20 minutes a day for positive results to be seen. This might take weeks or even months to see the results.

2. Mouthwash - Another toe nail fungus home remedy is soaking in Listerine mouthwash. Listerine is a great antiseptic that can cure and prevent the growth of toe nail fungi.

3. Oil - Tea tree oil is nature’s powerful fungicide that will help contain the toe nail fungi. To do this, one has to apply pure tea tree oil to the toe nail that is affected. Also, one has to do this everyday. Other possible combinations with tea tree oil are lavender oil and olive oil. Together these combinations can fight the infection more effectively and prevent skin irritation.

4. Creams - AHA cream, or Alpha Hydroxyl creams one of the toe nail fungus home remedies. This can help remove the scaly skin on one’s feet. These scales are more prone to toe nail fungi infection. Also, one has to do this ritual everyday, before bedtime is the most recommended time.

5. Herbs - A lot people have recommended oregano oil as another one of the effective toe nail fungus home remedies. This is mixed with olive oil and must be applied on the affected toenail for a maximum of 3 weeks only. Oregano oil has been proven as an effective, analgesic, fungicide, as well as antibiotic.

6. Epsom Salt Solution - An Epsom salt solution is one good treatment. One has to soak the infected toe/s in the solution everyday.

7. Vicks - Applying Vick vapor rub on the affected area is recommended by a lot people since this alleviates the infection as well as cures it. The same problem is that it will take some time but it really works in a lot of people already.

The common denominator of these toe nail fungus home remedies is that one needs to have a lot of patience since these treatments have to be religiously followed every day for a long duration of time. Another possible home remedy is using all natural medication such as Zetaclear which contains all of the above-mentioned key ingredients in curing toe nail fungi.

Whatever toe nail fungus home remedy you might opt to, you must also do preventive measures in order to prevent further damage. This includes wearing more comfortable footwear, avoiding going barefoot in moist public places, and not sharing towels other people. With these as well as a good home remedy practice, the toe nail fungi will be cured in no time.

Usually, people stumble upon these toe nail fungus remedies by accident, or even by trial and error. A lot of people have shared their experiences with these cures with other people until a lot of people have also discovered that it works with them too. Here are some popular and most effective natural toe nail fungus cures:

1. Vinegar and Apple Cider - If you are searching for a toe nail fungus cure, natural materials such as apple cider vinegar, as well as tea tree oil are the most popular ingredients. You soak your toes in a solution containing these ingredients. You’ll see a difference in a couple of weeks, but it will take a lot of months to be finally rid of it.

2. Oils - Other toe nail fungus cure natural materials are clove oil, lavender oil, red rosemary oils, lemongrass oil, and Epsom salts. These have antifungal as well as antibiotic properties, so they will help contain the toe nail fungus.

3. Household Solutions - Household materials such as Listerine, Hydrogen Peroxide and Vicks vapor rub have been also shared by a lot of people as other effective cures. Some have even reported that their nail fungus have disappeared only a few days since they’ve tried these alternative cures. They mix these ingredients with water and then soak their toes in it for around 30 minutes a day. Though household materials, these don’t pose any health threats like prescription medicines. By the way, a lot of prescription medicines can cause damage to the liver, so be careful in using them.

4. Pepper - Many people are also recommending cayenne pepper as well as coconut oil as a toe nail fungus cure (natural method). It will take several months for the fungus to completely disappear, but if one takes precautionary measures such as wearing sandals more often and avoiding moist environments for the feet, this will speed up the treatment.

5. Natural Products - There are also products available that are made of all-natural materials that are proven to cure toe nail fungus. Examples of which are zetaclear. Their key ingredients include tea tree oil, lavender oil and clove oil, which are nature’s antibiotics.

6. Alternative Treatments - Urine therapy is another promising natural cure for toe nail fungus. One has to drink around 3 cups of one’s own urine in the morning. The results come in just a couple of days, most have reported. Urine therapy has a lot of benefits aside from curing toe nail fungus. One can research more about it and discover its different benefits.

If you are looking for a toe nail fungus cure, natural means are the best way to go. Though they may take different healing times, you can be assured that you are safe as well as you can save on the costs since they are readily available.

Unfortunately, there aren’t that many solutions that you can try to get to the root cause of toe nail fungus. Some of the ointments just don’t work and oral medicines may result in serious side effects. Your only other valid option is to try natural solutions that can help treat the cause of toe nail fungus. You should know though that it also helps to understand the causes of nail fungus and the factors that make it worse. Knowing the cause of toe nail fungus can help you avoid the condition and prevent it from getting worse.

Where you Get It

Common sense will tell you that the cause of toe nail fungus is getting infected with fungus. The real question should be where you got it. It is part of the nature of fungi to love places that are moist and warm. Although they are really relatives of plants, fungi don’t like the sun and the air.

There are many places that can breed fungi but it is very likely that you got infected in a public place. Think of where you have been that has a lot of wet or sweaty people and a lot of warmth and water. The most likely places are public baths or showers, pools and locker rooms. The cause of toe nail fungus could be you walking barefoot in these areas and not properly drying your feet and nails afterwards.

Salons

Aside from the public places mentioned above, you could also find the cause of toe nail fungus in salons. Sharing files, emery boards and other salon nail tools may not be a good idea especially if they are not properly sterilized. Although not all individuals get nail fungus in this way, it is possible to transfer fungi from one person’s nail to your own. You are especially at risk of getting nail fungus if you have small cuts near your nails and if your immune system is weak.

Socks and Shoes

Unfortunately, once the cause of toe nail fungus sets in, it is difficult to get rid of it. Even topical anti fungal creams don’t always kill nail fungus. Creams can’t always penetrate the nails to get at the root cause of toe nail fungus. It is therefore easy to understand why some people, out of desperation, tend to look for ways to cover their nails.

Be warned though that wearing tight socks and shoes or nonporous and non absorbent footwear may make your nail fungus worse. These kinds of footwear can make your condition worse by sealing more moisture in.

Indeed, it may be frustrating trying to fight nail fungus. The best thing for you to do is to avoid the situations that can get you infected or that can make an existing infection worse. Try natural solutions if nothing else works.