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NovaBay Pharmaceuticals recently announced that they have a breakthrough treatment for onychomycosis, more commonly known as nail fungus, with their new Aganocide® compounds. In pre-clinical trals the Aganocide® compounds have demonstrated “potent antifungal activity in an established pre-clinical infected nail model of onychomycosis.”

NovaBay presented the findings at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in Philadelphia on the 1st of this month (you can find the abstract here). A key issue in the use of topical medications for nail fungus treatment is the ability of the antifungal agent to be absorbed into the nail well enough to be able to fight the fungus. The success of Aganocide® seems to be it’s ability to squarely address this problem - not only to fight nail fungus infections but to penetrate and absorb sufficiently through the nail to allow it to effectively combat the fungus.

Dr. Behzad Khosrovi, senior vice president of product development at NovaBay, said “This model tests both the penetration of the nail as well as the effectiveness of the compounds against the targeted fungus. What is remarkable is that, after treatment, the Aganocide formulations were able to eradicate the fungi grown on the other side of the nail, hence indicating not only good penetration but a good antifungal activity against T. rubrum, the fungus responsible for onychomycosis commonly known as nail infection.”

You can listen to a webcast on the findings on the NovaBay site here. You’ll need to register to listen and the interesting information comes between minutes 5 and 11 although the whole webcast lasts around 40 minutes.

Aganocide® looks very promising as a new entrant into the area of topical toenail and fingernail fungus treatments but it will be a little while yet before we see it in the market place. Until then, the research seems also to support the use of combination treatments to increase the effectiveness of topical nail fungus products.

Have you ever wondered why you’re the only one you know suffering from nail fungus when all your friends seem to have healthy, happy nails they can show off in public? Have you ever wondered why nail fungus sometimes seems to run in families - your Dad had it and so do you?

Well, scientists reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine last month may have discovered at least some of the answers to your questions.

Recent research shows a genetic link that may determine a persons susceptibility to nail fungus. Apparently two proteins, called Dectin-1 and CARD9, interact with each other in order to support our immunity from nail fungus infections.

When these proteins are mutated or missing our systems find it harder to fend off and fight nail fungus infections.

Dr Bart Ferwerda, involved in the research on the protein called Dectin-1, said “These findings are a first step in understanding the genetic susceptibility to common and disabling fungal diseases such as onychomycosis..”

Dr. Erik-Oliver Glocker, who co-authored the paper on the protein known as CARD9, stated that the discovery “enables further insights in the interaction between fungi and the human immune system and may pave the way for future therapeutic options…”

It will be interesting to see how this research develops and what impact it may have on the future of treatments for toenail and fingernail fungus.

Nail fungus is not usually associated with something positive. Mostly sufferers are keeping their toes and fingers hidden and trying in secret to rid themselves of the unsightly symptoms. However on 7th November in Dallas, for those of you with toenail fungus on your big toe, it’s time to bring those feet out of hiding and make some money out of that fungus problem! And all for a worthy cause - a better understanding of the problem for local physicians.

A company called DermResearch is looking for ‘fungus models’ - more specifically, the company is looking for people who have toenail fungus on their big toe to be models for a training session for physicians. The training session will take place at 10am on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in Dallas, Texas.

DermResearch states that at the training session physicians will ‘examine your toenails and possibly obtain a sample of the nail to examine under a microscope’. Models will be paid $500 each and one night at the resort outside Dallas where the training session will be held.

So, if you’re in the Dallas area, have fungus on your big toe and fancy a night out on the town with $500 to play with then call 512-349-0500 for further information or fill out the form on their site.

Home remedies have been called lots of things; ‘holistic‘, ‘natural‘, ‘practical‘, ‘cost effective‘ and on the negative side ; ‘ineffective‘,  ‘a waste of time‘ and ‘no substitute for conventional treatments‘.  No doubt the debate will continue.  But when it comes to treating fungus fingernails, home remedies definitely deserve discussion.

We define ‘home remedies’ as treatments that use common, easily available products that you could lay your hands on in most households.  For fingernail fungus infections the most commonly used are vinegar, beer soak, Listerine, Vicks Vapo Rub and Tea Tree oil.

We have reviewed these on our website, because they may be effective at treating early stage or mild fingernail fungus infections.  It may be worth trying one or more of these before moving onto a prescription based drug.

How to treat fingernail fungus using home remedies:

1. First clean your nails thoroughly and remove any artificial nails or nail polish.
2. Try a vinegar soak.  This involves soaking your fingers for 15 to 20 minutes in a mixture of 1 part white or apple cider vinegar to 2 parts warm (not hot) water. If this concentration of vinegar irritates your skin, you can decrease the amount added to the water. Ideally soak your hands once a day, unless they become dry or irritated.
3. Consider applying Tea Tree Oil to your nail using a cotton bud. The oil contains antimicrobial properties.
4. Another option is Vicks VapoRub. Apply the solution or ointment to your fingernails and let the treatment soak in. (Note the directions for the use of VapoRub do not include use on nails as a treatment for fungal infections.)

Other home remedies such as Listerine and Acidophilus beer soak could also work, but according to the reviews we have done, Tea Tree Oil, Vicks Vapo Rub and Vinegar soak are likely to be more effective.

If none of these treatments work, then the next step - before moving onto prescription drugs - is to consider a natural medication such as ZetaClear, Nail-Rx or Fungisil.

These contain proven anti-fungal agents, do not require prescription and have been demonstrated to contribute to the promotion of healthy looking nails. Click on the links that follow to read our reviews of these three products:

• ZetaClear review - Rated:
• Nail-Rx review - Rated:
• Fungisil review - Rated:

We’ve focused our last two posts on fingernail problems because, even though toenail fungal infections are more common than fingernail infections, it’s easier to hide the problem away in shoes and socks.

Fingernails are, of course, much more visible than toenails. And apart from covering up with nail polish or artificial nails (not a good idea as we’ll explain in a moment) it’s hard to hide unsightly fungus fingernails. The yellow discoloration and thickened, brittle appearance commonly associated with fungus fingernails is right there for everyone to see.

When reading about fingernail fungus infections you’ll find information on the symptoms and what to do about them, but rarely do you see discussion about the emotional or psychological impacts of the disorder. We think this is an important omission as people who suffer from fungus fingernails often report loss of self-esteem, acute embarrassment and lack of social interaction.

Making matters worse

The natural inclination is to apply artificial nails and cover up the problem. But actually, this can make the fingernail infection worse. Fungi thrive in warm, dark, damp environments and by restricting air flow around the nail, that’s exactly the kind of environment that artificial nails help to create.

So artificial nails can cause the fingernail infection to grow faster and spread more. It’s a progressive disorder, and the more severe your fingernail fungus infection, the harder it will be to cure. To see what we mean by this have a look at our nail fungus treatment review chart to show you how different treatments are effective depending on the severity of the fungus fingernail infection.

Getting rid of fungus fingernails

Far better than covering up your fungus fingernails, is to seek treatment right away. There are a number of options available to you including natural remedies, home remedies and topical treatments. Some focus on removing the fungus while others work to boost your immune system and encourage healthy nails to grow. A good place to start your research is by comparing the different fingernail fungus treatments available to you.

Your fingernails are an important barometer of overall health. Healthy looking nails have healthy skin underneath them and this is what gives them an attractive pinkish hue.

When you lose that color, or the nail appearance itself changes, this could be a sign of a nutritional deficiency or a specific health problems.

Some of the most common fingernail problems:

• Yellow fingernails
• Thick fingernails
• White spots
• Soft fingernails
• Brittle nails that break easily
• Nails that look as if they are spooned out
• Fingernails that separate from the nail bed

First things first: check your diet

Many of these fingernail problems could be caused by a nutritional deficiency. So the first thing to do is take a good quality, high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement (which includes Zinc, Iron and B vitamins).  Make sure you also beef up your diet with protein (which is what fingernails are made of) and fatty acids.

A good diet that ensures you get all the nutrients you need is a great safeguard against fingernail problems. But don’t expect results over night - what you’re doing is building a foundation for long term nail health.

Specific symptoms may be a sign of fungal fingernails

Fungus infections are a very common fingernail problem.  In fact it has been estimated that over 35 million people in the US suffer from nail fungus infections (of the fingernail and toenails).

If you have yellow fingernails, thick fingernails or it looks like your fingernails are separating from he nail bed, then you could have fungus fingernails.  The condition is known as onychomychosis.   If you suspect that you may have this condition, read our longer list of fingernail fungus symptoms and head on over to our fingernail fungus cures page to research the remedies available to you.

If you’re worried about your fingernail problems, seek medical advice

Some experts say that fingernails are a ’signpost’ to other conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, thyroid problems or diabetes.  These can be serious, so it is important to seek medical advice to rule out some of these other causes before you start self-treatment with nutritional supplements or begin an anti-fungal remedy.

Yes, toenail fungus is a treatable condition.  Trouble is, the treatment times are long - 6 months or more,  depending on severity - and require consistent application without interruption.

Topical treatments for nail fungus infections contain anti-fungal agents that interfere with the development of the fungus and eventually destroy it.  They work when in direct contact with the fungus causing the infection so care must be taken when applying the treatments to ensure the medications penetrate to the fungus itself.

If you’re finding it hard to stick with your treatment regime, or you’re just about to embark on a treatment program, check out our guidelines for treating toenail fungus. The guidelines suggest keeping track of your treatment progress by using treatment templates.

Believe me, this isn’t busywork. The templates will give you a sense of being in control of your treatment program from day one. They provide a useful reference point from which to measure the extent of your toenail fungus infection over time. Seeing your infection reduce is a great motivator to stick to your treatment and cure the nail fungus completely.

The nail fungus treatment tracking templates

There are two templates to choose from, which you can download using the links below. Print out at least 6 of the templates so that you can track your toenail fungus over time. You may need more than 6, especially if you want to follow the growing out period of your healthy nail - which takes approximately 12-18 months for toenails.

1. Simple nail fungus treatment tracker – this tracks the extent to which the nail has been infected
2. Detailed nail fungus treatment tracker – in addition to tracking the extent to which the nail has been infected, there is space for additional information on the health of the nail such as it’s color and texture.

Nail fungus infections (also known as onychomycosis) are caused by microscopic fungal organisms (dematophytes, yeasts and molds) that feed off the keratin protein in the nail.

The fungal infection results in a yellow discoloration and thickening of the nail, with debris (or crumbs) flaking off under the nail. In early stages the condition is typically painless. But in later stages of the disease fungal nails can become painful if the nail thickens considerably or begins to separate from the nail bed.

The condition is very common. In fact, experts estimate that as many as 8% of the total adult population is infected at any one time. The infection is more common in toenails than fingernails.

So, if you’ve got toenail fungus, is it safe to go swimming or can you pass the infection to others?

The short answer to the question is, yes, you can swim in a swimming pool, as long as the water has been property chlorinated. The chlorine compounds used in swimming pools have disinfectant properties that keep the pool clean, sanitary and free of the causative pathogens of onychomycosis.

But although you can’t transmit the infection through the pool water, you have to take care when walking around the sides of the pool and in communal areas such as showers, locker rooms and changing rooms. Infections are passed through direct contact and these public areas often have the warm, moist conditions in which the fungi that cause nail infections can thrive.

Never walk barefoot in these environments. Instead make sure you put on sandals or flip flops. For extra protection, you can wear neoprene slip-on foot covers. These will cover up the toenail fungus completely, reducing any chance of transmission. They’ll also help avoid embarrassment if your toenails are disfigured (and stop you slipping on wet surfaces).

If you’ve got a nail fungus infection we encourage you to read our reviews of the various nail fungus treatments available to cure the disease and information on living with toenail fungus and preventing cross-infections.

Nail fungus is not a trivial, cosmetic condition. It is a progressive disorder that, if left untreated, can result in the loss or disfigurement of the nail, reduced mobility and even serve as a reservoir for infections elsewhere in the body. And given the infectious nature of the disorder, the public health considerations of non-treatment should not be dismissed.

If you’re in the market for a nail fungus treatment, navigating your way through the maze of different options can be confusing. That’s why we’ve created a comparison table to help you in your decision-making.

Current therapies fall into two main categories: topical treatments (in the form of lacquers or nail paints, washes, oils and creams) and oral prescription medications. Homeopathic and home remedies are also available.

The effectiveness of different treatment methods will depend a great deal on the severity of your fungal infection, the part of the nail that is affected, the number of nails affected and the rate of growth of the infection.

How to use the nail fungus treatment comparison chart

First, work out how severe your nail infection is and review the different signs and symptoms of a nail fungal infection. If the fungus covers the entire nail, including all of the crescent shaped lighter area at the base of the nail, causing considerable brittleness, flakiness and discoloration, then you probably have a moderate or severe infection. If the nail is becoming detached from the nail bed, your infection is most probably a severe one. But if you’ve only got a few light spots on the nail or the infection is only on part of the nail, then the infection can be considered mild or moderate.

Remember to always seek the advice of a doctor once you suspect that you have fungus fingernails or toenails. Before undertaking any treatments, it makes sense to have a definite diagnosis, as fungal infections can look similar to other abnormalities.

The chart shows the different options split according to the severity of the infection and by treatment type. Once you’ve narrowed down your options click through to our treatment reviews for more information.

Nail fungus treatment comparison chart

Paul Stamets is passionate about the fungal kingdom. In fact he claims that mushrooms can save the world!

He has filed over twenty patents for mushroom-related technologies. So he may be right!

Check out his discoveries in the video below. Paul reports that fungi produce some the world’s best antibiotics, demonstrates how fungi may be effective against flu and pox viruses, puts up a great series of photos showing fungi consuming toxic petroleum waste, has a case study showing a pesticidal fungi that tricks insects into eating it and finally shows how fungui may be the answer to the wold energy crisis.