Nail Fungus

Vicks VapoRub is one of the most recommended ointments by medical experts to people who experience skin itching caused by insect bites. However, many people have found other uses for the ointment. Aside from treating insect bites, some patients also use Vicks VapoRub to ease headache and bodyache. There are also stories that Vicks Vaporub can be used in eliminating infection caused by nail fungus or what is known as onychomycosis.

There are two kinds of treatments offered to patients who have infections due to nail fungus and these are the oral anti-fungal treatments and the topical treatments. Along with lotions and creams, Vicks Vaporub is categorized under the topical treatments. Topical treatments are more preferred by patients with onychomycosis because they can easily purchase the treatments in the drugstore without the need for prescription from their physicians.

Due to the increasing use of topical treatments for eliminating nail fungus, medical experts began to conduct studies about the efficacy of the treatments. Clinical trials prove that some of the topical treatments are effective. However, for those who want to try the ointment, they should know that as of the moment, no study can prove its efficiency.

Camphor is the primary ingredient of Vicks VapoRub that is believed to contribute to its efficacy in fighting against the growth of nail fungus. Aside from camphor, the ointment also contains other plant oils such as menthol, oil of cedar, eucalyptus oil and myristica oil, which are some of the alternative treatments for nail fungus.

Even if there are no studies which will prove the efficiency of Vicks VapoRub for treating the medical condition, many people with nail fungus have tried the ointment. Most of these patients, testify that the ointment helps in healing their nails with the infection. Some of them recommend that Vicks VapoRub be applied in the nails with the fungus twice a day, and after several days or weeks, they can already see improvements.

Since medical experts failed to support these claims, every patient who is interested in trying the ointment, should first ask their dermatologists if it is safe to use and if it is effective. If their dermatologists do not recommend the ointment, it will be better to try other topical treatments such as apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, given that the treatments are not harmful to their health. It is still the opinion of medical experts which matters. Let us just hope that in the coming days or months, physicians will be able to promote the use of Vicks VapoRub in eliminating diseases caused by nail fungus.

Tags: nail fungus, skin, treatment, nails, health, symptoms, fungus