Laser Treatment Of Nail Fungus

A Study To See If Low Level Laser Light Can Help To Treat Toenail Fungus

Nail onychomycosis, or fungus infection, is typically caused by a fungus called dermatophytes, but may also be caused by yeasts and molds. These microscopic organisms invade the skin through tiny invisible cuts or through a small separation between the nail and the nail bed. Under conditions of warmth and moisture, the fungi grow and spread. The infection begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of the nail, and as it spreads deeper into the nail, causes unsightly and potentially painful nail discoloration, thickening and the development of crumbling edges. Onychomycosis occurs more commonly in toenails than in fingernails because toenails are often confined in a dark, warm, moist environment inside shoes where fungi can thrive. Toenail fungus affects approximately 23 million people in the US – about 10% of all adults.

Inclusion Criteria:

Exclusion Criteria:

Cost Of Laser Therapy For Toenail Fungus

Generally, people tend to imagine any therapy involving the use of lasers is expensive. Sure, there are laser skin care therapies with prices ranging in hundreds to thousands of dollars.

However, the cost of laser therapy for toenail fungus pretty much hovers around hundreds of dollars. Averagely, you can expect to spend around $800 on effective laser treatments for toenail fungus.

You may also spend less or more depending on a variety of factors. Like we mentioned at the beginning of this article, these factors greatly influence the cost of services like laser therapy.

Some of these factors are variable costs that add up to become the overall cost of the treatment. Conversely, some are just ordinary market factors that determine the prices of skin care services.

Seeing an expert is the best option for you if your toenail fungus keeps getting worse. Youll know this when it becomes painful and is giving off a bad odour. At this stage, the best treatment is laser therapy or in severe cases, surgery.

For laser therapy, best prepare to spend at least $1000. The cost may end up being lower than that amount or even higher. You can also check with different facilities to compare prices and see what suits your budget best.

Search Strategy And Eligibility Criteria

The study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched electronic databases for studies published up to July 2018 using the Mesh terms laser, onychomycosis and laser, tinea unguium. We also searched electronic Chinese databases for studies published up to July 2018 using the Chinese keywords laser, onychomycosis, and laser and onychomycosis. The inclusion criteria for the study were as follows:

• Randomized Controlled Trial or clinical study in which the onychomycosis group received only laser treatment
• onychomycosis diagnosed by mycological examination
• study purpose related to the efficacy of laser treatment for onychomycosis
• patients had not been treated with systematic antifungal drugs during the preceding 6 months and exhibited no abnormal clinical manifestations associated with other skin diseases such as psoriasis or lichen planus the treatment group was treated by laser and the control group comprised either a blank control, self-control, and/or laser treatment combined with other treatment options and
• mycological cure rate and clinical cure rate of diseased nail reported. Since clinical cure rates can vary markedly with different treatments, a meta-analysis of mycological cure rates was performed.

The exclusion criteria were as follows:

• conference papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses
• studies in which the laser treated group also received other forms of treatment.

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Characteristics Of The Included Studies

The systematic search of the literature identified 681 potentially relevant articles. After removing duplicate publications, 104 articles remained and were subjected to preliminary screening of abstracts .1). Following the exclusion of descriptive studies and studies that included other therapies in addition to laser treatment, 35 articles remained that met the eligibility criteria. These 35 articles involved 1723 patients and 4278 diseased nails. The specific data extracted from each of these articles are shown in Table Table1 .1 . The studies included 5 RCTs. The quality assessment results of the 35 included studies according to the Jadad and MINORS quality evaluation criteria are also presented in Table Table11 .

PRISMA flow chart of study identification and selection.

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Laser Treatment For Toenail Fungus

Laser therapy is a treatment for toenail fungus infection , a hard-to-treat infection that changes the appearance and texture of the nail. There are several types of laser treatment options, including those that use light and those that use carbon dioxide . Laser therapy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use.

Fungal infections of the nails usually require several laser treatment sessions before they completely resolve. It may take between six and 18 months of consistent treatments for laser therapy to be effective. While these treatments may cause side effects such as pain and/or bleeding of the surrounding area, they are considered safe.

Preventions After Laser Treatment For Toenail

If you wish to stay safe in the future too and want to secure your money, then keep yourself safe from further future fungal infections.

Here is what you can do to keep yourself safe.

• Wet feet can cause toenail fungus, you must dry your feet with towel or tissue papers after a wash. Moisture can invite the fungus present on your skin. You must have noticed that when we stay in bath for a prolonged period, the skin of our nails swells, and this is when the fungus tries to sweep in.
• Change your socks if you experience a lot of sweat on your feet. You must prefer wearing synthetic socks over cotton socks in such cases.
• Do not wear tight shoes, always wear shoes with a breathable material.
• Always use the anti-fungal spray in summer, it would not cost you much.
• Do not try to cover your nail with nail polish once it gets infected. It will worsen it.
• Do not cut your skin around your nails as it is the natural protective barrier.

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Hnc Nail Cleaning Fungus Treatment Laser Device

The machine has been designed to be easy to use, and wed say its the most intuitive of the treatment devices on this list. Simply place the laser on the affected nail, push the button and off it goes.

The 905nm laser therapy device works on its own accord and will switch off automatically once the treatment is complete. A standard treatment lasts 7 minutes per nail.

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Causes Of Toenail Fungus

There are numerous causes of toenail fungal infections, some more common than others. Fungi, specifically dermatophytes, as well as mold and yeast are the typical cause of toenail fungal infections. But what is it exactly that allows these fungi and bacteria to develop and affect the toenail? Below is a list of common scenarios that may lead to a fungal infected toenail. Contact A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Center today if you suspect an infection is developing beneath your toenail!

• Consistently sweaty feet
• Going barefoot at community pools or showers
• Health issues that cause poor circulation in the feet
• Poor upkeep of artificial toenails
• Shoes that are tight or lack proper ventilation

Laser Treatment Compared To Other Options

Laser treatments are typically more effective than other ways of treating onychomycosis. This infection can be treated with topical antifungal medications or oral antifungals, and there are over-the-counter, as well as prescription options. Oral antifungals cause systemic side effects and are not totally effective for curing onychomycosis. Topical treatments tend to be safe, but are not very effective.

Research shows there’s an approximately 45% improvement of onychomycosis with topical medicine and approximately 40% to 66% improvement with oral medication.

However, there does seem to be a range in the efficacy with all of these treatments. Using them consistently while avoiding side effects can be tedious. And combining treatments may be more effective than using a single treatment approach.

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Is The Cost Of Laser Therapy For Toenail Fungus Worth It

For starters, there are several types of laser devices for administering laser therapy. All these devices show varying degrees of efficacy according to reports and reviews from users.

Furthermore, these devices have due approval from the proper departments in the Canadian Ministry of Health. But, that does not imply they all work with the same level of efficacy.

Laser therapy devices work by temporarily reducing the discolouration in the infected nails.

Immediately after the therapy, patients will start to notice some temporary clarity on their toenails. After a while, itll return to the colour before the procedure. This will then start to clear off gradually.

The long-lasting curing is more gradual and may take weeks or even months. Studies indicate that patients notice a 61% cure rate within 16 weeks of the therapy. The study also shows a 91% cure rate within 180 days after the procedure. So, after laser therapy, its only a matter of time before the fungus infection disappears.

To answer the question is the cost of laser therapy for toenail fungus worth it? Well say yes, it is very well worth it. It shows a higher cure rate than all the other treatment options.

It does better than the 44% cure rate of topical medication and the 40% cure rate of oral medication. And, it has a lesser risk of side effects in comparison with other available treatment options.

Are Fungal Nail Infections Contagious

Fungal nail infections can be contagious from nail to nail, and are transmitted through sharing surfaces as mentioned above, but they are not contagious in the traditional sense, unless you are in close intimate contact or if you share the same quarters. This means it can be spread among families, but you are unlikely to catch it during normal daily activities with an infected person.

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Check If It’s A Fungal Nail Infection

Fungal nail infections usually affect your toenails, but you can get them on your fingernails, too.

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You Get Superior Results

Laser treatment for nail fungus is the safest, fastest, and most effective way to restore the health and beauty of your nails. Using the power of heat, the treatment stimulates your bodys healing response. Over time, you can expect your nails to grow back healthy and reveal a more beautiful, pristine state.

With our laser treatment, you can expect to achieve long-lasting results that topical medication typically cannot achieve. It may take up to a year for entirely clear, healthy nails to grow, but you can rest assured that youll once again feel confident and happy about your nails appearance.

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How Does Laser Treatment Compare To Drug Treatment In Terms Of Its Success Rate

Recent studies showed over 90% success rates using the latest generation of laser equipment, done over a 3 month period.

Extending the treatment with additional 3 months cured more than 95% of patients.

Common systemic antimycotics drugs, that are used over a period of several months are known to have cure rates of only 40 to 80%.

When Do You Need A Toenail Laser Removal

There is no specific time for the laser treatment, you can either go for it the day your realized you have toe-nail fungus, or you may wait for the medicines to work.

The toenail fungus laser treatment is a must when your toe is about to crack, and the fungal growth is making it painful. You may lose your if it will not be treated.

Go for laser treatment if you have Diabetes

If you are suffering with any contagious diseases like diabetes, which can not be treated properly. you must immediately think of a laser treatment.

Sometimes people think that taking supplements and using creams will help, it will not supplements already contain sugars and it can disrupt the effect of the diabetic medicines.

Similarly, if somebody is confronting issues with their digestive systems, they must also seek the medical advice for the laser treatment.

Lastly, the pregnant women, a pregnant woman must be very careful about her health. Her gut is responsible to feed the growing child, when there would be this toe-nail fungus, it will disturb the digestion.

So, in such condition it is better to have a laser treatment to remove the fungus once and for all.

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How Does Laser Nail Treatment Work

Fungal nails can be treated using topical/paint on type medications, oral drugs or laser treatment.

Laser treatment is a relatively new treatment that heats the nail bed enough to kill the fungal nail.

The laser beam will generate heat beneath the fungal nails and underlying colony in the nail bed, which results in fungus removal.

You will feel a warm sensation during the laser treatments, and the operator will adjust accordingly.

The number of laser treatments required depends on the severity of the fungal nail, but if recommended will be a minimum of 4.

Exposing Skin Tissues To Laser Energy

Lastly, to ensure that all parasitic fungi are eliminated, we will also expose the perimeter of the nail bed and some of the skin around your fingers or toes to laser energy. The final step of the treatment prevents nail fungus from coming back.

For the best results, laser onychomycosis treatments must be performed at least four times, with each treatment scheduled one week apart. We will treat all of your nails and infected skin tissue to ensure the success of the laser treatment.

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What To Expect During Treatment

Your foot care specialist will typically be able to diagnose your condition by looking at the toenail. They may try to prescribe oral or topical antifungals at first to see if those help your condition. A sample may also be taken to have lab work conducted to confirm your condition.

Before your laser treatment, your doctor may perform what is called a debridement. Your toenail is clipped, and dead skin is cleaned away before the procedure. Your foot will then be cleaned and sterilized, then placed in an accessible position for the laser. Make sure to remove any nail polish or decals as they may hinder the effectiveness of the laser.

The laser will pass over the infected toe and emit heat to destroy the fungus. Your doctor may use the laser on other toes where the spread of fungal infection is possible.

A typical treatment session takes about thirty minutes. While there may be some noticeable improvement after one session, patients often require several sessions. As there is no pain during the treatment, there is no anesthesia required. While there is no pain, some patients do mention feeling a warming sensation.

After your treatment, there is no need to remain in the office. You will typically go about your day following treatment.

In some more extreme cases, the toenail may have to be permanently removed. The nail may grow back, but it will take time and can make walking awkward. Seeking treatment as soon as possible can help to avoid these further measures.

Candidates For Hyperblue Plus Laser Therapy

Treating toenail fungal infections isnt a one-size-fits-all approach, so the best way to learn which treatment is right for you is by scheduling a consultation with a provider at the Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers location nearest you.

Your podiatrist reviews your medical history, discusses your symptoms, and conducts a physical evaluation to determine the right therapy for your fungal infection. They may also order additional lab tests to ensure the best treatment for your specific needs.

Generally speaking, you may be a candidate for HyperBlue PLUS laser therapy if you:

• Have tried over-the-counter medications without success
• Havent had success with prescription oral or topical medications
• Dont have certain pre-existing conditions
• Are willing to commit to a series of sessions to eradicate the fungus

Learn if laser therapy is right for you by contacting the Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers office of your choice. You may also request an appointment online at your convenience.

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