MYTH: True or not?
Toenail fungus...Soak your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
Dr. Butsch: The herbal ingredients in Listerine (or in Vicks Vaporrub) may have anti-fungal properties. Many people have reported success soaking infected nails in one part vinegar to two parts water.Such remedies won't work for everyone and take several months to produce results. Toenails grow quite slowly and you should expect it to take a few months for a mild infection to clear and as long as a year for a more advanced infection to clear.Other remedies for fungus include applications of iodine, tea tree oil or vitamin E and soaks in Pau d'Arco tea.
http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=6531543&nav=3w6o
Friday, May 25, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Oregano vs. Tea Tree Oil for toenail fungus
Kansas.com 04/24/2007 Spice up your health: "Oregano
Claims: Oregano is gaining in popularity as a bacterial killer and an anti-fungal agent and is considered better than tea tree oil for toenail fungus. It also has general germ-busting properties. And it's high in antioxidants.
How to use it: Sprinkle it on eggs or vegetables or tomato soup. Add it to any Italian recipe. Take it as a supplement internally, or use its oil externally. For toenail fungus, try three internal doses, in supplement or herb form, followed by daily external use of oregano oil on your toenails."
Claims: Oregano is gaining in popularity as a bacterial killer and an anti-fungal agent and is considered better than tea tree oil for toenail fungus. It also has general germ-busting properties. And it's high in antioxidants.
How to use it: Sprinkle it on eggs or vegetables or tomato soup. Add it to any Italian recipe. Take it as a supplement internally, or use its oil externally. For toenail fungus, try three internal doses, in supplement or herb form, followed by daily external use of oregano oil on your toenails."
Monday, April 30, 2007
Anti-fungal drug itraconazole stops blood vessel growth
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered to their surprise that a drug commonly used to treat toenail fungus can also block angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels commonly seen in cancers. The drug, itraconazole, already is FDA approved for human use, which may fast-track its availability as an antiangiogenesis drug.
In mice induced to have excess blood vessel growth, treatment with itraconazole reduced blood vessel growth by 67 percent compared to placebo. “We were surprised, to say the least, that itraconazole popped up as a potential blocker of angiogenesis,” says Jun O. Liu, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology. “We couldn’t have predicted that an antifungal drug would have such a role.”
In their search for antiangiogenesis drugs, the researchers worked with cells from human umbilical cords, a rich source of blood vessels, and exposed them to 2,400 existing drugs - including FDA- and foreign-approved drugs, as well as nonapproved drugs that had passed safety trials - to see which ones could stop the cells from dividing.
“The best outcome was to find an already approved drug that worked, and the fact that we did was very satisfying,” says Liu, whose study appears online in ACS Chemical Biology.
As an antifungal drug, itraconazole blocks a key enzyme for making fungal cholesterol, causing these primitive life forms to become fragile and break apart. It turns out that itraconazole can block the same enzyme in blood vessels, but the researchers aren’t positive if that’s the reason blood vessels stop growing, because related antifungal drugs had much lower inhibitory effect.
“Our screening test did show that cholesterol-lowering statins also appear to stop blood vessel growth,” Liu says, “so there is likely some important connection between cholesterol and angiogenesis.”
While the researchers still must tease out exactly how itraconazole works to stop vessel growth, and test it in animals with cancer, they have high hopes for its use. “Itraconazole can be taken orally for fungal infection, and therefore oral delivery may work for angiogenesis as well,” Liu notes.
In mice induced to have excess blood vessel growth, treatment with itraconazole reduced blood vessel growth by 67 percent compared to placebo. “We were surprised, to say the least, that itraconazole popped up as a potential blocker of angiogenesis,” says Jun O. Liu, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology. “We couldn’t have predicted that an antifungal drug would have such a role.”
In their search for antiangiogenesis drugs, the researchers worked with cells from human umbilical cords, a rich source of blood vessels, and exposed them to 2,400 existing drugs - including FDA- and foreign-approved drugs, as well as nonapproved drugs that had passed safety trials - to see which ones could stop the cells from dividing.
“The best outcome was to find an already approved drug that worked, and the fact that we did was very satisfying,” says Liu, whose study appears online in ACS Chemical Biology.
As an antifungal drug, itraconazole blocks a key enzyme for making fungal cholesterol, causing these primitive life forms to become fragile and break apart. It turns out that itraconazole can block the same enzyme in blood vessels, but the researchers aren’t positive if that’s the reason blood vessels stop growing, because related antifungal drugs had much lower inhibitory effect.
“Our screening test did show that cholesterol-lowering statins also appear to stop blood vessel growth,” Liu says, “so there is likely some important connection between cholesterol and angiogenesis.”
While the researchers still must tease out exactly how itraconazole works to stop vessel growth, and test it in animals with cancer, they have high hopes for its use. “Itraconazole can be taken orally for fungal infection, and therefore oral delivery may work for angiogenesis as well,” Liu notes.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Toenail Fungus ideas
•If you suspect you have a fungal infection on the skin of your feet, over-the-counter treatments like Lamisil or Futspa Nail Drops can clear it up.
•Toenail fungus is a little harder to deal with; you'll need patience, persistence and a doctor's prescription. It can take up to a year to get rid of it. Visit yourdoctor to analysis your infection correctly and then try a safe natural product first before resorting to the more aggressive medications, which can be harmful.
•Toenail fungus is a little harder to deal with; you'll need patience, persistence and a doctor's prescription. It can take up to a year to get rid of it. Visit yourdoctor to analysis your infection correctly and then try a safe natural product first before resorting to the more aggressive medications, which can be harmful.
Spice up your toenail health with oregano
Kansas.com 04/24/2007 Spice up your health: "Oregano
Claims: Oregano is gaining in popularity as a bacterial killer and an anti-fungal agent and is considered better than tea tree oil for toenail fungus. It also has general germ-busting properties. And it's high in antioxidants.
How to use it: Sprinkle it on eggs or vegetables or tomato soup. Add it to any Italian recipe. Take it as a supplement internally, or use its oil externally. For toenail fungus, try three internal doses, in supplement or herb form, followed by daily external use of oregano oil on your toenails."
Claims: Oregano is gaining in popularity as a bacterial killer and an anti-fungal agent and is considered better than tea tree oil for toenail fungus. It also has general germ-busting properties. And it's high in antioxidants.
How to use it: Sprinkle it on eggs or vegetables or tomato soup. Add it to any Italian recipe. Take it as a supplement internally, or use its oil externally. For toenail fungus, try three internal doses, in supplement or herb form, followed by daily external use of oregano oil on your toenails."
Monday, April 2, 2007
The Nature of ToenailFungus
The Nature of Nail Fungus
Nail fungal infections can be characterized as a progressive condition that develops rather slowly and can be difficult to overcome. It is officially known as onychomycosis, and is characterized by thickened discolored nails, often flecked by white dots. The disease usually begins when debris enters the nail plate and causes it to become discolored. Infection of the toenails is much more common than the fingernails. In fact, it is estimated that toenail infections are roughly four to five times more common than fingernail infections. This is because toenails are more exposed to the moist, dark and warm environment on which fungus thrives.
More than ten million Americans suffer from some form of nail fungus. Older individuals are more prone to developing nail fungal infections because their nails tend to grow thicker. It is estimated that by the time most individuals reach the age of 70, they will suffer from some kind of nail infection.
Nail fungal infections are progressive in nature. As fungi grow, it feeds on keratin, the material that skin is made up of. Nails are made of tough keratin protein. In most cases, the fungi responsible for toenail infections are known as dermatophytes.
Other common nail fungal infection culprits include bacteria, mold, and yeast, although fungi remain the number one cause for infection. For most people who contract this stubborn condition, the toenail fungus establishes itself as a chronic condition. At times the symptoms of infection dissipate, but they may eventually return.
Very rarely do nail fungal infections heal by themselves permanently. Even those individuals who lose their toenail due to injury or spontaneous drop off do not gain permanent relief from nail fungus. In most cases, the new toenail that grows in is also affected by fungus. In the most serious cases where the patient complains of severe pain or becomes immobilized due to the infection, surgical intervention may become necessary.
Men are more likely to develop toenail fungi than women. This is because they tend to spend more time barefoot on wet public spaces. For instance, military personnel and athletes appear to be at greater risk of developing a nail fungal infection. This is because they are exposed the wet floors of showers, locker rooms, and public bathrooms.
Women who visit nail salons regularly are more susceptible to developing fungal infections in their fingernails. Most people who develop nail fungal infections tend to have some predisposition, including compromised immune systems and a family history of fungal infections.
Currently, there exists no universally effective treatment for nail fungal infections. Prescription oral or topical medications may prove effective for some patients, but they have been linked to a host of undesirable side effects. For less advanced cases, simple home remedies may be able to provide temporary relief.
Surgical intervention is another option for more serious cases. Visit your physician or dermatologist to seek appropriate treatment for your case.
The progressive nature of nail fungal infections makes it a challenge to treat, but with persistence it can be adequately treated.
from:
http://www.health-digest.inf/the-progressive-nature-of-nail-fungus/
Nail fungal infections can be characterized as a progressive condition that develops rather slowly and can be difficult to overcome. It is officially known as onychomycosis, and is characterized by thickened discolored nails, often flecked by white dots. The disease usually begins when debris enters the nail plate and causes it to become discolored. Infection of the toenails is much more common than the fingernails. In fact, it is estimated that toenail infections are roughly four to five times more common than fingernail infections. This is because toenails are more exposed to the moist, dark and warm environment on which fungus thrives.
More than ten million Americans suffer from some form of nail fungus. Older individuals are more prone to developing nail fungal infections because their nails tend to grow thicker. It is estimated that by the time most individuals reach the age of 70, they will suffer from some kind of nail infection.
Nail fungal infections are progressive in nature. As fungi grow, it feeds on keratin, the material that skin is made up of. Nails are made of tough keratin protein. In most cases, the fungi responsible for toenail infections are known as dermatophytes.
Other common nail fungal infection culprits include bacteria, mold, and yeast, although fungi remain the number one cause for infection. For most people who contract this stubborn condition, the toenail fungus establishes itself as a chronic condition. At times the symptoms of infection dissipate, but they may eventually return.
Very rarely do nail fungal infections heal by themselves permanently. Even those individuals who lose their toenail due to injury or spontaneous drop off do not gain permanent relief from nail fungus. In most cases, the new toenail that grows in is also affected by fungus. In the most serious cases where the patient complains of severe pain or becomes immobilized due to the infection, surgical intervention may become necessary.
Men are more likely to develop toenail fungi than women. This is because they tend to spend more time barefoot on wet public spaces. For instance, military personnel and athletes appear to be at greater risk of developing a nail fungal infection. This is because they are exposed the wet floors of showers, locker rooms, and public bathrooms.
Women who visit nail salons regularly are more susceptible to developing fungal infections in their fingernails. Most people who develop nail fungal infections tend to have some predisposition, including compromised immune systems and a family history of fungal infections.
Currently, there exists no universally effective treatment for nail fungal infections. Prescription oral or topical medications may prove effective for some patients, but they have been linked to a host of undesirable side effects. For less advanced cases, simple home remedies may be able to provide temporary relief.
Surgical intervention is another option for more serious cases. Visit your physician or dermatologist to seek appropriate treatment for your case.
The progressive nature of nail fungal infections makes it a challenge to treat, but with persistence it can be adequately treated.
from:
http://www.health-digest.inf/the-progressive-nature-of-nail-fungus/
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Research on Toenail Fungus
Dec. 7, 2006 Fungal Infections
This research study will evaluate an already approved oral medication, in a new topical solution form, for toenail fungus.
You may qualify if you are 12 to 75 years of age, have fungus on at least one of your big toes, and have not treated the fungus with oral medications in the past six months, prescription topical medications in the past three months, or over-the-counter topical medications in the past month.
The research site is in Chaska, Minn.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat66.html
This research study will evaluate an already approved oral medication, in a new topical solution form, for toenail fungus.
You may qualify if you are 12 to 75 years of age, have fungus on at least one of your big toes, and have not treated the fungus with oral medications in the past six months, prescription topical medications in the past three months, or over-the-counter topical medications in the past month.
The research site is in Chaska, Minn.
More information
Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat66.html
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