Removing A Dead Toenail
- Under : Helpful Tips
A dead toenail is a surprisingly common problem. Surgery and toenail removal may be necessary with an infection. If you have a difficult to treat fungal nail infection, or if you have a suppressed immune system or diabetes, your podiatrist may recommend removal of the affected toenail to prevent the infection from spreading to other toenails or beyond your feet.
This JAWS podiatry patient got stepped on while playing basketball. The nail had to come out. Toenail removal is a minor surgical procedure that removes either the entire toenail or a portion of the toenail that is diseased, damaged, or very painful.
JAWS podiatry: Your Hollywood, Florida Foot and Ankle Specialists
The exercises listed above are great ways to help keep your feet and ankles in shape. Another great way to do so is through partnering with the foot and ankle specialists at JAWS podiatry in Hollywood, Florida. We utilize the most advanced and non-invasive techniques to reduce pain and speed recovery for individuals suffering from foot and ankle problems. If youd like to learn more about the innovative and effective treatments we provide or how we can help you with your foot and ankle issues, please call us today at 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
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How Will A Medical Professional Remove A Toenail
If you dont have a podiatrist, start with a visit to a doctor. Be sure to let the doctor know if you have diabetes or another condition that can affect the feet.
After a physical examination of your toes, your doctor may find it necessary to order an X-ray. This will help assess the structure of the toe to see if theres more damage below the surface.
Your doctor can determine if you may benefit from other treatments or partial removal of the nail.
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Sarah is a freelance writer with a focus on health and wellness. She has written for publications like Women’s Health, Healthline, and Parents. She taught creative writing for five years, and has a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University.
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Toenail fungus is a common fungal condition that often starts after a rash on the foot spreads to the nails. When mild, it looks like white and yellow spots growing under the nail beds. If left untreated, the fungus can grow severely by hardening the nails and spreading to other toes.
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What Is Toenail Fungus
Toenail fungus is a fungal infection called onychomycosis. Tinea unguium is another name for it.
Its an overgrowth of fungi that are often found on your body together with other bacteria. You can get the fungi from someone else too, like at a nail salon if the tools arent properly sterilized. Its the same fungi that cause ringworm, jock itch, or athletes foot.
The problematic infection happens when the fungi get in through the cracks in your toenails and start to overpopulate in, on, or under the nail. It just loves warm, moist environments and often finds that in your toenail, especially when you wear shoes. And its even happier if youre active and sweat in your sports shoes.
Onychomycosis can infect your fingernails too but thats less common since your hands arent confined to a warm, moist environment like your feet are.
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Is Toe Fungus Contagious
Toe fungus is not contagious in the general sense of catching it from someone else. The fungus cannot grow unless it has a damp place to hide, usually a nail that is detached or lifted.
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Everyone was very professional. Dr. Moore is a knowledgeable man and has a great bedside manner. Ill be keeping him as my podiatrist. Feel comfortable going into an appointment with him.
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What Happens During The Surgery
Nail surgery can be done in your doctorâs office. Before it starts, your doctor numbs the area around your nail. If youâve ever had your gums numbed at the dentistâs, itâs very similar. Youâll be awake for the surgery, but you wonât feel any pain.
Once the area around the nail is numb, your doctor uses special tools to remove the entire nail or just the infected piece.
In severe cases, they may have to destroy the nail matrix, which is what makes your nail grow back.
After the surgery, your doctor usually applies antibiotic cream and a bandage around your nailbed, which is the area under where your nail used to be. The antibiotic helps make sure you donât get a bacterial infection.
The surgery usually takes less than an hour.
Recovery From Toenail Surgery
In most cases, you heal quickly after toenail removal. Your wound will close in about a week, and it should heal completely in about two weeks.
Your doctor will give you detailed instructions on aftercare following the surgery. Typically, you keep the bandage on for 24 hours. After you remove the bandage, soak the affected toe in warm water and Epsom salts for 20 minutes a day.
Youll be able to walk normally after two or three days.
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How Is Toenail Fungus Treated
Toenail fungus is notoriously tricky to treat. You may need to treat tinea unguium for several months to get rid of the fungus. Still, toenail fungus often comes back.
A skin specialist or foot doctor can explain your treatment options. If you have a mild case that doesnt bother you, your healthcare provider may recommend no treatment.
Tinea unguium treatment options include:
Oral antifungal medication
You can take a prescribed oral antifungal medication to treat the fungus. Options include terbinafine , itraconazole or fluconazole . Youll need to take the medication every day for several months . Your healthcare provider may use blood tests to check for potential medication side effects. These medications can affect your liver and interact with other medications, so oral antifungals arent for everyone.
Topical medication
You can regularly apply a topical medication right onto your nail. The medication treats the fungus over time. Topical medications are most effective when paired with oral medications.
Laser treatments
Your healthcare provider will direct a high-tech laser beam and special lights at your toenail to treat the fungus. Lasers are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for temporary increase of clear nail in nail fungus, but theyre not a cure. Cure rates for laser treatment are lower than oral and topical mediations. Your healthcare provider wont typically use lasers as first-line treatments for nail fungus.
Acupuncture For Toenail Fungus
Most people have heard about Chinese acupuncture. The main principal behind it is to treat organ and meridian dysfunction within the body. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that there are meridians of energy throughout the body that connect organs. When these become blocked, sickness and other ailments can take hold.
The acupuncture needles help to free up this energy. Balance is restored back to the body, and infections are more easily healed. Acupuncture is designed to restore strength to the immune system. This allows the body to better heal itself from infection and sickness.
Acupuncture has been proven effective for some ailments. But toenail fungus does not typically get very good results. The nature of the infection makes it difficult. Because your body is fighting a fungus, it is unlikely that acupuncture alone will allow your body to heal from it.
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How Do Dermatologists Treat A Fungal Nail Infection
Treatment usually begins with your dermatologist trimming your infected nail, cutting back each infected nail to the place where it attaches to your finger or toe. Your dermatologist may also scrape away debris under the nail. This helps get rid of some fungus.
To completely get rid of the infection, most people also need one or more of the following treatments:
Medicine you apply to the nail: If you have a mild infection, a medicine that you apply to your nails may get rid of the infection. This treatment helps keep new fungus out while the nails grow. Fingernails typically grow out in four to six months. Toenails take longer, usually takes 12 to 18 months.
Probably the most difficult part of this treatment is remembering to use it as often as prescribed. Some treatments must be applied every day. Others you apply once a week. To get the best results, its essential that you apply these medicines exactly as directed.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following medicines that you apply to the nail to treat nail fungus:
Side effects from these medicines are generally mild. Possible side effects include redness and swelling, an ingrown toenail, and stinging or burning when you apply the medicine. In clinical trials, none of these side effects caused patients to stop using the treatment.
Antifungal pills, however, can cause side effects. Your dermatologist will watch you closely. Youll also need to have blood tests every month to check for problems.
Laser Treatment For Nail Fungus
If you have had a nail fungus for a long time or have a particularly bad case, nail removal is not your only option! The PinPointe laser is your best option to cure your fungus once and for all, no matter how bad or long-lasting it has been. This laser is FDA approved to treat the fungus. Additionally, you can see a new healthy nail start to grow right after the treatment. Since complete nail removal causes damage to the toe and nail bed, it can take up to 18 months to see a fully clear nail grow back in, while PinPointe patients see that in typically 6-9 months!
Our nail doctor in Phoenix, AZ recommends this laser treatment. The PinPointe Laser treatment has the highest cure rate in the market. It has no side effects and no recovery period. As a result, you can go about your daily activities right after the treatment. Also, it is not painful. To schedule an appointment for the laser treatment, give us a call at 1- 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.
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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.
When You Need Toenail Removal
Some recurring toenail problems are so stubborn that your podiatrist may decide toenail removal is the only option. Although it seems extreme, toenail removal is a simple, straightforward procedure. It reverses many conditions and gives your feet a chance to start over with a healthy new nail.
You may think toenail removal is only for serious disorders, but the top cause of toenail removal is recurring toenail fungus. When topical and oral treatments dont work, removing the afflicted toenail can give your feet a fresh start.
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Ineffectiveness Of Nail Removal
Nail removal is a last resort for a reason. This procedure comes with a recovery period, as do all surgeries. During this recovery period, many patients experience pain and discomfort from the trauma done to the nail bed. It can take longer than 3 weeks for the nail bed to fully heal, and you may have to stop physical activity for that period of time or longer.
You can expect some bleeding after the surgery and may need to change your bandages frequently. Nail removal is clearly no joke, but some patients are willing to go through this procedure with the hopes of finally curing their fungus.
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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What Is Tinea Unguium
When a dermatophyte causes toenail fungus, the condition is called tinea unguium. A dermatophyte is a mold that needs a protein called keratin to grow. Keratin is the main structural material of your nails that makes them hard. Dermatophytes cause 90% of toenail fungal infections. Tinea unguium is also known as onychomycosis.
Treatment For A Fungal Nail Infection From A Gp
A GP can prescribe antifungal tablets. But before they give you tablets they should take a sample of your nail and have it tested, to find out what type of infection you have.
You may need to take antifungal tablets for up to 6 months.
The tablets can have side effects, including:
- feeling sick and diarrhoea
You cannot take antifungal tablets if youâre pregnant or have certain conditions. They can damage your liver.
Badly infected nails sometimes need to be removed. Itâs a small procedure done while the area is numbed .
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Laser Therapy For Fungal Toenails
Do you have thick, yellow, discolored toenails? Are you embarrassed to wear your open-toed shoes in public?
Chances are you have fungal toenails, a condition also known as onychomycosis.
Fungal toenails are caused by an organism that grows in and under the nail.The fungus likes to grow in warm, moist places like your shoes. Many patients pick up fungal toenail infections in the gym locker room, from a nail salon, wet shoes or from trauma.
Fungus can stay in the nails for many years and can be passed from one person to another.
There are currently three treatment modalities for this condition. They include
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topical medications
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oral medications
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the newest modality, laser therapy
At our podiatry practice, Dr. Darlyne Cange uses a laser, which focuses a concentrated beam of laser light through the nail to eradicate the fungus living under and in the nail. The procedure is performed right in our office, requires no anesthesia and is painless. Most patients require only three treatments and can once again enjoy wearing open toed shoes.
If you’re tired of looking at those unsightly toenails, please contact our office to determine if you are a candidate for laser therapy.
What Is A Fungal Toenail
A fungal toenail infection or onychomycosis is where a fungal organism enters and infects the toenail complex. It can be caused by different types of fungal organisms but the most common is Trichophyton rubrum present in over 90% of all cases. Other dermatophytes can cause fungal toenail infections Trichophyton interdigitale, Trichophyton mentagrophytes or Tichophyton tonsuran). Yeasts and nondermatophyte moulds can also cause fungal toenail infections.
These are the four main types of a fungal toenail infection:
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Signs And 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 and be itchy and cracked or red and swollen.
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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.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Foot Fungus
Itchy skin is an early sign of foot fungus, or scaly, peeling skin, or tiny blisters on the skin that will pop at times, says Sundling. The skin tends to break out in the shape of a moccasin, or the area of the foot that a moccasin would cover. You dont see foot fungus on the top of the foot very often. Its common to get a fungal infection between the toes as well, she adds.
So How Long Does It Take For A Toenail To Regrow
A good long while.
After losing a toenail to fungus, or an injury, it can take up to a year or a year and a half for it to fully grow back. But youâll start to see the nail beginning to grow back in after a few months.
This new growth is vulnerable to the fungus that remains on the area so treating this new growth is important to avoid recurrence.
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