How To Diagnose White Toenail Fungus
Before you accord any over the counter treatment for white toenail fungus, seek advice from the doctor. The best diagnosis for the nail fungal infection is:
- Getting a careful medical examination using a microscope
- Clipping a small piece of the toenail nail infected by fungus
When the doctor takes a small portion of the affected toenail, he will put the piece in a clean container and assess whether the fungus will continue to grow.
After some time, they will identify the type of fungus infection.
Knowing the type of fungus clears all room for doubts and gives the doctor the chance to prescribe the correct medication to treat the fungal infection condition.
Always remember that visiting your doctor when you notice early symptoms will do you better and help you avoid more complications.
Following the doctors prescription until the last dosage will significantly help you to eliminate the toenail fungal infection.
What Are Treatments For Toenail Fungus
Do you need to treat your nail fungus? Maybe it doesn’t hurt, and the yellow, thick nails don’t bother you.
But nail fungus doesn’t go away by itself. And if you don’t treat it, there’s a chance it could get worse. It could spread to other nails or through your body. It could cause pain when you walk.
There are a number of ways to take care of it, including:
Nonprescription options. You can buy antifungal creams, gels, and nail polish at the store and online without a prescription. You might want to try one of them first if the infection doesn’t look bad. Some people also swear by home remedies like menthol rub, tea tree oil, mouthwash, or snakeroot extract — but studies show mixed results.
Prescription polish and creams. Your foot doctor will likely trim your nail and file away its dead layers. They may also take a piece of your nail and send it to the lab to make sure itâs really a fungus and to find out what type it is.
The doctor might suggest an antifungal drug that you paint on your nails. This may work on its own, or they may suggest you take it with antifungal pills.
Prescription medications. One of several antifungal pills may help. They work, but it may take many months to do the job. They also come with side effects like nausea, vomiting, and headaches. They may cause liver damage too, so your doctor will watch you closely while you take them. Be sure to tell them about any other meds youâre taking — some antifungal pills might not work well with them.
How To Lighten Your Toenails Naturally
How to lighten your toenails naturally starts with how you take care of them. Do you clip or file your toenails? Or are you like so many other people, and file your toenails to the bone?
Those who have tried to cure their toenail fungus have found that filing, by itself, does not get rid of the fungus, but it does allow some of the moisture to escape from the nail, which allows for a more even growing environment which the fungus needs to grow.
Now there is an even easier way to lighten your toenails. You dont need any special equipment, or even a prescription. There are products out there that contain all natural ingredients that will actually stimulate the blood circulation in your feet.
When this happens the amount of dark skin in your toenails will decrease, and you will soon have toenails that are dark, white, and healthy looking.
Also, make sure that the topical treatment for your toenails lasts for at least two weeks before you consider taking it off. So if you are like so many others, who have tried to cure their nail fungus with traditional remedies, you may want to give this new method a try. You may be pleasantly surprised at how well it works for you.
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A Pharmacist Can Help With Fungal Nail Infections
Speak to a pharmacist if the look of your nail bothers you or it’s painful.
They may suggest:
- antifungal nail cream it can take up to 12 months to cure the infection and does not always work
- nail-softening cream it’s used for 2 weeks to soften the nail so the infected part can be scraped off
The infection is cured when you see healthy nail growing back at the base.
Instructions To Trim Thick Toenails: 6
First, get the right tools. This is critical the right tools make for an easy job clipping even the thickest nails
The products below are the ones we recommend to our patients and they are also affiliate links so we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if your order from the link.
- Nail Grinding Tool: The most effective one we have found is the Beurer Electric Nail and Foot Care Kit a podiatry-grade electric nail grinder and thinning tool. It comes with bits specifically made to work on thick toenails. The large cone, small cone, and disc bits are made from long lasting sapphire and diamond chips. We have tried many of these units over the years and this is best one we have found and the one we recommend to our patients. The video below shows how to use the Pedinova Nail Grinder.
- Heavy duty podiatry-grade toenail clippers: We recommend ClipPro nail clippers for our patients.
Figure 2
The ClipPro Toenail Clipper is the best consumer nail clipper we have found for extra thick and irregular nails. Its jaw opens up to over 1 wide and the top of blades is slightly curved to contour around your nails. It is very easy to maneuver and provides a clean and smooth cut. Only use professional grade toenail clippers like these for thick nails dont try to thin thick toenails with fingernail clippers. Its usually more painful as they just dont cut these thick nails very well and you end up kind of gnawing at the nail with the nippers.
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How Does White Toenail Fungus Happen
Recently released statistics show that more than 20% of people in the world get white toenail fungus per year. The nail fungus mostly attacks toenail right beneath the nail plate.
The reason behind why the white toenail fungus lives beneath the nail plate because of the environment. Bacteria are attracted to the nail beds moisture, offering excellent room for the fungal infection to build up.
In most cases, individuals wearing acrylic nails are at high risk of getting toenail fungal infection. The reason behind this is that acrylic nails tend to trap most of the moisture and encourage fungi buildup.
Toenails are at high risk of getting fungal infections compared to fingernails.
The reason is that fungal infections prefer to hide in dark and damp places. Wearing socks and closed shoes for a long time gives perfect room for fungal infections, making toenails more subjected to white toenail fungus infection.
When an individual has white toenail fungus, the spores on the nail plate start to discolor, eventually leading to full discoloration of the toenail.
Keep Your Fungal Nail Trimming Equipment Separate
Nail clippers and other equipment that comes in contact with fungal areas are not objects that should be used anywhere else, or for anyone else. Doing so invites a greater chance for a fungus to be carried from one set of nails to another.
This is not just a warning against sharing toenail trimmers between family members you should also not use that set of trimmers on your fingernails, either! It is quite possible for a fungal infection to be transferred from toenails to fingernails, and you cant exactly hide the latter in a pair of socks all day.
Similarly, only use proper trimming equipment on your toes. Using smaller fingernail clippers not only increases the risk of transferring the fungus if you slip up, they are likely also not going to work very well.
It is also wise to regularly disinfect your equipment, just in case. A soak of a few minutes in rubbing alcohol or diluted bleach will do the trickjust make sure to completely dry any metal parts to avoid rusting. Also make sure all nail debris and matter is cleaned off.
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How To Treat Fungal Nail Effectively
Owing to the high recurrence rate of fungal nail infections, pharmacy professionals should be able to advise patients on effective treatment and preventative and appropriate self-care strategies to avoid re-infection.
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Fungal nail infection is a mycotic infection caused by fungal invasion of the nail structure and is one of the most common nail disorders, representing half of nail abnormalities in adults. Its prevalence in Europe is around 4.3% over all age groups and 15.5% of all nail dystrophies in children. OM is more commonly diagnosed in men and older people, affecting 2050% of people aged over 60 years. An increased incidence among older people may be attributed to multiple factors, including reduced peripheral circulation, diabetes, inactivity, relative immunosuppression, and reduced nail growth and quality. Toenails are affected more commonly than fingernails.
This article will cover the causes, types and treatment of OM, practical information to help guide patient consultations and when to refer to podiatry.
Why Do Fungal Nails Develop
Aging is the most common cause of fungal nails, due to reduced blood circulation, more chance of exposure to fungi over time, and nails which grow slower and become thicker, increasing the likelihood of infection. However, it is important to note aging alone can also cause nails to discolour and become thicker.
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Can I Wear Nail Polish If I Have Toenail Fungus
You may feel tempted to cover up a discolored toenail with nail polish. If you are using a topical antifungal, you probably should not use polish. Some providers may tell you not to wear it in any case. Polish traps in moisture from the nailbed . Because fungi thrive in moist environments, wearing nail polish may make a fungal infection worse. However, the nail continues to grow with or without polish.
What Causes Dark Toenails
What causes dark toenails? Darkened toenails are a common ailment and many believe that it is hereditary, but it may not necessarily be. Some environmental factors, such as overexposure to the sun or nail fungus can also cause dark toenails.
Many people have been under the impression that the only way to get lightened toenails is to have your feet painted, but this is not really the case.
You do not need to have your feet painted to achieve lightened toenails, but it is important to note that once the nails are lightened they will stay that way unless you are willing to take some steps to prevent their return.
There are a few different ways that you can achieve lightened toenails and once you understand how they work you will probably never get darker nails again. The first step is to make sure that you have a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, plenty of exercise and plenty of liquids.
To get the most out of any type of treatment, you should see your doctor or at least follow the direction that he or she gives you on the packaging.
Also keep in mind that it is very important to pay attention to any signs that your nails are not growing properly, in this case the color will be lightened, but it should never be removed until the problem is corrected.
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Is There Anything That Really Works For Toenail Fungus
Terbinafine for toenail fungus treatment
The best pill for toenail fungus is terbinafine. Evidence suggests it works better than the alternatives with the fewest side effects. Terbinafine results in resolution of toenail fungus 76% of the time. Common side effects may include headaches, skin rash, and vomiting.
How Is Toenail Fungus Treated
Toenail fungus is notoriously tricky to treat. You may need to treat the condition for several months to get rid of the fungus. Still, toenail fungus often comes back.
A dermatologist or podiatrist can explain your treatment options. If you have a mild case that doesnt bother you, your provider may recommend no treatment.
Toenail fungus treatment options include:
- Oral antifungal medication: You take prescribed medication, such terbinafine , itraconazole and fluconazole , to treat the fungi. You will need to take this medication every day for several months . Your provider may use blood tests to check for potential medication side effects. These medications can affect the liver and interact with other medications, so oral antifungals are not for everyone.
- Topical medication: You regularly apply a medication right on the nail. The medication treats the fungi over time. Topical medications are most effective when paired with oral medications.
- Laser treatments: Your provider directs a high-tech laser beam and special lights at the toenail to treat the fungus. Lasers are FDA approved for temporary increase of clear nail in nail fungus but is not a cure. Cure rates for laser treatment are lower than oral and topical mediations so they are not typically used as first-line treatments for nail fungus.
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Thick Clip Quick Tips
Before we get into it, we should note that fungal nails are not the only way toenails grow thickened and cumbersome to clip.
Trauma to the nails, tightly fitting shoes with small toe boxes, and general heredity can sometimes cause nails to grow thick, so many of the tips well discuss here can apply to these situations as well.
First, however, we should definitely clear some helpful, fungus-specific tips out of the way. There is one big difference between toenail fungus and the conditions we mentioned above: the fungus is alive, and it can travel.
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How Long Does Apple Cider Vinegar Take To Cure Toenail Fungus
The antifungal properties also make vinegar soaks a good idea for people who have toenail fungus. Soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes daily in a vinegar bath until the infection subsides. You can increase the length of time in the soak gradually. It may take two to three weeks or longer to see improvement in symptoms.
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Prevention Of Toenail Fungus
- Wear protective foot covering in public showers, pools, gyms and so forth.
- Wash and thoroughly dry your feet on a regular basis.
- Keep toenails trim and clean .
- Use only disinfected tools for pedicures and nail care.
Nail fungus can make your toenails look pretty gross and although gross nails will not kill, you they can make you very self-conscious such that your overall appearance may suffer and your social life could be ruined. As such, constant vigilance and prudence is your best bet in getting rid of or altogether avoiding this unsightly malady.
What Is The Outlook For Someone With Toenail Fungus
While toenail fungus is common, its usually not harmful. Symptoms mostly affect the look of your toenail.
Toenail fungus may spread to the skin between your toes or other areas of your body. When getting dressed, put your socks on first to reduce the chance of spread.
Treating toenail fungus takes a long time, and it doesnt always work. Even then, toenail fungus often returns. Discuss the pros and cons of treating toenail fungus with your provider to determine whats best for you.
Practicing good hygiene and foot care reduces the chance toenail fungus will come back. If you have diabetes, getting regular foot exams may help you address foot problems before they get serious.
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How Long Does It Take For Vinegar To Kill Toenail Fungus
The antifungal properties also make vinegar soaks a good idea for people who have toenail fungus. Soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes daily in a vinegar bath until the infection subsides. You can increase the length of time in the soak gradually. It may take two to three weeks or longer to see improvement in symptoms.
What Are Fungal Nails
Fungal nails are also known by the technical term onychomycosis . It is a condition where the nail plate and nail bed become infected with dermatophytes . This is a very common condition which can affect finger or toenails, but is most often seen on the feet due to the dark, warm conditions in which fungi thrive.
It may begin as a white or yellow spot under the nail. As the fungus spreads, it takes over the nail, causing the nail to thicken, crumble and discolour to darker shades of yellow. It can affect several nails and in severe cases, the nail may separate from the nail bed and become loose.
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Why Do Older Peoples Toenails Turn Yellow
When toenails turn yellow, a fungus is usually to blame. This type of fungal infection is so common that you might not even need to see a doctor for treatment. Try an over-the-counter antifungal cream. If your nail is yellow and thick, gently file down the surface so that the drug can reach deeper layers.
Is It Bad If My Toenails Turn Black
Is it bad if my toenails are dark? That is a question many people wonder about. There are many reasons that your toenails may turn dark, but none are good ones. If your toenails turn dark quickly and/or all the way down to the nail bed, it may mean you have a fungal infection in your nails.
This kind of condition can spread to the rest of your body and even to other parts of your skin if left untreated. Fungal infections cause toenails to turn a dark or yellowish color.
A cause that doctors recommend not treating your toenails with over-the-counter products is: ingrown toenails. If you have ingrown toenails, the toenails are too deeply embedded within the nail and cant be reached by a simple manicure.
In order to treat ingrown toenails, you should take care of your feet. Make sure you wear clean, dry, comfortable shoes and have your feet cleaned thoroughly after every time you wear them.
If your toenails turn black and yellow quickly, they could be the result of skin discoloring called sutera underneath. Sometimes this can be treated with an over-the-counter skin lightening cream. Other times, the discolored area may require surgery to remove the discolored area of skin and allow the toenails to grow normally again.
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