Vicks® VapoRub® help treat toenail fungus
Nail fungus, also known as onychomyosis, is an unsightly and painful condition. What starts as a small white or yellow spot on the nail can quickly grow into a full blown infection with thick, crumbling nails that are distorted and dark. The infected nails might be painful or have an unpleasant odor. The nails may even completely separate from the nail bed. Treating fungal infections is never quick but starting a course of treatment as soon as possible will prevent further infection.
Pharmaceutical treatments are often prescribed by doctors. The treatment of choice is an antifungal called Lamisil which has an active ingredient called terbinafine. Terbinafine is an effective antifungal but has been linked to severe liver and kidney damage. Exploring alternative remedies before risking potentially dangerous medications can help you find an effective cure with no side effects.
For a home remedy with proven results, try using Vicks® VapoRub® to get rid of your nail infection. Vicks VapoRub has menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor which inhibit the growth of the toenail fungus. The ingredient thymol has been shown to disrupt the cell membranes of Candida, a common cause of fungal infections. Daily application is a home remedy that has been suggested by doctors and used effectively by many.
There are some people who have seen good results when using Vicks Vapor Rub to treat nail fungus. As it turns out, Vicks Vapo Rub has a chemical called Thymol which can kill bacteria and a bacterial infection. Most nail fungus is a fungal infection and therefore won’t always work.
Bacterial infections can include a greenish discoloration of the nail plate. The stain of the nail will usually grow out with out having any separation of the nail and nail bed. A fungal infection is characterized by a yellowish discoloration of the nail plate along with crumbling and thickening of the nail.
The reason that some people have had success using Vicks Vapor Rub to treat nail fungus is that they had a bacterial infection vs the fungal infection.
To use Vicks® VapoRub® to stop your toenail fungal infection, start by soaking our feet in warm water before bedtime to soften the nails. Dry them throughly with a clean towel and then file the infected nails down with an emery board. Try to get the hardened nails down to a normal thickness to ensure the Vicks VapoRub penetrates the nail. Apply the VapoRub to the nail, cuticle, and under the nail. Then put on a pair of socks to avoid staining your sheets and head to bed. Overnight the Vicks VapoRub will penetrate your nail and start fighting the fungal infection. Within a couple of days, the nail will darken which indicates the treatment is working. Over the course of a couple of months, the infected nail should grow out and a new, healthy nail will take its place.
To avoid re-infecting your toes, make sure to throughly clean everything that touches your infected nails with bleach and warm water. If you’re using emery boards on your toenails, throw them away after use. Use Q-tips to apply the Vicks VapoRub but make sure not to dip them back into the container after use. Fungi live in dark, damp places and can survive for months so be diligent about cleanliness to avoid reinfection.
Vicks® VapoRub® is a great home remedy with no side effects and effective results. Fungal infections are difficult to treat and may takes months to clear up with any treatment but before resorting to expensive and potentially damaging medications, try Vicks VapoRub for a fungal solution.
So, the rule of thumb here is that you need to find out exactly what you have before you try and treat it. Using Vicks Vapor Rub can certainly be a much cheaper route to take when trying to cure nail fungus, but what you may actually be treating is a true fungus and not a bacterial infection. If that is the case, you will not see any progress when using the Vicks Vapor Rub.
