What is the best treatment for toenail fungus?
Treatment ranges from over-the-counter medication to non-drug remedies. Whichever treatment is chosen, getting rid of onychomycosis or nail fungus is quite easy. This fungal infection of the fingers and toenails causes:
– Thickening of nails
– Nail discoloration
– Brittleness
– Crumbling of nail edges
– Inflammation of the surrounding skin
– Foul smell
While nail fungus does not cause any pain, it can cause psychological problems. Imagine shying away from the beach or the pool area because of ugly-looking nails. Or feeling too embarrassed to remove your shoes because of the foul smell. Unfortunately, it’s easy to contract this infection. The fungus can be found in public areas like bathrooms, pool areas, shower rooms and gyms.
Fortunately, the fungal infection can be treated.
Over-the-Counter Treatments
There are many types of anti fungal remedies that can be used to manage fungal infections. Unfortunately, these treatments only help with the symptoms. They do not treat the infection. The following are some common examples of over-the-counter anti-fungal treatments.
1. Oral Anti-Fungal Treatments
They are available in form of tablets. The two most common examples are:
– Itraconazole
– Terbinafine
The tablets are used regularly over a period of several months. In addition to treating onychomycosis, these drugs also treat different types of fungal infections. Before using these drugs, the instructions or directions must be read and understood.
2. Topical Anti-Fungal Creams
There are many types of anti-fungal creams that can be purchased over-the-counter for treating onychomycosis.
Usually, a person only needs to apply the cream or ointment to the affected foot or toes. An emphasis needs to be put on the areas beneath and between the toes. This is usually done on a daily basis over a period of several months. Or until the symptoms disappear and healthy nails start growing.
3. Anti-Fungal Nail Paint
Anti-fungal nail paint, also known as nail lacquer can be very helpful in treating onychomycosis. The most effective nail lacquer contains amorolfine. Some lacquers have tiocozanole but they are usually not as effective as amorolfine-based lacquers.
The infected nails are usually painted with this lacquer. The treatment usually takes between 6 months to one year. While it may work, it is not as effective as oral anti-fungal treatments.
Over-the-counter treatments are affordable and readily available. Unfortunately, topical applications cannot penetrate the skin and kill the fungus in the nails. This means that the infection may recur soon after completion of treatment. Therefore, they are only a short-term solution. Some over-the-counter treatments are also known to have some serious side effects.
Laser Treatment for Toenail Fungus
Recently two effective treatments for onychomychosis have been developed. These are: ultrasound and lasers. The latter has proven to be a very effective solution. During the laser treatment procedure, lasers are focused onto the infected nails. The strong beam penetrates the skin and kills the fungus.
This is done with no:
– Pain
– Damage to the nails and surrounding tissues
– Downtime to the patient
– Need of recovery period
– Side effects
One treatment procedure is enough. But a doctor may recommend a follow-up procedure just to make sure the fungus has been killed. While laser treatment may be a little bit more expensive than OTC treatments, it is effective.
