Perhaps when tea tree oil was not yet very popular, people with toenail fungus had to face a future where they either had to live with their ugly festering toenails or have surgery to remove all their affected toenails altogether. But now that tea tree oil is readily available, people with toenail fungus can have relief from their dilemma.

Many people testify to the almost magical effects of tea tree oil on their fungal infections. Because it is a natural essential oil, it is a safer and cheaper alternative for eliminating fungal infections compared to consuming drugs which may have harmful side effects on your body, or buying costly prescription drugs. Tea tree oil is not enough. It is only part of the equation.

Origins of tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is derived from the tree named Melaleuca alternifolia which grows in Australia. At present, people can buy their bottles of tea tree oil from alternative medicine and homeopathic product suppliers.

Therapeutic effects of tea tree oil

The oil reportedly can destroy fungus, bacteria, viruses and yeast. It is generally used as an active ingredient in anti-fungal preparations that also use other essential oils in tandem with it. Thus, it is not recommended that you consume tea tree oil preparations because it or the other essential oils mixed with it might cause complications. As it is deemed a home remedy, there are no scientific claims that have been validated yet about its therapeutic effects though there are already medical practitioners who recommend it to their patients.

Ruling out other conditions

It is vital that you get the proper diagnosis of toenail fungal infection from your doctor before attempting to treat yourself with tea tree oil. This is because your thickened and deformed toenails might be caused by other factors, such as: skin conditions, spread of bacteria, and injury to the nail (among others.) To properly diagnose you, the doctor may need to take a sample of the affected nail to be sent to a laboratory for testing. If the condition is definitely a fungal infection, then the doctor may line up treatment options for you to consider. If the doctor does not know yet about tea tree oil and its reputed therapeutic effects on fungal infections, you may want to inform him about what you have researched so far. Or you might want to get a second opinion from a doctor who has been prescribing tea tree oil to his patients already. The problem with some people is that they resort to using tea tree oil even without knowing the exact cause of their nail condition, then get disappointed when the tea tree oil does not seem to work. Get the right diagnosis first, then try tea tree oil ? that is the way to go about it.

Scientific investigation about tea tree oil

Because there is a growing amount of positive feedback about the wonderful benefits people have gotten from tea tree oil as an anti-fungal product, there is already a movement to investigate such claims. That is a positive trend which may eventually lead to the widespread recognition of tea tree oil as an anti-fungal therapy by the medical and scientific community. Remember that using tea tree oil is not enough we strongly suggest that you visit www.outsidehealth.net to learn about the other anti fungal oils that must be used.