Q. I have had toenail fungus for years. It started with a big toe and eventually spread to all my piggies. My wife complained, but since no one else ever sees my ugly toes I wasn’t too concerned.
Now I have fungus on one fingernail and I fear it may be spreading. My doctor was willing to prescribe anti-fungal medicine but the cost and the side effects have scared me. Will the same remedies that you write about for toenail fungus work on fingernails? If so, please send me a copy.
A. We can’t think of a reason why nail fungus remedies wouldn’t work as well for fingers as for toes. Daily soaks (hands or feet) in a solution containing original amber Listerine mouthwash and white vinegar are a popular approach to home treatment of nail fungus. You should be able to re-use the solution several times.
If this approach doesn’t solve the problem, you may find one that does in the Guide to Nail Care we are sending you. One popular home treatment is Vicks VapoRub. When tested in a small clinical trial, this was found to be effective (Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, Jan-Feb, 2011).
