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What Is The Best Fungal Nail Treatment?

Nail fungus or toenail fungus is a common condition, which starts as a yellow or white spot below the tip of your toenail or fingernail. As the fungal infection becomes deep, nail fungus may result in thickening, discoloration and crumbling at the nail’s edge. The problem may affect more than one nail simultaneously.

If you have the mild condition and it does not bother you, you do not require any treatment. However, if the toenail fungus causes pain and you experience thickening of your nails, you have to follow a few of the self-care steps in combination with over-the-counter medications. Nevertheless, you do not find any improvement with the mentioned options; you have to undergo treatment from your doctor.

What Is The Best Fungal Nail Treatment?

What Is The Best Fungal Nail Treatment?

Treatment to cure fungal toenail infections may sometimes become difficult. If you do not get any positive result with over-the-counter medications and self-care strategies, it is essential for you to discuss with your doctor about advanced treatment. Treatment procedures and/or options, in this case, depending on the severity of your infection and the specific type of fungus responsible to cause it. Even you may require several months to get the best results.

Medications To Treat Fungal Toenail Infections

Your doctor will prescribe you a few of the antifungal drugs to intake orally to simply apply to your nails. In some of the specific situations, the treatment may combine topical and oral antifungal therapies.

Oral Antifungal Drugs

Oral antifungal drugs are the first preferences, as they help in clearing your infection in the less possible span of time as compared to the functions performed by any topical drug. Even these drugs are helpful in the growth of infection-free new nails to replace the infected part slowly. You have to intake the drug for a period of 6weeks to 12weeks depending on the underlying condition. However, you may not observe the outcome from the treatment until your nail grows back properly.

You may require a minimum four months or long time for eliminating any infection. The success rate of the treatment by using these drugs is relatively low in adults more than 65years of age. However, your doctor may not recommend any oral antifungal drug if you suffer from congestive heart failure or liver disease.

Medicated Nail Polish

Your doctor may recommend you ciclopirox i.e. an antifungal nail polish to paint on the infected nails and the surrounding skin at least for once in a day. After 1week, you have to wipe out the nails’ piled-on layers and clean them by using alcohol before you should start fresh applications. Doctors recommend you using the medicated nail polish daily for about one year period.

Medicated Nail Cream

Your doctor may recommend you applying a suitable antifungal cream to rub into the infected nails after you soak them properly. These creams perform their functions in a better way if you make your nails thin before applying them. The main role of a medicated nail cream is to allow the medicine to enter the hard surface of your nail towards the underlying fungus. You have to use a nonprescription lotion, which comes with urea for thinning your nails or you should approach an expert for thinning the nail surface by using a file or any other similar type of tool.

Surgery To Treat Fungal Toenail Infections

Temporary Toenail Removal

Your doctor may advise you for the temporary removal of your infected toenail followed by the application of the antifungal drug to the infection below your nail directly.

Permanent Toenail Removal

A few of the fungal nail infections fail to respond to any medication. In this situation, doctors recommend you for the permanent removal of the infected toenail. Especially the permanent toenail removal is recommendable when the infection causes extreme pain or it reaches to the severe form.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:July 1, 2019

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