Vicks VapoRub: A Treatment for Toenail Fungus

One in ten adults suffers from onychomycosis, a condition otherwise known as toenail fungus. It can manifest in many ways but it basically causes the nail to lose its nice uniformed look in exchange for a dry, thicken nail sometimes accompanied with surrounding red, swollen, cracked skin.
This cousin of athlete's foot is a stinker when it comes to treatment because it actually enjoys living and hiding in the toenail. Well, today in clinic I learned that an effective and cheap alternative to medications like Lamisil is something that most can find in their medicine cabinet. By soaking your feet in hot water and then applying Vicks VapoRubto the affected area for as long as needed (usually a few weeks depending on how entrenched the infection is), you can almost always rid yourself of this disfiguring disease. What's the mechanism to Vick's eliminating the fungus? I don't know. But exposing the feet to fresh air by wearing sandals helps as well. 

Overall, the literature on the effectiveness of Vick's Vaporub or any of its ingredients in treating onychomycosis (toenail fungus) is sparse to say the least. But the studies I did find seemed to support the method as legit:

• Consumer Reports: Vicks VapoRub might help fight toenail fungus
  
• An award winning high school science project by Emily Novosedlik that kicks butt over my high school project of "plants grown in the dark, die."
  
• In vitro antagonistic activity of monoterpenes and their mixtures against toe nail fungus pathogens
  

So the research in this area is thin, but what studies there are and according to numerous internet sources, the Vaporub seems to be an effective, safe, cheap, "what-do-you-have-to-lose" alternative to other medications with possible adverse side effects. I did see one credible study that showed Vaporub with oral antifungal medication worked much more effectively that oral medication alone.

Thymol is thought to be the active ingredient responsible for killing the pesky toenail fungus. Thymol is a colorless crystalline solid used in perfume, preserving biological specimens, embalming, or as a fungicide or antiseptic. Besides Vaporub, it is also found in Listerine and in some cigarrettes. Internet reports say that several drops of thymol on the affected nail may be quicker and more effective at eliminating fungus. You can purchase Thymol and read more from this Amazon link. Depending on how bad the infection is, you may need two vials.

Prevention is the key. Here are some quick tips to prevent infection or reinfection:

1. Rotate your shoes often and keep them in a cool dry place.
2. Change your insoles frequently.
3. Use an anti-fungal powder or spray in the shoes.
4. Bleach out the shower on a weekly basis.
5. Wear sandals in the locker room and don't walk around barefoot.
6. If your feet sweat excessively, try an antiperspirant spray on your feet.
7. Keep the toenails in good repair: not too short and not too long.

Tags: onychomycosis, feet, foot, fungus, athlete's foot, toe, toenail, toenail fungus, toe nail fungus,thymol

What's wrong with health care

I'd like to share an experience I had that I think illustrates a large part of what is wrong with health care in the US:

I volunteer in an Emergency Room. Recently a woman brought her 2 year old son into the E.R. because he had a fever. The doctor examined the child, and based on his medical training he concluded that the child was in good health, that he just had some sort of systemic infection, and that if he weresimply given tylenol to break the fever his body would capably fight off the disease.

However, this doctor was not so naive as to think that in today's world his opinion would be very strong self-defense. He knew that if the child were to die 3 years later from an unrelated disease and he had not checked for every possible malady, he could very well lose everything he owns in a legal battle having nothing to do with doing justice on an incompetent doctor, but instead, everything to do with pushing the limits of the judicial system's indulgence toward people greedily seeking something for nothing - the "get rich quick."

So, in the interest of self preservation, the doctor ordered an MRI and blood work done on the child. All tests came back negative just as the doctor knew they would, but now he was covered. The woman was unable to pay for the E.R. visit and had no insurance. As a result, after this slew of expenses manifest in tests, equipment, and the time of medical personel, the doctor handed the woman a $3000 bottle of tylenol for which she would not pay one penny, and instructed her to give it to the child until his fever broke. He added, "There is a Rite-Aid across the street. Next time this happens, just buy your child some tylenol. It will cost you $5." To which she responded, "Why would I get it there when I can get it here for free?"

Money, Money, Money

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Hulu, Silly Name, Strong Performer

With hulu.com you can now watch you favorite TV shows anywhere you have an internet connection (provided that your work place does not filter such sites). It just opened to the public and I've been catching up on some past episodes of the Simpsons and Heroes. So far, it seems to be a solid site to watch television shows and movies. So far, there is no sign up or log in, no need to download any special players or software, and best of all it is free.

The only catch is that there are commercial breaks every so often, but not nearly the amount you get when watching traditional TV. The selection is pretty good and expected to only get better. Quality is not too shabby either.

So enough reading, go and check out hulu for yourself.

It's not just the placebo, it's the price

Odds are that you've heard of the "placebo effect." That's the scientific phenomenon showing that people who think they're being treated for a medical problem tend to feel better - even if all they're taking is a simple sugar pill.

Now, a new study from a Duke University researcher shows that the effect works even better when that sugar pill is more expensive. Read on...