Getting Rid Of Toenail Fungus is not really an easy question to answer primarily because the fungus does not live on the surface of the nail. Because it's actually located beneath the nail, it is very difficult for treatment to reach the infected area.
Toenail fungus, also known as onychomycosis, is one of the most common diseases of the nails. It is actually caused by the same fungus that causes athlete's foot. These little parasites live under the nail and thrive in dark, damp areas.
Initial treatment for dealing with toenail fungus is to avoid contaminated areas. This fungus is very contagious and can be spread easily through gym floors, swimming pool decks, and other public areas where a person is walking around barefoot.
The fungus can also be spread inside the home by using or sharing towels that contain infected pieces of skin, sharing of shoes, or walking on floors that may have contaminated residue. The fungus is believed to be able to live for several months in these areas.
Another thing you want to do is to make sure to develop a solid routine for washing and drying your feet as you fight the fungus. You might want to use a strong anti-fungal soap, and then apply some kind of foot powder or spray once your feet are dry.
Treatments for nail fungus vary greatly and your doctor could recommend some kind of over the counter type cream or spray for mild cases up to oral prescriptions. Some of these oral prescriptions are known to be quite harsh so decide wisely.
In addition to routine medications, there are numerous natural and home remedies that are thought to help with toenail fungus. Some of these include essential oils, tea tree oil, oregano, thymol, and ingredients like undecylenic acid. There are also some foot soaks like apple cider vinegar and acidophilus that are thought to help.
Successful Treatment
There are almost as many solutions to getting rid of toenail fungus as there are people who suffer from it.Part of the reason that there are so many suggested cures for toenail fungus is that different treatments will be successful for different people. It will depend on the type of fungus you are infected with and your own personal chemical makeup. The reason it becomes such an ordeal is that people initially ignore the problem. You can put your socks on in the morning to cover that ugly nail and pretend all day that it does not exist. The problem is that down in that dark moist shoe the fungus is in its favorite growing environment and it will spread and spread. Toenail fungus usually starts with the big toe and then works its way down to the others.
So if you have toenail fungus, do not put off doing something about it. Go to your doctor and get diagnosed properly. Then with your doctor's help, pick a treatment and stick with it. This is the most important part because you will not know whether or not a treatment worked unless you follow it correctly.
If you want to learn more about how to get rid of toenail fungus, here is a page with a lot of useful resources : http://www.mommyedition.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bad-toenail-fungus