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 .
Preventative Steps To Take
While you cant always help your risk factors for toenail fungus, there are some preventive steps you can take:
- Bring your own sterilized instruments, such as nail clippers, to a nail salon.
- Keep your toenails short and clean to prevent nail trauma that can lead to cracking. If you have difficulty trimming your own toenails, your doctor may recommend seeing a podiatrist to help.
- Dont share personal care items like fingernail clippers or pumice stones with another person.
- Throw away or treat potentially infected footwear.
- Wear clean socks and wash socks after use.
- Wear sandals when walking in a locker room, public shower, or any other places where fungus is likely to grow.
Toenail fungal infections have a high rate of recurrence, even after youve treated them. Thats why its important to couple treatment measures with preventive ones to give yourself the best chance for keeping your toenails healthy in appearance.
Nail Anatomy And Onychomycosis Infection
Figure 1 shows the composition of the nail, including the nail plate , nail bed and nail matrix.
Figure 1: Nail anatomy and physiology
The nail plate and nail bed are joined by layers of hard, translucent, keratinised cells. The nail bed and nail matrix are vascular components of the nail, with nail cells located within the nail matrix where the nail plate is formed. The thickness of the nail plate determines the length of the matrix
- Apply cosmetic nail varnishes or artificial nails
- Walk without footwear in public areas
- Cut nails too short.
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How Can Nail Fungus Be Treated
Once a nail fungus begins, it can persist indefinitely if not treated and cause permanent damage to the nail. Over-the-counter remedies are not usually successful in treating fungal nail infections. Prescription oral anti-fungals are typically required, and need to be taken for two to three months in the case of toenail infections. Fingernail infections may clear up in a shorter time. Recently, laser treatments have been found to be able to eliminate the fungus as well, usually in about six treatments.
The fungus is only cured by the regrowth of a new, healthy nail. Because nails grow slowly, this might take up to a year. In severe cases, the infected nail may need to be removed.
Treatments For Fungal Nail Infections
Treatment isn’t always needed for a mild fungal nail infection because it’s unlikely to cause any further problems and you may feel it’s not worth treating.
Whether you decide to have treatment or not, you should still practise good foot hygiene to stop the infection getting worse or spreading to others.
Speak to your GP or pharmacist if you’re bothered by the appearance of the affected nail, or it’s causing problems such as pain and discomfort. They’ll probably recommend:
- antifungal tablets tablets taken once or twice a day for several months
- antifungal nail paints special paints applied directly to the nail over several months
- nail softening kits where a paste is used to soften infected parts of the nail, before they’re removed with a scraping device
A procedure to remove the nail completely may be recommended in severe cases. Laser treatment, where a high-energy laser is used to destroy the fungus, is also an option. But this is only available privately and can be expensive.
You can reduce your risk of developing a fungal nail infection by:
Nail salon equipment can sometimes be the source of fungal nail infections. If you regularly visit a salon, make sure any equipment used is properly sterilised between uses.
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Ask About Antifungal Pills
If topical treatment isnt doing the trick, your doctor may prescribe one of the following antifungal pills:
How to use it: Antifungal pills work faster than medicine applied to the nails, the AAD says, but you should still expect a few months of consistent use, per your doctors instructions.
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Best For Toenails: Fungi
“This is one of my favorites because it relieves symptoms such as burning and itching, and also restores the skin under the nail and around the cuticle,” says Dr. Chen. “It’s also very easy to use and won’t break the bank,” she adds. It touts Tolnaftate 1%, a clinically proven anti-fungal active ingredient, to cure and prevent infection, as well as five essential oils â tea tree oil, aloe vera, eucalyptol, olive oil, and lavender â to restore skin health.
“My nail was cut in a pedicure, causing my nail to get fungus,” shared a customer. “This stuff cleared it right up. My nail fell off and grew back healthy. Worked and quickly in about a week.”
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Other Options For Toenail Fungus Infections
Removal of the toenail is only used when just one nail is infected, but it does work. Light therapy and lasers are also being studied as possible toenail fungus treatments. Laser therapy has shown promise when combined with oral or topical antifungals. A multicenter trial investigating the efficacy of a device, the Pinpointe FootLaser, is currently underway, so stay tuned to that.
How To Cure Toenail Fungus: Can Vinegar Help
This article was co-authored by Zora Degrandpre, ND. Dr. Zora Degrandpre is a Natural Health Doctor and Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Vancouver, Washington. She is a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She received her ND from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2007.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 21 testimonials and 85% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,205,598 times.
Nail fungus refers to a fungal infection that starts underneath your toenails. It could cause discoloration, thickening, or crumbling on one or more of your nails. This is a frustrating problem, so youll naturally want to get rid of nail fungus as soon as possible. One remedy you may have heard of is soaking your foot in vinegar to clear the infection. Vinegar is acidic, so it will kill bacteria and fungus.XResearch source However, this remedy has very limited success because the vinegar cant penetrate under the nail. You can try it if you want to, but visit a podiatrist for further treatment if you dont see any results in 2 weeks.
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How To Get Rid Of Toenail Fungus Fast With Otc Treatments
You will find multiple options for over the counter medications that deal with toenail fungus. Here we will take a look at a few of the top names in the game to give you an idea of what is available as well as what you can expect from these various OTC products.
Emoninail is designed to penetrate the nail bed where the fungi lives thanks to a very effective and simple to use topical solution. One thing customers truly love about this product is their unique follow-up through a mobile app to help users get the best results as fast as possible. Another thing that customers appreciate very much is their money back guarantee. No results in 60 days? Full Refund! This product is backed by outstanding customer care and an impressive track record. Read more about Emoninail.
Zeta Clear This over the counter product offers a proven toenail fungus treatment. The company utilizes a powerful formulation that includes the FDA-recognized Undecylenic Acid along with other ingredients blended in therapeutic dosage. On its website, you can read that clinical studies have shown Zeta Clear to be up to 6 times more effective than similar OTC products! No wonder that for tens of thousands of people over the world ZetaClear has been the proper answer to the question how to get rid of toenail fungus as fast as possible. Read more about Zetaclear.
These OTC treatments offer some of the safest and fastest ways to get rid of toenail fungus.
Treating Toenail Fungus: The 17 Most Effective Home Remedies
Learn what are the best treatments for toenail fungus infections you can do at home. The 17 most effective natural remedies for nail fungus.
Having trouble with toenail fungus? Well, we got you covered! Suffer no more! Here are some remedies that you can do at home. They have been proven and tested. Treat your nail fungus in these ways and see the difference. These remedies are very easy to do. The treatment that you need is something you probably have or is very easy to access.
Onychomycosis or, in much simpler terms, nail fungal infection, is a condition affecting the fingernail as well as the toenail. An infection inside the nail starts with a white or yellow patch under the nail, and as it spreads, it causes the toenail to grow thick, discolored and crumbled on the edges. It makes up to 50% of nail abnormalities. They are of four kinds:
- Proximal subungual onychomycosis: Caused due to nail fold, where fungal infection penetrates the newly formed nail plate.
- White superficial onychomycosis : Tends to create a chalky white appearance or white island on nails.
- Distal subungual onychomycosis: It invades the nail bed and underside of the nail plate.
- Candidal onychomycosis: Causes due to frequent immersion in water where a genus called Candida invades the nail plate
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How To Treat Toenail Fungus
Despite what you may hear, covering your infection with nail polish or artificial nails will not get rid of toenail fungus, says the AAD.
There are a few different ways to get rid of toenail fungus, whether youre looking for home remedies or stronger prescribed treatments. Just know this, per Dr. Goldenberg: Treating toenail fungus is extremely difficult.
But the earlier you treat the nail infection, the more likely you are to cure it, explains, Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York Citybased board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Treatment can take several months, even up to a year, as you need to wait for healthy nail to grow out, which is a slow process, he says.
If you prefer to go the natural route first, these are the home remedies worth tryingplus, stronger prescription options to ask about if the infection persists. It usually takes three months of treatment to cure a toenail fungal infection.
Sets With Creams And A Nail Scraper
Treatment sets that contain two creams and a nail scraper can also be used for the topical treatment of nail fungus:
- One cream has urea in it, which softens the nail so it can be removed.
- The other cream contains bifonazole, which has an antifungal effect.
For this treatment, the affected toe or finger first has to be soaked in warm water for ten minutes and then dried. After that, the urea-based cream is applied to the nail, and the nail is covered with an adhesive bandage. After 24 hours, the bandage is removed and the toe or finger is held in warm water again. The softened layer of the nail is then scraped off using a spatula, the cream is applied again and the nail is covered with a new bandage. This treatment is carried out over 14 days. Once the infected part of the nail has been scraped away completely, the skin beneath is treated for another four weeks with a bifonazole cream.
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What Causes Fungal Nails And What Are Some Of The Risk Factors
In normal, healthy people, fungal infections of the nails are most commonly caused by a fungus that is caught in moist, wet areas. Communal showers, such as those at a gym or swimming pools, are common sources. Going to nail salons that use inadequate sanitization of instruments in addition to living with family members who have fungal nails are also risk factors. Athletes have been proven to be more susceptible to nail fungus. This is presumed to be due to the wearing of tight-fitting, sweaty shoes associated with repetitive trauma to the toenails. Having an athlete’s foot makes it more likely that the fungus will infect your toenails. Repetitive trauma also weakens the nail, which makes the nail more susceptible to fungal infection.
Elderly people and people with certain underlying disease states are also at higher risk. Anything that impairs your immune system can make you prone to getting infected with the fungus. These include conditions such as AIDS, diabetes, cancer, psoriasis, or taking any immunosuppressive medications like steroids.
What Causes Toenail Fungus And How To Prevent It
Unfortunately, the warm and moist environment inside your shoe can make you vulnerable to fungal infections. When these occur on the toenail, doctors call the condition onychomycosis. Fungal skin infections commonly called athletes foot can often affect the foot as well.
One of the you get a fungal toenail infection is when fungus invades small cracks in your toenail. Some people are at greater risk for this occurring, including those with:
- circulation problems, especially related to the feet
- history of injury, surgery, or damage to the nail
- impacted immune system function
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Remedies And Treatments For Toenail Fungus
Over-the-Counter Antifungals
Antifungal remedies help to stop the growth of the fungus. Over-the-counter options do not claim to cure toenail fungus, but they can help to improve the look of the affected nail. These products do not work as well as prescription medications. To cure toenail fungus, a remedy has to penetrate the nail and nail bed. Most over-the-counter remedies for nail fungus are topical and do not penetrate deeply enough.
Trim, Buff, and Thin the Affected Nail
Keeping your nails trim, buffed, and clean helps to prevent the spread of the fungus to other nails. Additionally, buffing the nail can allow topical antifungals to penetrate more deeply. Make sure to wash your hands promptly after touching the affected nail, especially before touching other nails.
Vicks VapoRub
Vicks VapoRub is a product marketed for people with coughs. However, it may also be effective against toenail fungus. One small study showed that after applying it topically each day for 48 weeks, 27.8% of participants fully cured their nail fungus â and 55.6% of participants saw partial improvement. However, more study is needed.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil comes from the Australian tea tree. It is an essential oil traditionally used as an antibacterial and antifungal treatment. Early research shows that it may help with nail fungus when used topically. However, more research is needed. If you do use tea tree oil for toenail fungus, only use it topically.
Cure Nail Fungus Infections With Garlic
Use garlic oil, mixed with an equal amount of white vinegar, to cure toenail fungus, naturally. Apply it to the affected area and cover the toe with an elastic bandage. This mixture slows down the activities of the fungus because of the anti-fungal properties of allicin, present in garlic. In case, garlic oil is not available, you can mix some olive oil with crushed garlic. Eating a clove of garlic on a daily basis also helps a lot.
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Laser Treatment For Nail Fungus
Certain types of laser therapy can tackle stubborn nail fungus by destroying the fungus with heat. One research review showed that laser treatment using a perforated CO2 laser or yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser has a moderately high cure rate and strong safety record. Multiple treatments are typically needed. Side effects can include mild to moderate pain and bleeding.
Most Effective Remedies For Toenail Fungus
Do you have a toenail that is hard, discolored, disfigured, and falls off after some time? This kind of toenail is because of an infection called toenail fungus caused by a type of dermatophytes.
Toenail fungus is also called onychomycosis. It is a distressing infection, not because it is painful, but mostly because it makes your toenails lose the beauty and natural shine they should have.
Sometimes having over the counter prescriptions does not help in getting rid of the fungus. Here are some remedies to get rid of toenails fungus that you can use at home to get your toenails back in shape.
Contents
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When To Contact A Doctor
Toenail fungus is typically not a significant problem for most people. However, if there are no improvements or complications occur as a result of home remedies, people should speak with a doctor and stop using the home remedy as soon as possible. It is also advisable to contact a podiatrist if a person notices any discoloration, thickening, or abnormality of the toenails.
Furthermore, people at higher risk for complications should seek medical treatment for their toenail fungus and avoid home remedies altogether. This includes those with diabetes or with weakened immune systems.
