Do you think you might have a fungal nail infection? Find out how you can treat this kind of issue here at Anytime Doctor.

The most effective fungal nail infection treatments

Did you know that fungal nail infections have a prevalence in Europe of around 4.3% over all age groups? This represents a huge number of people, and while fungal nail infections aren’t considered to be a serious issue, it is important to treat them in the right away - not only to restore your own nails to good health, but to prevent infection spreading.

Here, we are going to look at fungal nail infections in more detail and discuss how you can treat them effectively and prevent them from returning in the future. Keep reading to learn more about this kind of infection.

What Is A Fungal Nail Infection?

A fungal nail infection is a mycotic infection that is caused by the invasion of the nail structure by fungus. This infection is also known as ‘onychomycosis’ and is most commonly diagnosed in men and older people - with it reported to affect 20-50% of people over the age of 60. When it comes to fungal nail infections, they are more likely to appear in toenails rather than fingernails, but it is possible for either to become infected.

Some of the common symptoms of fungal nail infections include cracked or thicker toenails that are painful. Your toenails might also be discoloured. When infection occurs you’ll want to apply an effective fungal nail infection treatment to get rid of it as soon as possible.

What Are The Causes?

Fungal nail infections can be caused by a number of things, but by far the most common is a pathogenic fungus called dermatophytes. This is the cause of around 85-90% of fungal nail cases and is also the cause of ringworm and other related diseases. These dermatophytes are very resistant and can survive in your toenails for an extremely long time.

On the lower end of the scale, around 2-5% of fungal nail infections are caused by non-dermatophyte moulds including Fusarium and Aspergillus.

Finally, yeasts can cause OM infections in around 5-10% of cases. However, it is more common for yeasts to be the cause of infections in fingernails rather than in toenails.

How To Treat the infection

If you are in need of treatment for a fungal nail infection, then you have a few options. One of the most common treatments is by taking fungal nail tablets known as Terbinafine which can usually offer results in 12-24 weeks. To use this, however, patients must have regular liver function tests.

Another treatment for fungal nail infection is antifungal nail paint which can also be quite effective. This is known as Trosyl Solution and it is an alternative to oral medicine. The nail paint gradually works through the nails to reach the bed and kill the fungus. This can take a long time to work, however, so you need to be willing to use it for a while. Otherwise, we would suggest using fungal nail infection cream which can help to treat the issue in another way.

If your fungal nail infection is resistant to treatment or is taking longer than you are prepared to wait, there are laser treatments available that destroy the fungus more immediately. However, this can be relatively expensive when compared to the treatments already detailed and sadly is not available on the NHS as it is not considered necessary.

Preventing Fungal Nail Infections

If you want to avoid having fungal nail infections in the future, then you should make sure to let your feet get plenty of air when you don’t actually need to be wearing shoes. You should also make sure that your shoes fit well. Try to change your socks every day and dry your feet thoroughly after bathing, showering or swimming.

Try to keep your nails trimmed short and cut your toenails straight across. We also strongly suggest that you avoid walking around barefoot in public areas.

Getting Treatment

Make sure you are aware of the signs and symptoms of a fungal nail infection. And if you think that you have one, be sure to start treating it as soon as possible.

Whether it’s tablets or nail paint, Anytime Doctor can help you to identify the best treatment.

Published on 27 July 2019

Tags :   fungal nail infection treatment get a free online doctor consultation

---