Nail fungus is the infection by the fungus in one of the nails of either fingers or toes. The infection by the fungus will begin with white or yellow spots. These spots are found to be present beneath the fingernail tip or toenail tip. If the nail fungus gets distributed deep into the nail, it might cause discoloration of the nail. The nail can be thickened and it might start developing crumbled edges. The problem might be intense pain. The infection with nail fungus might not get treated easily. This might appear again after it disappears.

The fungus lives beneath the nail and it might cause severe problems. If the sufferers from this fungus use nail polish and hide them in the shoes, it might not make them to treat the condition properly. The nail fungus is otherwise called as onychomycosis and Tinea unguium. About 50 percent of abnormalities in nail are caused by nail fungal infections.

Nail fungal infections are commonly seen in men than in women. These infections are mostly prevalent in elderly people than in young. The factors that might enhance the risk of the nail fungal infection to occur are reduced blood circulation, family history of fungal infection, intense perspiration, gradual growth of nails, working environment that is humid and wet, ventilation avoided by wearing shoes and socks, walking without wearing shoes in the wet locations, weak immune system, people with AIDS, diabetes, and circulation problems, foot wear that is tight with toe crowding, injury that might have occurred previously to the nail or skin and the activity that might injure the region called as hyponychium, where the fingertip is attached to the nail.

Symptoms of Nail Fungus

• Changes in the nail
• Brittleness
• Debris trapped beneath the nail
• Alterations in shape of the nail
• The edges of the nail outside crumbled
• Loosening of the nail
• Loss of shining and luster of the nails
• Nail thickening
• Yellow and white streaks on the nail in its side

Causes of Nail Fungus

The body harbors many bacteria and fungi. Some of these organisms are found to be useful for the body. Other organisms might multiply rapidly and form certain infections. The fungi will survive on the dead tissues of the nails, hair, and outside skin layers.

The fungal infections are caused by molds, which leads to Jock itch, Ring worm and Athlete’s foot. The nail infection due to the fungus is mostly observed in adults. The nail fungus generally follows the infection of the feet with the fungus. The toe nails are infected by the fungus than the fingernails.

The people contract with these fungi at the swimming pools, shower rooms, gyms, people having mold like infections and people who sweat a lot. The fungi that cause these infections will survive in wet and warm places.

The risks of fungal infections are

• The manicures and pedicures being performed on the people using instruments that are used for others.
• Injuries in the nail and skin
• The deformity and disease observed in the nail
• The skin is kept moist for a long duration
• The immune system has poor functioning
• Wearing the footwear that is closing the feet completely

This condition is caused by fungi that do not generally survive in the presence of sunlight. It is generally known that dermatophytes are responsible in causing the nail fungal infections. The common fungal species that cause nail fungus are Trichophyton rubrum. Sometimes, yeasts and molds also cause nail fungal infections.

The nail fungal infections are also caused by the other type of fungi known as Trichophyton interdigitale, Trichophyton violaceum, epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton soudanense and Trichophyton tonsurans. The types of molds that can cause nail fungal infections are scopulariopsis, neoscytalidium and Aspergillus and so on.

Home remedies for the Nail fungus

• The nail fungus at the toe region is treated using topical remedies. This remedy is prepared using essential oils like lemon grass, lavender and clove. The essential oils are known to pass through the nails and into the skin beneath the nail. Hence, they are considered to be more effective. An example to this is a topical treatment spray called as Zeta clear. This spray is applied on the infected toe nail region for thrice per day.
• Tea tree oil was found to be more effective than the other over-the-counter medications that are used for nail fungus.
• Another effective home remedy for nail fungus is apple cider vinegar. This has acetic acid which changes the normal pH of the skin nails. The antifungal properties of the apple cider are beneficial in treating the nail fungus.  The apple cider vinegar can be applied on the nails using a cotton ball in the undiluted form as well as in diluted form.
• Vinegar: The toe or finger nails that are infected with nail fungus can be rinsed or soaked in the water (two parts) mixed with vinegar (one part) for a period of about 15 mints to 20 mints. The micro-organisms growth can be stopped by the usage of vinegar. This is considered as an effective home remedy for nail fungus when the nails of finger or toe are kept dry after it is dipped inside the solution.
• Vicks: The vicks vaporub that is applied on the nail fungus is also observed as the effective remedy for this condition. But, this application of vicks must not be done deep inside the nail. It has to be done superficially.
• The fingers and toes have to be kept away from moisture so that fungal infection is avoided. The feet have to be covered with clean cotton socks and the socks made of synthetic fiber should be avoided from usage. They are avoided as they retain moisture in the feet, which might lead to accumulation of fungus and grow over there.
• If the feet sweat very much for the person, he/she must take out the shoes once in the middle of the day. Otherwise, the shoes with open toes have to be preferred for those who sweat more in their feet. Otherwise, the open toe shoes can be used alternatively with the closed toe shoes. This helps the feet to be dry and free from moisture and be healthy.
• It is not suggested to go to the places like swimming pools with bare foot and the hands have to be washed after the infected nail is touched with the hands.
• The health of the nail: The nails have to be kept clean and healthy. They have to be cut very often and have to be kept short. The surrounding skin is not suggested to be disturbed as this will allow the germs to move into the nail very effectively.
• Listerine treatment: This is the popular treatment which is also not expensive enough. Soaking the finger nails and toe nails in the Listerine solution is considered as a very good remedy for the treatment of nail fungus. The Listerine solution consists of ethanol, eucalyptol, thymol and benzoic acid. The Listerine is the solution that is used for killing the bacteria and is known to have antifungal properties. One of the major types of infections formed by candida was causing onychomycosis.  The treatment for this condition was provided by Listerine. Therefore, Listerine was found to be effective against nail fungus.
• Another herb that is used for onychomycosis has antifungal activity and is known as Camellia sinensis or extract of green tea. This herb was able to kill the fungus by name Candida glabrata.
• Hydrogen peroxide: This is considered as the treatment that is astonishing for the cure of nail fungus. Though this treatment is not observed as official, it is seen as the treatment that is effective against the nail fungus.