Nail fungus infection, medically identified as onychomycosis, is a fungal disease that infects toenails or fingernails. The condition is caused by yeasts, moulds and dematophytes that lead to gradual damage of the nail plate. If the infections become more severe, they cause the nails to thicken, become brittle, turn whitish or even detach themselves from the nail bed. For some people, there might be blisters or painful swellings around the infected nails. Toenail infections are a result of athlete’s foot infections or walking barefoot in public places.
Curing Nail Fungus Infection
Nail bed fungal infections can be effectively controlled by oral prescription medications. Your doctor should first take a nail sample and find out the kind of fungus that is causing the infection before prescribing any medicine for you.
Antifungal Prescriptions
Prescription medicines for killing toenail fungus include terbinafine (Lamisil), griseofulvin (Fulvicin) and itraconazole (Sporanox). The most effective are terbinafine and itraconazole. At time, doctors may prescribe fluconzole (Diffucan), which hasn’t been thoroughly studied like the other antifungal drugs.
Ciclopirox (Penlac) is the other product that can be used to cure nail fungus. It’s applied like nail polish at least once daily and is less effective when taken orally. Fungal infections can at times become difficult to treat even after using prescription medicines.
Over-The-Counter Treatments
There are numerous over-the-counter treatments that are used to treat nail fungal infections. The solutions come as creams and liquids, and are applied directly to the nail and skin surrounding the nail to treat the fungus infection. The most commonly used antifungals are terbinafine (Lamisil) and clotrimazole (Lotrimin). These antifungals don’t penetrate the nail and work best to treat nail surface and skin infections such as athlete’s foot.
Treatment Period
When treating toenail fungus, it usually takes about three months for the medicine to get into the nail, and remain there while the nail grows. On the other hand, it may take almost 6 months for the fingernail infection to clear and almost 18 months for the infected toenails to heal. This is the same duration of time it takes a toenail to grow out.
Alternative Nail Fungus Treatments
Herbal tea tree oil has been found to be an effective alternative treatment for onychomycosis. If topically applied, it improves the nail’s appearance though there’s not much evidence stating its effectiveness in treating nail infections.
To avoid getting nail fungal infections, ensure that your feet are dry and clean. After taking a shower or bath, dry your feet using a clean towel and do not forget to clean between your toes. Make sure you wear cotton socks and also change them frequently. Have your pedicures and manicures done in a salon that follows good sterilization procedures to prevent getting nail fungus infection.
