Athlete's Foot Cure for Nail Fungus

Athelete's foot is a common problem that can become recurrent. Usually, it is easily treated with over-the-counter antifungal creams. However, if a skin fungal infection continues untreated over time, it can invade the toenails. Nail fungal infections are difficult to treat and often continue for years. Although no treatment is completely effective, there are several that might help cure your nail fungus.

Topical Prescription Treatment

• Topical treatments are usually the first resort for a nail fungus infection because they have the lowest likelihood of side effects. Over-the-counter treatments usually are not strong enough to penetrate the nail, but stronger prescription treatments sometimes are successful. The main topical prescription treatment currently used for nail fungus is Penlac, a nail polish containing the antifungal ciclopirox. Creams containing the antifungal ketoconazole, such as Nizoral, sometimes are used topically, but they are more often prescribed orally.

Oral Prescription Treatments

• Oral treatments are more effective against nail fungus than topical treatments, but they also have a higher risk of side effects. Oral treatments affect the body's entire system, and they can cause liver damage as well as stomach problems. The common active ingredients in oral antifungal drugs include griseofulvin, terbinafine, itraconazole and fluconazole. Griseofulvin, the most common treatment for some time, is less effective than other treatments now available. All these treatments need to be taken regularly for several months to allow the infected nail to grow out and be replaced by healthy nail.

Natural Home Treatments

• Although the effectiveness of natural treatments has not been established by studies, there are several treatments that are widely used and sometimes even recommended by doctors before prescription treatments. The most common of these is tea tree oil, a plant oil with antifungal and antimicrobial properties. To treat nail fungus with tea tree oil, you must use pure essential oil and apply it regularly for a long period of time, sometimes as long as a year. It also is helpful to regularly file the surface of the nail, especially if the fungus has thickened your nail, to allow the oil to better penetrate the nail. Tea tree oil can be used only topically. It can be combined with other essential oils that also have antifungal properties such as oil of oregano, lavender oil and olive oil.

  Another common home treatment is vinegar. White and apple cider vinegar both have antifungal properties, so soaking your nail in a vinegar bath can help treat the fungus. As with tea tree oil, you should file the nail surface and continue the treatment regularly as the nail grows out.

  Natural home treatments can be more effective when you use several of them at once. You also can combine them with over-the-counter or prescription remedies to create a treatment regimen with a higher chance of success.