How To Fix Toe Nail Fungus

Treatment Options For Nail Fungus

Interviewer:

Most of my conversation is usually discussing medical therapy, so things that are available by prescription only. And those come in two main forms, which are topical antifungal medications, and then oral antifungal medications. There are other surgical or procedural options, so you can remove nails as well. And then there’s starting to be more interest in technologies like lasers for nail fungus.

How To Treat Thick Toenails

According to the different causes shown above, treatments for thick toenails are also various. Both home care and medical treatment can be applied to cope with this condition.

1. Trim toenails carefully. You will need to trim your toenails carefully once they have become thicker. Thick toenails are easier to split and irritate if pressure is put on them incorrectly. Start by soaking your feed in warm water for approximately ten minutes. Using nail nippers rather than standard nail clippers to ensure that you are able to cut through the nail without putting too much pressure on the nail. Take your time and cut straight across the nail to avoid developing a crack or ingrown toenails later. You can also reference the table below to learn about appropriate treatment options based on the nature of your condition.

2. Try natural remedies. In less severe cases, natural remedies can be used to help treat a thickened toenail. A mixture of tea tree oil and olive oil applied to the nail can help soften the nail so it becomes less thick. Apply the mixture to the toenail with a cotton ball twice a day until the nail returns to normal.

4. Use acidic gels to remove excessive layers. Some acidic gels such as Nonyx gel can be used to remove the excessive layers of the nails that have built up. The high Ph of the gel will help kill off any infections in the area when gently removing the debris that has built up on the top of the nail.

Table 1 Treatments for Thick Toenails

Black Under Toenail Symptoms:

The most common symptom of black toenail fungus is that initially, toenail fungus develops.

• After toenail fungus develops, a thicker toenail usually takes up more room in the sock and shoe.
• As this happens, the toenail can catch on her shoes or socks and start to rip away from the skin.
• This gradually forms debris and dirt that forms under the tip of the nail. This then forms a callus in the nail that starts to rub the way more and more.
• Eventually, the toenail starts to turn black when small little blood vessels called capillaries are ripped away from the toenail.
• This creates bleeding between the toenail and the skin.
• As this blood starts to dry, it quickly turns black and forms a scab between the toenail and the skin.
• As this gets thicker, it forms thick black toenail fungus.
• The toenail eventually can turn completely back as it dies.

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A Pharmacist Can Help With Fungal Nail Infections

Speak to a pharmacist if the look of your nail bothers you or it’s painful.

They may suggest:

• antifungal nail cream it can take up to 12 months to cure the infection and does not always work
• nail-softening cream it’s used for 2 weeks to soften the nail so the infected part can be scraped off

The infection is cured when you see healthy nail growing back at the base.

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Who Gets Toenail Fungus

Men are more likely to get it than women. The older you are, the better your chances are, too. People who have diabetes, athlete’s foot, or a weak immune system, who smoke, or whose family members have it are also at a higher risk. If you spend a lot of time in the water or you’ve injured your toenail, your odds for getting toenail fungus go up.

What Can You Do To Help Prevent Fungal Nail

Maintain good foot hygiene and check and trim your nails on a regular basis. Nails should be cut or filed straight across . Always make sure your nail clippers are disinfected

Look out for athlete’s foot in the skin between the toes and treat with an antifungal cream as it can soon spread to the nails

Wear shoes that fit well and have enough space to allow your feet to ‘breathe’ a little this reduces the possibility of warm, moist environments where the fungi can breed

Throw out old shoes, especially trainers

Wear cotton socks and change them regularly

Don’t share your towels and socks with other people

Avoid walking around barefoot in public spaces wear flip flops or sandals around the pool or in public changing rooms and showers

Don’t use the same nail accessories or tools on your infected nail as the nails which are clear

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Can I Wear Nail Polish If I Have Toenail Fungus

You may feel tempted to cover up a discolored toenail with nail polish. If you are using a topical antifungal, you probably should not use polish. Some providers may tell you not to wear it in any case. Polish traps in moisture from the nailbed . Because fungi thrive in moist environments, wearing nail polish may make a fungal infection worse. However, the nail continues to grow with or without polish.

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Home Remedies For White Toenails

There are no reputable and proven home remedies for white spots caused by liver disease or toenail injury. There are some home remedies for toenail fungus, though they often can take a very long time to work. Vicks VapoRub, Listerine mouthwash and vinegar are often suggested as home based cures. Sometimes home remedies arent all theyre cracked up to be. You can read more about the home remedies here.

Otherwise, stick with the medical treatments we mentioned above and you should start to see results. Get started today, keep it up and youll have your nice feet back again before you know it. Good luck and good health!

Injuries Can Cause Deformed Toenails

In short, yes, they can. Severe physical damage to the cuticle of the nail may cause the nail to never grow properly again. The root of the nail is made up of specialized cells, so damaging these can cause discoloration, swelling and irregular contouring of the nail plate. If your nail deformity is becoming too much to bear and you must cut it, follow these tips:

• Follow the natural curvature of the toenail when cutting it.
• Do not cut down the side of the nail.
• Use surgical-quality nail clippers.

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How To Fix Pincer Toenails

Most people are familiar with ingrown toenails. Even if theyve never suffered from one, which is rare in and of itself, theyve probably known someone that has. Its a relatively common problem. However, there is a type of ingrown nail that can cause more pain and is harder to treat than the normal kind: Pincer toenails. But how do you fix them? Lets find out.

So, how do you fix Pincer toenails? Unfortunately, one of the only ways of correcting pincer toenails is with surgical procedures. However, some new studies and gadgets show that there are ways, with medication, medical devices, or non-surgical approaches to resolve these curling ingrown nails without the need to go under the knife.

Chances are, if you have these, you are going to want to get them sorted out as soon as possible.

So let us delve deeper into exactly what they are , the causes, and your treatment options!

Contents

How Can You Prevent Curved Toenails

Curved Toenails may not be preventable, but it is possible that you can lower the chance of curved toenails in the future. Here are a few things you can do to lower the risk:

• Proper trimming your nails, by cutting them into a straight line across.
• Make sure to use disinfected tools when trimming your nails.
• Make sure to always wear correct sizing shoe.
• Wear flip-flop when you are in locker rooms or at the pool.
• Always practice good hygiene, by taking a few minutes out of your day and care your feet.
• Avoid any form of injury to the nails.

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How To Get Rid Of An Ingrown Toenail

By Kyra Oliver

• Other Diseases Affecting the Toenails

If youve ever had an ingrown toenail, you know the pain that it can cause. Not only that, but its annoying we use our toes in some way or another as part of our usual daily movement, and this use and constant knocking seems to aggravate the nail even more. It makes the pain more noticeable and seems to last forever!

An ingrown toenail, or onychocryptosis, may occur at any age and is one of the mostly common toenail problems. It can be a painful condition that can easily become infected without proper care. While more studies need to be conducted, there are a few that suggest a slightly higher male-to-female ratio, particularly in the 1425 age group however, it can affect patients of any age.

There are multiple reasons why an ingrown toenail develops, including:

• improper nail-cutting technique
• pressure from abutting digits caused by hallux valgus or lesser toe deformities
• the presence of a subungual exostosis
• occasionally, the use of isotretinoin in the treatment of severe acne

Something thats often forgotten is that toenail fungus can become part of the problem too. Usually, nail fungus occurs when fungus enters the nail through a small trauma, such as a cut or break in the nail. Though often a misconception, nail fungus is not caused by poor hygiene. However, if you have an ingrown toenail, you need to be conscious of keeping the area clean.

What Causes Toenail Fungus

It is very unlikely that a few exposures to an unclean environment will cause a fungal infection. Walking barefoot once or twice in a public shower will not generally spread the infection. Similarly, it is also unlikely that a single visit to a pedicurist will cause the infection. Lengthy exposure to a contaminated environment is often required in order to contract the fungal infection although individuals may be more susceptible to fungal infections than others.

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Nail Removal Home Remedies And Laser Treatment

In the most serious instances of toenail fungus infection, the toenail may be removed surgically or dissolved with acid. This can be done to just a portion of the nail in the hope that the remaining nail will grow back healthy. In cases where the entire toenail has to be removed, artificial nails and products using light-cured resins to form a temporary covering can be used to protect the underlying tissue until the nail grows back.

If you prefer to go the home-remedy route, such as applying tea tree oil or Vicks VapoRub to your nails, keep in mind that the effectiveness of these products for treating toenail fungus hasn’t been well studied, and they are not recommended by podiatrists.

Finally, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several laser devices for temporary increase in clear nails in patients with onychomycosis. But while laser treatments are vigorously marketed, clinical trials of lasers have reported mixed results, and the treatments may not be covered by health insurance. If you wish to try laser treatment of toenail fungus, speak to your doctor about what to expect from the treatment, and call your insurance carrier to find out whether the treatment will be covered.

Additional reporting by Susan Jara.

The Ins & Outs Of A Toenail Infection

Toenail fungus can take a while, sometimes years, for obvious symptoms to appear. This is a major reason why many people do not seek toenail fungus treatment or wait until the infection begins to cause pain. Do not let it get to this point! If youre experiencing any of the below symptoms, contact our podiatrists right away.

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Whos At Risk For Fungal Infections

There are many different causes of fungal nail infections. Each cause has a treatment of its own. Although many of the causes of a fungal nail infection are preventable, some risk factors increase the likelihood of developing one. Youre more likely to develop a fungal nail infection if you:

• wear closed-toe shoes, such as tennis shoes or boots

Nail infections occur more often in men than in women, and the infections are found in adults more often than in children. If you have family members who often get these types of fungal infections, youre more likely to get them as well.

Older adults have a high risk for getting fungal nail infections because they have poorer circulation. The nails also grow more slowly and thicken as we age.

A fungal infection of the nail may affect part of the nail, the entire nail, or several nails.

Common signs of a fungal nail infection include:

• a distorted nail that may lift off from the nail bed
• an odor coming from the infected nail
• a brittle or thickened nail

Treating Toenail Fungus Medically

How a toenail fungal infection is treated may depend on its severity.

In white superficial onychomycosis, for example, the white patches of fungus that form on the nails can sometimes simply be filed off and an over-the-counter antifungal topical medication can be applied to the nail to kill the fungus.

For infections affecting deeper layers of the nail, over-the-counter topical medications often don’t penetrate the nail deeply enough to kill all of the fungus and prevent the infection from recurring. Repeated applications of the medication or a prescription-strength drug may be necessary.

The symptoms of more severe infections include thickened, discolored toenails that may eventually become painful. In these situations, you should see a podiatrist who can devise a treatment plan that may include these actions:

Debridement The thickened portions of the nail can be debrided, or removed, to reduce pain and allow a topical treatment to penetrate more effectively.

Topical Medication Medications that are applied like nail polish or hand cream are sometimes used to treat nail infections. However, topical medication often fails because it doesn’t move deeply enough into the nail to reach the fungus or users forget to apply it daily for almost a year, as is required.

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Fungal Nail Infection Treatments

Early treatment of fungal nail infections may prevent damage to or loss of the nail and treatment at any stage may reduce discomfort and improve the nails appearance. However, fungal nail infections can be difficult to treat, and can recur following successful treatment.

Also, because nails grow slowly, it can take up to a year for the appearance of the nail to return to normal, even if treatment is successful. To check if your fungal infection has been successfully treated, your doctor may make a small scratch on the normal-looking new nail growing from the nail bed. As your nail grows, the appearance of the new nail growing behind the scratch is monitored. If the nail behind the scratch remains normal-looking, the infection has been treated and no further treatment is needed the abnormal nail in front of the scratch just needs to grow out.

Fingernail infections can generally be cured more quickly and effectively than toenail infections.

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What Tests Might I Have For Toenail Fungus

Your provider will probably take a small sample from underneath your nail to further analyze it. Viewing the cells under a microscope can confirm a toenail fungus diagnosis. If the initial test is negative, a scraping can be sent to see if the fungus grows out in a culture. It also helps your provider identify the type of fungus.

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Foot Fungus: Causes And Risk Factors

A foot fungus is a fungal infection of the skin, better known as athletes foot, says Sundling. The fungus enters through cracks in the skin. Its known as athletes foot because athletes or anyone who is more active and sweats a lot is more at risk. Kids are also more at risk, because they dont tend to wear different shoes, and changing your shoes is one way to avoid foot fungus.

Foot fungus is very common. It does not mean that someone is dirty or didnt bathe, and if you have a compromised immune system, you may be more susceptible, says Sundling.

What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Toenail Fungus

The most effective toenail fungus treatment for you will largely depend on your symptoms and situation. Your provider will consider several factors before recommending a treatment plan thats customized to you.

Overall, oral antifungal medications may offer the most treatment potential. Pairing oral drugs with topical antifungal medication may make treatment more effective.

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