Thick Toenails

One fine day you may discover that one or more of your toenails have thickened. You may get panicked and wonder if it is a symptom of any underlying health problem. But there is no need to fear because it is a quite common ailment and the condition is, fortunately, curable. The problem faced by people with thick toenails is that they have a tough time trimming the nails, in addition to the embarrassment caused when the nails are seen while wearing their favorite sandals, or while at the beach.

Causes and Symptoms

There are a number of causes that can be responsible for making your toenails thick. Infection of the toenails is a major cause. This infection can be caused by various forms of fungi or yeast. One of the most common form of fungal growth on the toenails is known as onychomycosis. The dark, moist and warm environment inside the shoes and socks is ideal condition for the growth of the toenail fungus. As a result, the nail bed gets infected and the protective surface of the nail becomes damaged. Physical damage to the toenail may result in thickening of the toenails as well. This can happen due to running or playing wearing ill fitting shoes where the nail plate repeatedly get rubbed against the shoes and it wears out. Injury due to the banging of a heavy object on the toenail can cause similar kind of damage. Elderly people may get thick toenails due to damage on the toenails sustained over a long period of time. Psoriasis is a kind of skin disease that can also produce such toenail growth.

As the toenails grow thick it becomes discolored. The nail can turn into yellow or green or some dark color. Infection of the toenails make the nail flaky and splits may occur on its surface. If debris is passed through the broken part and gets collected under the nail then it will give out a foul smell. When it is caused by psoriasis, then tiny pits may form on the nail surface.

Treatment

When the thick toenail is due to physical damage then no treatment is required. Once the damaged nail grows out one can get a toenail of normal thickness. When it is an infected toenail, then treatment should start early. This is because it takes a lot of time to get rid of the problem. Doctors prescribe antifungal liquid and cream ointments for topical use on the affected toes. They also prescribe medicines like antibiotics for oral administration. The affected person is also advised to maintain a good foot hygiene which involves wearing of clean cotton socks every day, rotation of shoes and maintaining dry feet. This is done to prevent further spreading of the infection.

Natural Remedies for Thick Toenails

The treatment for thick toenail problems have to be continued for 3 months before it is cured. For some people, it can continue for a longer period of time. The medicines, when used for a long time, can have adverse effects on the health. For this reason, people prefer home remedies rather than conventional medicine. Here are some of the best home remedies to treat this annoying problem.

White Vinegar: This is a simple treatment that can cure thick toenails effectively. Take some warm water and soak your infected toes for about 15-20 minutes in it. Then file off the damaged top layers of the nail using a nail buffer. If required clip the toenails short. As the water softens up the nails you will find that the task of clipping the nails will be much easier. Then dip a cotton ball in a dish of white vinegar and rub it thoroughly over the affected nail. If you do it daily you will find significant improvement in the nail condition.

Tea Tree Oil: This essential oil possess excellent antifungal and antiseptic properties. Tea tree oil in its pure form may not be suitable for every one as it gives a stinging sensation. Therefore, you can dilute one ounce of tea tree oil with four ounces of olive oil and apply it on the nails. This should be repeated twice every day to get the desired results.

The time taken to cure the problem of overgrown toenails is quite long. In fact, the time required to replace the affected toenail is even longer. It may require about 18 months before you get a new toenail. For this reason, you should prevent recurrence of fungal infection condition. The fungus can spread through direct contact with an infected person. This can be prevented if you avoid sharing public showers in gyms and hotels, and shoes or shocks with others. If you visit a nail salon, make sure the emery board is disinfected properly before use.