Treatments Available For Fungal Toe Nail Infections

You can confirm if you are suffering from a fungal toenail infection by visiting an apt foot clinic. The early symptoms of this infection include discolouration of the nail, crumbling at the edges, swelling, inflammation and possibly pain. These infections are caused by fungi, which require a moist and warm environment to thrive. The pathogens responsible for causing these infections tend to enter the nail through a crack or cut or even a separation between the skin and nail bed. There are times the nail gets separated from the nail bed.

Diagnosis Of Fungal Infection In Toes:

The first step is to make sure that you are infected, and this is done by a specialist also known as the Podiatrist, who examines the debris, which is scraped from the nail from the underneath. This is examined with a fungal culture or a smear test with potassium hydroxide. The fungal culture takes a longer time as compared to the smear test, which takes only a few hours.

Fungal Toe Nail Treatment And The Options Available

Once it has been determined that the patient is suffering from a fungal toe infection, the fungal toe nail treatment is decided on. There are multiple options for treating these infections and the choice is made by the Podiatrist depending on the severity of the infection

Oral Medications:

If the infection is in the initial stage, this can be treated with oral medications and anti-fungal creams and ointments. These medications tend to take around 4 months for the infection to be wiped out and the new nail replacing the infected one. There are cases where the podiatrist might decide to pull off the whole nail.

Surgery:

If the infection is a severe one, the Podiatrist might opt for surgery, which involves in removing the whole nail, so that topical antifungal can be applied directly to the infected area. This removal of the nail on a permanent basis can cure the fungal infection totally preventing a deformed nail to take its place.

Laser Treatment:

Opting for the laser treatment for toe nail infections has worked out as one of the best options as the patient does not require any anesthesia and also has negligible pain while this is being performed. Besides being a quick procedure this can ensure that the new nail grows fast as there is an increase in the flow of blood in the affected area. This can also help in the strengthening of the nails. This laser treatment is able to handle even the worst of nail infections.