As the infection progresses, nails will often become thickened, crumbly and malformed. Although the fungus affects the appearance of the nails, it actually lives on the layer directly beneath the toenail. That's why it's so difficult to treat.
Treatment in these situations usually involves the topical medications mentioned earlier, as well as an oral antifungal drug, such as terbinafine or itraconazole. These drugs help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected part. You typically take this type of drug for six to 12 weeks.
Fungal nail infections can be difficult to cure, and treatment is most successful when started early. Fungal nail infections typically don't go away on their own, and the best treatment is usually prescription antifungal pills taken by mouth. In severe cases, a healthcare professional might remove the nail completely.
If toenail fungus is left untreated, it can spread to the surrounding skin on the foot, causing another condition known as athlete's foot. An athlete's foot is a condition resulting in itchy, red, and cracked skin, which can become very uncomfortable.
Your health care provider may prescribe an antifungal cream, such as efinaconazole (Jublia) and tavaborole (Kerydin). You rub this product into your infected nails after soaking. These creams may work better if you first thin the nails.
Studies show that taking antifungal pills and applying medicine to your nails can be more effective than using either treatment alone. Nail removal: If you have a severe infection or other treatments just don't work, your dermatologist may recommend removing the nail(s) to get rid of the infection.
“Applying Vicks VapoRub to fungus-infected toenails can clear up the notoriously hard-to-treat condition. Michigan State University clinicians found that applying the product daily to the infected nail cleared the condition in 32 of 85 patients, though it took anywhere from 5 to 16 months…”
If your nail gets brittle and breaks easily, it's a sign the fungal infection is changing the composition of the nail. If it becomes soft and chalky and starts to crumble away, the infection is starting to become severe.
There are several risk factors for developing nail fungus: tight shoes; damaged nails; walking barefoot in moist areas like swimming pools, saunas, and public showers; poor blood circulation in your legs; a weakened immune system; and other skin conditions, such as psoriasis.
When to see a doctor. You may want to see a health care provider if self-care steps haven't helped and the nail becomes increasingly discolored, thickened or misshapen. Also talk with your health care provider if you have: Diabetes and think you're developing nail fungus.
The best type of vinegar to treat toenail fungus is apple cider vinegar, a very acidic and strong solution that destroys toenail fungus at the source. To take full advantage of this, mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with at least 2 cups of water – this will dilute the vinegar so that it won't burn your skin.
Filing down the surface of the nail may enable them to penetrate more deeply into the nail or the nail bed. In studies, their cure rate averaged around 35%.
You'll know that the medication is working and the toenail fungus is dying when your toenail changes back to its natural color, decreases in thickness, shows healthy new growth, and you see a clear delineation between the infected part of the toenail and your new nail growth.
Aside from the pain and discomfort, it's crucial to treat nail fungus because it can spread and cause permanent damage to your toenail beds. Plus, it is more difficult to treat when it advances, and it does not just go away on its own.
What causes nail fungus? Tiny, microscopic organisms called fungi (the plural of fungus) cause a fungal nail infection. Many people pick up the fungi when they have skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a fungal infection such as athlete's foot or ringworm on their hands.
How does a fungal infection in the foot have the potential to damage your heart? The answer lies in your circulatory system. When a fungal infection gets into the blood stream, it can spread throughout your body—including your heart, since all blood eventually passes through the heart.
INDICATION. JUBLIA (efinaconazole) topical solution, 10%, is a prescription medicine used to treat fungal infections of the toenails.
Regular nail paint may look beautiful when used to hide diseased toenails, but doing so might exacerbate infections. It is wet and dark where fungus thrives. Fungus can flourish in environments created by nail polish. Antifungal nail polish can be covered with non-medicated nail polish.
Toenails may take 12 to 18 months to grow back. The area exposed by the nail removal should be kept clean. You may cover the area with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a nonstick bandage.
Your podiatrist can help you take care of not only your feet and ankles, but also your toenails. One very common condition that podiatrists treat are fungal toenail infections.
The fastest way to eliminate the infection is through toenail laser treatment. Laser nail therapy specifically targets the microorganisms under your nail while leaving the keratin intact. In just a few treatments, the infection can be entirely eliminated.
If the treatment is working, you should see a new healthy nail start to grow from the base of nail over the course of a few months. The old infected nail should begin to grow out and can be gradually clipped away. Antifungal treatments are thought to be effective in treating about 60 to 80% of fungal nail infections.
Reasons for a dead toenail
Callouses and corns may also develop around the tip of the toe indicating severe stress to the site. Fungal infections of the toe is a main cause of dead toenails. When the fungus invades the nail plate, it changes both its structure and the colour.