Toenail Fungus Treatment Options
Toenail fungus can be treated by a variety of options. There are over-the-counter products as well as options that can be prescribed by a podiatrist. Common over-the-counter treatments are topical antifungal creams, lotions, and products that can be applied directly to the nail. For mild cases that are caught early, an at-home treatment may help but may not be most effective in the long term. If you have a condition such as diabetes, a problem with circulation, or a weakened immune system, a toenail fungal infection can lead to other serious complications.
If your toenail fungus does not respond to at-home treatment, consult with your podiatrist for an evaluation. Your podiatrist will examine your feet and nails to determine what treatment option will work best for your condition. A skin scraping may be done to find out what type of fungus is causing the infection. Factors such as the type of fungus causing the infection and the severity of your condition will determine what treatment will work for your specific needs. Often a combination of treatments may be used to clear up the infection. Toenail fungus could recur after treatment even if the treatment was successful.
Some common toenail fungus treatments include:
- Prescription topical creams
- Topical solutions such as a medicated nail polish
- Laser treatment to remove the damaged area of the nail or skin
Im Too Embarrassed To Show My Feet
Embarrassed about your ugly fungal toenails? With the warmer months just around the corner, many of us are thinking of putting on some lovely strappy sandals, well we can hope for some sunshine! What if you suspect you have a fungal nail problem? What can be done about it?
Our feet have been hiding away over the winter, and whilst we have been able to be more active during lockdown taking those long walks, or finally deciding to start that couch to 5K which you have been putting off for so long, the combination of sweaty socks and trainers creates the perfect environment for fungi to thrive. This, along with possibly not paying much attention to your feet, contributes to the likelihood of developing a fungal nail and or skin infection being thrown into the mix.
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider
In rare cases, toenail fungus can cause an infection called cellulitis. Without prompt treatment, cellulitis may pose a serious danger to your health.
You should seek treatment guidance from a trusted healthcare provider if you have:
- Circulation problems.
- Redness, pain or pus near your toenail.
- A weakened immune system.
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Treating Fungal Nail Infection
Treatment may not be necessary in mild cases of fungal nail infection. For more severe or troublesome cases, antifungal medication may be recommended.
A fungal nail infection is unlikely to get better without treatment, but if you’re not bothered by it you might decide it’s not worth treating because treatment can take a long time, may cause side effects, and isn’t always effective.
Whether or not you decide to have treatment, you should still follow the self-help advice below to help stop the condition getting worse or spreading to others.
What Kills Toenail Fungus Fast
The best way to figure out how to get rid of your toenail fungus as quickly as possible is to see your healthcare provider at the first sign of changes in the nails. Your healthcare provider can examine the affected toenail and take a sample if necessary, then make a recommendation on the best treatment for you. Even though treatments can help, the nail may take up to 18 months to grow out. Unfortunately, although there are many remedies to try, whether natural, over-the-counter, or prescription, it can take a while for the affected toenail to return to normal.
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Your Options For Treating Toenail Fungus
If you think you may have toenail fungus, you should see a podiatrist or dermatologist, who will send a specimen or a piece of your nail to a lab. Different types of fungus are treated slightly differently, so its important to know which type you have, says Sundling.
Also, sometimes the root of the problem is not a fungus at all, but rather another condition, or some kind of trauma to the nail bed for instance, if you dropped something on your toe. There is no treatment for toenail trauma, but removing the nail may be an option if the nail is painful.
If you do have a toenail fungus, your doctor will likely recommend one or more of the following treatment options:
Toenail Fungus: Causes And Risk Factors
Toenail fungus is a fungal infection in the toenail. It happens when a fungus anything from mold to yeast to other types of fungus gets in the nail bed from a cut or break in the nail or repetitive trauma to the nail, and penetrates the nail itself, says Dr. Sundling. The nail then continues to grow with the fungus. Once a nail plate is infected with fungus, it will never not be infected, and you must wait to see how it grows out and whether the new nail growing behind it is healthy. The new nail rarely grows in healthy without treatment, says Sundling.
Toenail fungus is very common 14 percent of people have it in North America, according to an article published in the journal PLoS Pathogens and its more common the older you get, adds Sundling. Wearing shoes that are too small can damage the nail and make it more vulnerable to fungus, as can having a fungal infection on the skin of the foot and not treating it, which could expose the nail to fungus. You may be more at risk to toenail fungus if you have diabetes, or a weaker immune system.
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An Established Fungal Infection Is Hard To Eradicate But You Can Stop Its Spread And Improve Your Toenail’s Appearance
Toenail fungus isn’t a pressing health problem. Yet a fungal infection can ruin the appearance of your nails and cause pain as it lifts the nail away from the nail bed. And fungal infections are notoriously difficult to get rid of. Most often, you should consider fungal toenail a condition to be managed rather than cured.
Treatment From Your Gp
Your GP can prescribe antifungal tablets. You’ll need to take these every day for up to 6 months.
Tablets can have side effects including:
You cannot take antifungal tablets if you’re pregnant or have certain conditions. They can damage your liver.
If your nail has a very bad infection, you may need to have it removed. This is a small procedure done under local anaesthetic.
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Keep Your Fungal Nail Trimming Equipment Separate
Nail clippers and other equipment that comes in contact with fungal areas are not objects that should be used anywhere else, or for anyone else. Doing so invites a greater chance for a fungus to be carried from one set of nails to another.
This is not just a warning against sharing toenail trimmers between family members you should also not use that set of trimmers on your fingernails, either! It is quite possible for a fungal infection to be transferred from toenails to fingernails, and you cant exactly hide the latter in a pair of socks all day.
Similarly, only use proper trimming equipment on your toes. Using smaller fingernail clippers not only increases the risk of transferring the fungus if you slip up, they are likely also not going to work very well.
It is also wise to regularly disinfect your equipment, just in case. A soak of a few minutes in rubbing alcohol or diluted bleach will do the trickjust make sure to completely dry any metal parts to avoid rusting. Also make sure all nail debris and matter is cleaned off.
Dedicated Runners Are At Increased Risk Of A Toenail Falling Off From Running
The constantly repeated impact of a toe hitting the front of a running shoe can accomplish over an extended period of time the same result as a single sudden traumatic blow. The most effective way to prevent toenails from falling off from running is by making sure that your running shoes fit perfectly, neither too short nor too long.
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Toenail Fungus Prescription Medication Treatments
Sometimes prescription medications are needed to treat a toenail infection that just wont go away with natural remedies or over-the-counter medication in a few months. In this case, prescription-strength antifungal medication can eradicate stubborn onychomycosis.
Topical antifungal medications often are effective in treating mild to moderate toenail fungus. Topical solutions may include medicated nail polishes or liquid medications. Penlac , Kerydin , and Jublia are among the top prescription drugs for toenail fungus. Some topical treatments require you to file down the surface of the nail to help the treatment get through to the nail bed. If your healthcare provider prescribes a topical medication, follow the instructions carefully for application and removal.
Oral antifungal medications can come in capsules, tablets, or liquid. Some common prescriptions are Diflucan , Lamisil , Onmel , and Sporanox .
Symptoms Of A Fungal Nail Infection
A fungal nail infection may not cause any obvious symptoms at first.
As it progresses, the infection can cause:
- discolouration of the nail it may turn white, black, yellow or green
- thickening and distortion of the nail it may become an unusual shape or texture and be difficult to trim
- pain or discomfort particularly when using or placing pressure on the affected toe or finger
- brittle or crumbly nails pieces may break off and come away completely
Sometimes the skin nearby may also become infected. The skin can be itchy and cracked or red and swollen.
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Things You Should Know
- Soak your nails in warm water for 10 minutes to soften them before trimming. Alternatively, apply a urea cream to your nails to soften them.
- Make small cuts straight across your nails with a pair of nail nippers to stop the nails from breaking.
- File down sharp edges with a nail file or emery board to prevent your nails from catching on anything.
- Visit a doctor if trimming your toenails causes pain or if you arent able to cut through them on your own.
Why Choose Ufai For Detached Toenails
UFAIs nationally recognized podiatrists offer the most advanced foot and ankle care, together with the highest success rates in the nation. We are leaders in the research and treatment of all foot and ankle conditions.
At University Foot and Ankle Institute, we take our patients safety seriously. Our facilitys Covid-19 patient safety procedures exceed all CDC recommendations.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, please call 736-6001 or make an appointment now.
University Foot and Ankle Institute is conveniently located throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area as our foot doctors are available at locations in or near Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Northridge, Downtown Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Granada Hills, and Valencia, California.
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How Long Does It Take To Cure Fungal Toenails
Toenail fungus can be resistant to treatment, which sometimes leads to a lengthy resolution. In some cases, fungus actually infect your nail cells making it very difficult to get rid of.
Typically, with the right treatment, clearing up toenail fungus takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months and potentially longer. Toenails usually grow less than 2mm per month and the infection has to grow out completely before you can consider a fungal toenail cured.
Causes Of Fungal Nail Infections
Most fungal nail infections occur as a result of the fungi that cause athlete’s foot infecting the nails.
These fungi often live harmlessly on your skin. But they can sometimes multiply and lead to infections. The fungi prefer warm, dark and moist places like the feet.
You’re more likely to get a fungal nail infection if you:
- don’t keep your feet clean and dry
- wear shoes that cause your feet to get hot and sweaty
- walk around barefoot in places where fungal infections can spread easily, such as communal showers, locker rooms and gyms
- have damaged your nails
- have certain other health conditions, such as diabetes, psoriasis or peripheral arterial disease
Fungal nail infections can be spread to other people, so you should take steps to avoid this if you have an infection.
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Unsafe Home Remedies For Toenail Fungus
Although there are many effective home remedies for toenail fungus, there are still some natural and household products that can cause more harm than good. For example, you should never use bleach to get rid of toenail fungus. Its use may be toxic to the skin and cause severe skin irritation when not used properly.
Additionally, you should never use overly hot water when performing the variety of foot soaks mentioned above. Excessive heat to the nails and skin will not kill fungusand extreme temperatures may injure the skin causing burns, blisters, and sometimes permanent skin damage. Always use lukewarm water for soaking.
Urine is another home remedy that should be avoided. Previously, it had been believed to be effective against fungal infections due to its urea contents. While urea can help soften the nail bed to make it easier for antifungal medication to be absorbed, urine does not contain enough urea to be effective.
And, finally, do not remove or excessively trim toenails at home. Fungal toenails should be properly trimmed and maintained on a regular basis, but do not remove too much nail. If toenail clipping or removal is not done properly, damage to the nail bed may cause additional injury to the nail, which can be irreversible. There also is the risk of causing bacterial infections when the damaged nail is not removed properly.
If Your Toenail Is Partially Detached Heres What To Do
Your toenail is not going to reattach itself, so dont bother trying to tape it down. Next, resist the urge to just get it over with. Even if it appears inevitable that the nail will eventually be lost, do not stoically rip it off.
Clip off all of the detached portions and file down any rough edges. Clean the affected area, apply some antibiotic ointment to prevent infection, and then cover the toe with a bandage. Repeat the process as healing and regrowth progress. If any complications arise, see your podiatrist.
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Thick Clip Quick Tips
Before we get into it, we should note that fungal nails are not the only way toenails grow thickened and cumbersome to clip.
Trauma to the nails, tightly fitting shoes with small toe boxes, and general heredity can sometimes cause nails to grow thick, so many of the tips well discuss here can apply to these situations as well.
First, however, we should definitely clear some helpful, fungus-specific tips out of the way. There is one big difference between toenail fungus and the conditions we mentioned above: the fungus is alive, and it can travel.
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Toenail Fungus Treatment Complications
Here are some things to think about when deciding on a nail fungus treatment.
If you have a disease like diabetes, your doctor will make sure you treat nail fungus. This illness often makes you more likely to have other problems from minor foot issues.
You may not be able to take antifungal pills because of side effects or because they donât work well with other drugs you take. If that’s the case, try a product that goes onto your nail. Your doctor will call this a topical treatment.
Be patient. Your nails may not look “normal” after treatment. It can take as long as a year to 18 months for your nail to grow out a fungus.
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Can A Podiatrist Fix Thick Toenails
The thickening of the toenail can exert pressure on the ends of the toes, causing discomfort. To alleviate any discomfort, the nails can be trimmed by a podiatrist and thinned with an electric burr. This will need to be done on a regular basis as the nail thickens. The podiatrist may also prescribe an acrylic powder for filling in gaps in the nail or to add thickness. These powders are easy to apply and can be made into shapes to fit the foot well.
Thick toenails can cause pain when walking or standing, so it is important to have them treated by a professional as soon as possible if you are suffering from this problem.
If you wear shoes that are too small, you are at risk of developing painful corns on your feet. Your doctor can tell you whether your shoes are a reasonable size by having a look at the inside of your shoe where there should be about 1-2 inches of space between your longest toe and the next-longest one. If there isn’t enough room, you may need a pair of shoes with a wider toe box.
Similarly, if you have large feet, you are likely to need shoes with a wide toe box. You should try on several pairs of shoes with different sizes of holes in the bottom to make sure you get something that fits comfortably.
About Fungal Nail Infection
Many people develop a fungal nail infection at some point in their life. It’s not usually serious, but can be unpleasant and difficult to treat.
The infection develops slowly and causes the nail to become discoloured, thickened and distorted.
Toenails are more frequently affected than the fingernails.
The medical name for a fungal nail infection is onychomycosis.
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