Nail Fungus (onychomycosis)
Warning–Don’t Use Bleach to Treat Athlet…
People are aware that bleach (sodium hypochlorite) has powerful cleaning power. They use this familiar household product to remove stains from sheets, towels and white clothes. Some also use diluted b…
What Can You Do to Get Rid of Toenail Fungus?
If you have noticed that your toenails are thick and yellow, you are not alone. Nail fungus affects a lot of people, so we are glad that we can offer some popular remedies for nail fungus. People may …
Vicks VapoRub for Treating Toenail Fungus
Have you had difficulties treating toenail fungus? Often, such infections are very hard to eradicate. Some readers have gotten good results with an improbable remedy, though–Vicks VapoRub. Vicks Ove…
Colorless Iodine for Nail Fungus
Toenail fungus is unsightly but harmless for most people. Occasionally, an infected nail responds by warping so that it becomes difficult to get a shoe on the foot. While there are prescription treatm…
Home Remedies or Drugs? A Surprising Smackdown!
Most health professionals have learned that home remedies are no more than quaint relics of a bygone age. They believe that only pharmaceuticals count as medicine. If the Food and Drug Administration …
Nurses Know that Home Remedies Knock Out Nasty N…
Many people are reluctant to visit a dermatologist or podiatrist because of nail fungus. There is the embarrassment factor. Nail fungus looks kind of gross. Nasty nail fungus infections just don't see…
Show 1340: Were the Old Wives Right?
This week’s episode begins with an interview. We talk with Dr. Craig Hopp of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health about why doctors so often dismiss home remedies as old wive…
Decolorized Iodine for Treating Nail Fungus
Nail fungus is one of those conditions that usually trouble patients (or possibly their spouses) more than they bother doctors. Before there were modern medicines for treating nail fungus, doctors oft…
Could Toenail Fungus Be Bacterial Infection? Neo…
We have been writing about toenail fungus for over 30 years. That’s because fungal infections of the nails are both common and hard to treat. They require patience and persistence. Home remedies are…
Listerine, Vicks & Vinegar Curing Nail Fung…
Nail fungus is a common complaint. Often, people with this condition find it annoying and want to get rid of it. Prescription drugs to treat nail fungus (also called "onychomycosis") take a long time …
Show 1319: How to Have Healthy Hair and Nails
In our nationally syndicated radio show this week we’ll be taking your questions live. We have invited two distinguished dermatologists to discuss problems affecting the hair and nails and tell you …
Will Vicks VapoRub Help Your Athlete’s Foo…
If you have ever struggled with persistent athlete's foot, you know it can be hard to eradicate this fungal infection. Of course, there are plenty of over-the-counter products for treating it. In addi…
How to Cure Toenail Fungus
Are you embarrassed to go barefoot at the beach or even in your own backyard? This is the time of year when people often kick off their shoes to cool down. Sandals or flip-flops have become everyday w…
Show 1304: Fixing Your Foot Problems
In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we have a guest live in the studio. Podiatrist Jane Andersen will be ready to answer your questions about foot problems and what you can do about the…
Will Urine Cure Nail Fungus & Athlete’…
For many years, readers were eager to share their home remedies for toenail fungus. During much of that time, doctors had little to offer patients who wanted to clear this unsightly infection. The pre…
Why Does Vicks VapoRub Help Against Some Nail Fu…
Home remedies are rarely studied in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. As a result, we don't often have scientific research to show how well-or not-they may work. It is unusual for us to have a …
What Ingredient in Vicks VapoRub Kills Nail Fung…
For more than two decades, we have been hearing from readers of our syndicated newspaper column that Vicks VapoRub kills nail fungus. For much of that time there was little, if any, science to support…
Resorcinol Is an Unusual Remedy for Toenail Fung…
Have you ever tried to get rid of toenail fungus? This infection is not particularly dangerous, but it is unsightly and it can be inconvenient. Fungus-infected toenails are often thick and hard …
Is Vitamin E Oil a Cure for Toenail Fungus?
Are your toenails lovely, or are they thick, peeling, brown or yellow? If you are happy to hide your toenails (hurray, winter boots!), you might get excited about a cure for toenail fungus. We should …
Is Sporanox a Versatile Cure or a Dangerous Drug…
Sometimes health care professionals develop biases toward certain drugs that may keep them from seeing the downsides. We've seen this with respect to cardiovascular drugs such as statins. A podiatrist…
Show 1183: How to Manage Your Foot Problems
Do your feet hurt? Foot problems can interfere with both work and leisure time activities. You won’t want to walk the dog or go dancing, not to mention stand at a cash register or move about a clini…
Fact or Fancy? Can Vicks VapoRub Cure Nail Fungu…
Health professionals generally shun home remedies. That’s because there is little evidence that they work. What if there were some science to support an old-fashioned and inexpensive treatment for n…
Will Cornmeal on Your Feet Help Clear Up Fungus?
As summer approaches, people survey their toenails to see whether they will be embarrassed to bare them in public. Consequently, lots of folks are looking for a way to help clear up fungus. One reader…
Have You Tried Castor Oil to Clear Nail Fungus?
Toenail fungus can be very tough to treat. Even with prescription medications, you have to have a lot of patience. Toenails grow slowly, as you may have noticed, and you need to keep treating the fung…
Should You Be Peeing on Your Feet?
Warning: this remedy might be too disgusting for you. Many readers tell us that peeing on your feet can help you overcome toenail fungus or athlete's foot. Is there any evidence to back this claim up?…
Show 1105: How to Keep Your Nails Healthy and Be…
Nails rarely get much medical attention. They just don’t seem as urgent as high blood pressure or diabetes. Despite this, nails are part of the way we present ourselves socially. Consequently, most …
Is Urine a Good Remedy for Toenail Fungus?
Experimenting with a military recommendation for preventing athlete's foot led one reader to conclude that it is also an effective remedy for toenail fungus. Still, it is a bit controversial, probably…
Can Castor Oil Clear Your Toenail Fungus?
What can you do to get rid of your toenail fungus? Many readers have wrestled with that question, and some have discovered ingenious solutions. Here is one we hadn't encountered before. Castor Oil to …
Should You Have a Blue Thumb to Be Pain Free?
Gentian violet is an old but versatile medication. It was created in the 19th century, and although it is a bright blue dye, it was never used to color cloth or products. Its applications were strictl…
Why Did Purple Toenails Outrage This Reader?
We have a motto at The People’s Pharmacy: The customer or the reader is always right. We do our best to be understanding and supportive, but sometimes our patience is pushed to the limit. Such was t…
Will Your Toes Be Fungus-Free and Purple?
When the weather gets warm, are you embarrassed to put on sandals so everyone can see your toes? Even though it is very common, toenail fungus can be unsightly.You might also have trouble getting rid …
Pricey Nail Fungus Treatment vs. Inexpensive Hom…
Let’s be honest. Nail fungus looks disgusting. When your nails get thick and misshapen, yellow, brown and crumbly, they are not nice to look at. Why do some people develop fungus and others don’t?…
Show 1113: How to Keep Your Feet Happy and Healt…
It is hard to feel good if your feet hurt. Dancing, running, playing golf or tennis and many other forms of recreation are no fun if you have painful bunions or plantar fasciitis. So how can you keep …
Dancer Delights in Fungus-Free Toenails
Nail fungus is very common, affecting toenails more often than fingernails. Thirty years ago or so, doctors often advised their patients to ignore toenail fungus. They would point out that, although t…
Do Natural Treatments Really Help Toenail Fungus…
Toenail fungus is ugly. It turns toenails yellow and crumbly and makes them thick. They become difficult to cut. But drugs for nail fungus have drawbacks. Oral medications such as itraconazole (Sporan…
What Can You Do About a Black Nail?
Everyone wants healthy strong nails, but keeping them in good condition can be challenging. Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, results from infection with one or more of several species of fungus such as…
Will Simple Remedies Get Rid of Your Ugly Toenai…
Nail fungus is an extremely common complaint. It makes toenails thick, yellow and ugly. Infected nails may be so thick that trimming them is a chore. Dermatologists assure us that for most people nai…
How Can You Get Rid of Terrible Nail Fungus?
Nail fungus (onychomycosis in doctor-talk) is a very common problem. Most health care providers don't consider it serious, although some readers have told us that terrible nail fungus can make nails …
How to Fight Nail Fungus with Non-Standard Appro…
Have you ever tried to fight nail fungus? Fungal infections of the toenails are common, affecting one-fifth of middle-aged people and about half of those over 70. This condition can be hard to overco…
Research Vindicates Vicks VapoRub for Foiling Na…
Some people seem oblivious to their gross toenails. They walk around barefoot or in sandals with ugly yellow or even black nails oblivious to bystanders. Their thick, misshapen nails really need help.…