Does tea tree oil work on nail fungus?
Tea tree essential oil is a trigger against the antifungal lotrimin cream to treat a fungal nail infection, but what about treating the underlying cause?
onychomycosis he is A fungal infection that affects our nails, usually the toenails, and sometimes the toenails. It is characterized by nail discoloration, deformation, detachment, thickening, crumbling, and extrusion. You can see an example of mycosis fungoides below and at 0:19 in my video Does tea tree oil work on nail fungus?.
The reported prevalence is estimated It is about 1 in 25 people, although it is more common in older individuals – one in five people over 60 and half in people over 70. Unfortunately, it is really difficult to treat. The fungus can hide deep inside the nail, so it can remain protected from the blood supply on one side and any treatment you apply topically on the other. Therefore, “recurrence after treatment is common due to residual strands or spores that have not been eliminated before” even if you are able to beat the fungus. Many systemic oral treatments can be toxic, and “many topical applications require long courses of treatment, which may limit patient compliance, particularly in patients who wish to use cosmetic nail polish or camouflage” to cover them up.
For all the issues with prescription antifungals, there has been a “renewed interest” in natural remedies. If tea tree oil can affect athlete’s foot fungus and dandruff, what about nail fungus?
study Plural The antifungal drug Lotrimin cream with tea tree oil appears to be very effective. “After 16 weeks, 80% of patients using the medicated creams were cured, versus none in the placebo group,” so we know the drug and tea tree oil were better than no treatment, but what about comparing to each other?
Face to face study comparison Tea tree oil with clotrimazole, a common antifungal medication. In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, patients received twice-daily application to the nails of either the drug or pure tea tree oil over a period of six months. Debridement was performed every few months, during which some of the fungal mass was removed, scraped or ground. As you can see below and at 1:56 in my country videoAfter six months the medicine is completely anointed The fungus was cleared in only about 1 in 10 cases, but the infection looked better, with partial or complete resolution of appearance, in the majority of people either from the doctor’s assessment or from the patient’s own assessment. And tea tree oil? I did like a drug! The two preparations were similar in treatment efficacy, clinical evaluation, and subjective improvement. Its cost is also comparable.” “For patients the desire A “natural” treatment for ringworm of the foot [athlete’s foot] or onychomycosis [nail fungus]Topical tea tree oil is a reasonable alternative to prescription or over-the-counter antifungals. “
Speaking of natural remedies, what about natural remedies really? One possible reason for the bad long-term benefits of any treatment is [for nail fungus] is that it might be treatment Only a manifestation of the underlying disease(s), such as generalized immunosuppression, microvascular disease, or peripheral vascular disease. “Fungal nail infections are probably just a manifestation of poor peripheral circulation that normally allows the body’s natural defenses to prevent the fungus from taking root in the first place.”
There was a non-English language study of 400 patients that “looked at the ‘relationship between skin circulation and the development of tinea pedis” and found a 50% reduction in blood flow in tinea pedis. [athlete’s foot] and onychomycosis [nail fungus] Compared to patients without these disorders.” If a fungal nail infection is just “an essential process symptom, treatment aimed at eradicating the pathogen may be unrealistic.” No wonder the fungus often grows back A more appropriate goal might be to just give up and live with it. Wait, though. If it’s a circulation problem, why not try to improve your circulation?
we’ve got a favour Since the 1950s, you can turn peripheral artery circulation on and off as effectively as a light switch in a matter of days by switching people between a low-fat, plant-based diet and the more traditional diet that contributed to the problem in the first place. You can see an interesting graph on this below and at 3:50 in my country video.
Interested in learning more about improving peripheral circulation? Watch my video Benefits of beans for peripheral vascular disease.
What about other fungal infections? paying off Does tea tree oil work on dandruff and athlete’s foot?.
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- Onychomycosis, a fungal infection of our nails, is characterized by discoloration, deformation, separation, thickening, crumbling, and bumping, and may affect about 1 in 25 people, usually older adults.
- The infection is difficult to treat because the fungus is located deep in the nail, protected from the blood supply on one side and any topical treatment applied on the other. Also, systemic oral treatments can be toxic.
- Combining Lotrimin cream, an antifungal medication, with tea tree oil was effective in 80 percent of patients after 16 weeks, compared with either drug in the placebo group.
- In a head-to-head study of tea tree oil with clotrimazole, a common antifungal, the two preparations were similar; Patients who want a “natural” treatment for athlete’s foot or toenail fungus may consider using topical tea tree oil in place of a prescription over-the-counter antifungal.
- Is there a relationship between poor blood circulation and the development of a fungal disease? A study found a reduction of more than 50 percent in blood flow in patients with athlete’s foot and nail fungus.
- Switching to a low-fat plant-based diet can improve circulation in the peripheral arteries, compared to a more traditional diet that contributes to the problem.
My other videos about tea tree oil include:
in health,
Michael Greer, MD
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