What Kind Of Doctor For Nail Fungus

How To Treat Severe Nail Fungal Infection

Some people opt not to do anything about their nail fungal infection because they are not bothered by it at all, or at least they have adapted to live with the condition. However, it is recommended that the infection is treated immediately because it might get worse.

For severe nail fungal infection cases, treatment is necessary. In such cases, the infection may even spread to other parts of the body and will compromise the overall health of the patient.

Doctors are likely to prescribe oral fungicidal medicines to treat severe nail fungal infections depending on the patients condition, medical history, other ailments, and restrictions. While oral treatments are generally considered effective, but they are slow in delivering results and they come with side effects. Therefore, doctors take into consideration their patients individual health records in prescribing oral fungicidal medications.

Its not the most common solution, but surgery is also sometimes recommended for extreme cases of onychomycosis. A part of the nail or the entire nail can be removed in the surgery, which can be done in a clinic or in the doctors office. By removing the nail, the fungi infection is also removed, allowing a new and healthy nail to grow back. It takes time for the new one to grow fully, though, and the fungi may even return during the recuperation period.

How Does Laser Nail Fungus Removal Work

Laser nail fungus treatment involves the use of a 1064nm wavelength laser. Depending on the type of laser, light or carbon dioxide heats the nailbed, killing fungi and any spores present.

Why does laser nail fungus removal work better than other treatment methods?

This modern solution targets infections deep within the nail bed. During treatment, you can help recovery progress by keeping your feet as dry as possible, wearing protective footwear in public showers and locker rooms, not sharing nail clippers, and paying attention to your blood sugar levels.

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Will A Podiatrist Treat Toenail Fungus

Fungal infections in the toenail are relatively common, causing foul smells and unsightly appearances around the nail plate. If you recognize the symptoms of toenail fungus, you must meet with the right doctor, a podiatrist, for proper treatment.

Podiatrists will treat toenail fungus by using topical creams, removing part of the nail, and or using more modern methods like laser therapy to eliminate the infection. At Arizona Foot Doctors, our podiatrists conduct a thorough evaluation of your nail before starting treatment to better understand the infections origin, possible underlying conditions, and to create a treatment approach that best fits your needs and lifestyle.

How Do You Know When To See A Toenail Fungus Doctor

For the reasons listed above, it is highly recommended to visit a doctor as soon as you start to feel any discomfort.

Dont try to stick it out! Its always better to be safe than sorry. Staying healthy is very important, especially for the body parts that carry you around!

Do you have any tips on seeing your doctor for toenail fungus?

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Put On Footwear When You Remain In Public

Your home can be protected against fungis fairly easily, but when it concerns the outdoors, points can get messy.

One of the most typical environments for fungi to grow are cozy, wet, and damp.

To help keep your feet secure when you most likely to high risk locations such as gyms, storage locker areas, and public pool, you must put on a protective shoe. You can shield your feet in the most awful of problems with a pair of sandals or shower footwear.

See to it your feet are entirely dry prior to putting on socks and footwear after time in the shower room or swimming pool.

Surgical Or Other Procedures

• Nail removal. If your nail infection is severe or extremely painful, your doctor may suggest removing your nail. A new nail will usually grow in its place. But it will come in slowly and may take as long as a year to grow back completely. Sometimes surgery is used in combination with ciclopirox to treat the nail bed.
• Laser and light-based therapies. More study is needed, but these methods alone or with medications may help your nails improve. One study tested the effectiveness of carbon-dioxide laser therapy combined with antifungal nail cream. Most of the 24 people in the study benefited from the treatment.

Laser and light-based therapies are not available everywhere, are expensive, and often are not covered by insurance.

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How Is Toenail Fungus Treated

Toenail fungus is notoriously tricky to treat. You may need to treat the condition for several months to get rid of the fungus. Still, toenail fungus often comes back.

A dermatologist or podiatrist can explain your treatment options. If you have a mild case that doesnt bother you, your provider may recommend no treatment.

Toenail fungus treatment options include:

• Oral antifungal medication: You take prescribed medication, such terbinafine , itraconazole and fluconazole , to treat the fungi. You will need to take this medication every day for several months . Your provider may use blood tests to check for potential medication side effects. These medications can affect the liver and interact with other medications, so oral antifungals are not for everyone.
• Topical medication: You regularly apply a medication right on the nail. The medication treats the fungi over time. Topical medications are most effective when paired with oral medications.
• Laser treatments: Your provider directs a high-tech laser beam and special lights at the toenail to treat the fungus. Lasers are FDA approved for temporary increase of clear nail in nail fungus but is not a cure. Cure rates for laser treatment are lower than oral and topical mediations so they are not typically used as first line treatments for nail fungus.
• Surgery:

What Is Nail Fungus

Also called onychomycosis, nail fungus is a fungal infection that affects your nails. It may begin as a tiny white or yellow spot beneath your nail and grow progressively worse.

Both your fingernails and toenails can develop fungal infections, but this condition is more common in your toes. Nail fungus can affect many toes at once. When nail fungus affects the skin in between your toes and on your feet, its called athletes foot .

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Why Choose A Specialist

Direct Training Specialists receive direct training in regard to particular problems. Seeking treatment from a specialist is beneficial especially in those cases that are not easily cured during the initial evaluation.

More Exposure A specialist focusing on patients of a particular subset willencounter certain conditions more often than a general practitioner. This givesthe specialist the advantage of experience and hands-on-knowledge.

Current with Technological Advances A specialist is current on new techniques and technological advances that directly relate to their area of expertise. For example, a podiatrist will likely have exposure to new laser treatments that would not be available at a general practitioner.

What Happens If I Dont Treat Toenail Fungus

According to Dr. Wagenseller, In many cases, it is not necessary to treat toenail fungus, and the condition is more often a cosmetic concern. If the appearance of your toenails is your biggest concern, you may want to forego medications that can have serious side effects. If the fungal infection is more serious and you notice a foul-smelling discharge or other signs of infection, treatment is necessary to ensure your whole body health and safety. Otherwise, determining whether or not to treat toenail fungus is really a matter of personal preference.

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Other Options For Foot And Nail Fungus

Oral antifungal medications offer a different approach to treating nail fungus. Studies have shown the most effective treatments to beterbinafine and itraconazole. They help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected portion of your nail.

Oral medications are generally prescribed for foot fungus and nail fungus related to

• Diabetes.
• A history of cellulitis.
• Pain or discomfort resulting from the nail infection.

The course of treatment generally lasts from 6 to12 weeks, but full results are not realised until the nail grows back completely, which can take up to four months. Recurrent infections are common, particularly if your feet become warm and moist inside your shoes.

Antifungal drugs for foot fungus may cause side effects from mild to extreme . This course of therapy is not recommended for people suffering from congestive heart failure, who have liver disease or take certain types of medications.

Other treatment options for nail fungus

Your doctor may also suggest these nail fungus treatment options:

Nail Fungal Infection Treatment

Prescription medicines can treat a fungal nail infection. Oral antifungal medicines help a new nail grow. This will replace the infected nail. You may need to take antifungal medicine for 6 to 12 weeks. Some oral medicines are not safe for people who have liver problems. They are not safe for people who have a history of congestive heart failure. Tell your doctor if you have one of these conditions. Your doctor will decide which medicine is right for you.

Apply topical treatments to the top of your nail. Topical medicines usually do not cure fungal nail infections.

In severe cases, a doctor might remove the nail completely. It can take several months to a year for the infection to go away.

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What Kind Of Doctor Should I See For Toe Nail Fungus

Maintaining your toenails devoid of fungus might not be high on your important agenda list, yet it must be. What Kind Of Doctor Should I See For Toe Nail Fungus

We live in an environment that is almost filled with fungis, as well as their preferred location to live is dark, wet, toasty, like inside our footwear.

Its therefore quite simple to obtain a nail fungal infection . If you lack these two nutrients, you are at risk of getting toe fungus.

Around 14 percent of the populace is influenced by toe nail fungal infections, which cause fifty percent of all nail conditions.

It is occasionally tough to deal with nail fungi. Its a risky infection to overlook, due to the fact that it can turn into a much more serious one otherwise taken care of.

If you have toe fungi, we will certainly be talking about how you can efficiently remove it as well as help prevent it from reoccurring ever once again.

Deformed Or Brittle Nails

A violent toe-stubbing, dropping a heavy object on the toe or some other trauma can injure the nail bed and cause the nail to grow in a deformed way. The nail may be thickened or ridged. It is a normal ageing process for nails to thicken.Deformed or brittle toenails can benefit from regular professional attention. Trimming, shaping and nail care from a podiatrist can improve the health of your toenails and help diagnose and treat more serious nail problems.

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What Is The Treatment For Fungal Nails

Oral antifungal therapy has a high cure rate, depending on the medication. It can take nine to 12 months to see if it has worked or not, because that is how long it takes for the nail to grow out. Even when therapy works, the fungus may come back. Currently, an oral antifungal therapy is considered the best treatment for toenail fungus because of higher cure rates and shorter treatment duration compared to topical therapy.

Prescription oral medications that are effective against nail fungus include the following:

There are several innovative treatments that are still being tested:

• Laser therapy or uses application of light-activated agents onto the nail followed by shining light of a proper wavelength on the nail.
• Use of electrical current to help absorption of topical antifungal medications into the nail: This is also called iontophoresis.
• Use of a special nail lacquer that changes the micro-climate of the nail to make it inhospitable for the fungus to grow: If this works, it may be an inexpensive way to treat this problem in the future.

One way to definitively get rid of toenail fungus is by surgery. Surgical treatment of onychomycosis involves nail removal. However, this often only provides temporary relief, and recurrence is common unless additional antifungal medication is simultaneously used. However, surgical removal may be warranted when the affected nail is associated with other factors such as trauma and or infection.

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How Are Fungal Nail Infections Treated

Treatment isnt always necessarydepending on the severity of your conditionbut it is recommended simply because it might be contagious. Not only can you spread the condition to someone else, but depending on the type of fungus, can also spread to infect your other toes.

For mild cases of toenail fungus, your doctor will likely start with conservative treatments. These may include prescription anti-fungal oral medications or topical solutions. For patients who exhibit severe symptomsor for those who do not respond to medicationthe doctor may recommend nail avulsion surgery. During this procedure, the nail plate is removed and chemical treatments are introduced to treat the infection.Contact your podiatrist for more information or to schedule a consultation.

Make Use Of Foot Powder

Once your feet are completely dry, dust some after you have actually showered. Some individuals like cornstarch. Some people have found great results in treating toe fugus with this Vietnamese Tonic.

Powdered medication is much better, though. Medicines for athletes feet will certainly aid shield you versus fungis.

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How Can You Prevent A Fungal Nail Infection

Fungal nail infections often come back after treatment. It is important to take steps to prevent this.

• Before bed, wash and dry your feet carefully.
• Wear sandals or roomy shoes made of materials that allow moisture to escape. Let shoes dry for 24 hours before you wear them again.
• Wear socks. Change them if your feet get sweaty.
• Do not share nail files or clippers, socks, towels, or other personal items.
• Wear flip-flops or shower sandals in wet public areas, such as locker rooms or showers.

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:

• Amorolfine

• Efinaconazole

• Tavaborole

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.

The FDA has approved the following systemic medicines to treat nail fungus:

• Fluconazole

• Itraconazole

• Terbinafine

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How Is It Treated

Whether to treat a fungal nail infection is up to you. If it isn’t treated, it won’t go away. It might get worse.

If you decide to treat a fungal nail infection, you can try a non-prescription antifungal medicine that comes in a cream, lotion, or nail polish. Your doctor can also prescribe a stronger medicine. You may need to use this medicine for a few weeks or for as long as a year. Even so, it may not get rid of the infection.

Antifungal pills give the best chance of curing a severe fungal nail infection. But they may cost a lot and have serious side effects. You will need to see your doctor for regular testing if you take these pills.