How To Treat Bad Nail Fungus

How Long Does It Take To Cure Toenail Fungus

Treatment for this problem depends on the severity of the infection. For some reasons, expert say that it can be difficult to treat it because the entire nail is actually affected by the fungus after it colonize the entire nail bed. This means that an entirely new nail bed is needed for the treatment to be considered successful. But you cant just remove your nails and it will take a long time for it to grow. So the treatment process is long. There is a combination of treatments to be successful such as using anti-fungal creams and using homemade remedies to help treating your infection.

Toenail Fungus Treatment Complications

Here are some things to think about when deciding on a nail fungus treatment.

If you have a disease like diabetes, your doctor will make sure you treat nail fungus. This illness often makes you more likely to have other problems from minor foot issues.

You may not be able to take antifungal pills because of side effects or because they donât work well with other drugs you take. If that’s the case, try a product that goes onto your nail. Your doctor will call this a topical treatment.

Be patient. Your nails may not look “normal” after treatment. It can take as long as a year to 18 months for your nail to grow out a fungus.

When To See A Doctor

In most cases, toenail fungus is considered a cosmetic problem. Still, it may cause serious complications for some people.

If you have diabetes, toenail fungus may lead to foot ulcers or other foot problems. According to a 2012 study, chronic toenail fungus is a significant risk factor for bacterial cellulitis of the leg.

If you have diabetes or a weakened immune system, you shouldnt use home remedies for toenail fungus. Contact your doctor for the appropriate course of action.

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About Fungal Nail Infection

Many people develop a fungal nail infection at some point in their life. It’s not usually serious, but can be unpleasant and difficult to treat.

The infection develops slowly and causes the nail to become discoloured, thickened and distorted.

Toenails are more frequently affected than the fingernails.

The medical name for a fungal nail infection is onychomycosis.

Treating Toenail Fungus Medically

How a toenail fungal infection is treated may depend on its severity.

In white superficial onychomycosis, for example, the white patches of fungus that form on the nails can sometimes simply be filed off and an over-the-counter antifungal topical medication can be applied to the nail to kill the fungus.

For infections affecting deeper layers of the nail, over-the-counter topical medications often don’t penetrate the nail deeply enough to kill all of the fungus and prevent the infection from recurring. Repeated applications of the medication or a prescription-strength drug may be necessary.

The symptoms of more severe infections include thickened, discolored toenails that may eventually become painful. In these situations, you should see a podiatrist who can devise a treatment plan that may include these actions:

Debridement The thickened portions of the nail can be debrided, or removed, to reduce pain and allow a topical treatment to penetrate more effectively.

Topical Medication Medications that are applied like nail polish or hand cream are sometimes used to treat nail infections. However, topical medication often fails because it doesn’t move deeply enough into the nail to reach the fungus or users forget to apply it daily for almost a year, as is required.

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What Causes A Nail Fungal Infection

The infection is usually caused by exposure to a fungus. The fungus grows in wet, dark conditions. The fungus grows when your feet are in warm, sweaty environment . It enters your nail through a crack in the nail.

Nail fungal infections happen at any age. They are more common in adults older than 60 years of age. They are common in people who have diabetes or circulation problems. They also are common in people with a weakened immune system. Men are more likely than women to get fungal nail infections.

Are There Home Remedies For Toenail Fungus

The Internet is filled with anecdotal information on how to cure toenail fungus using home remedies. Vinegar is a commonly recommended home remedy. Some people apply various oils such as tea tree oil, coconut oil, essential oils, and oil of cedar leaf to their nails as well. The effectiveness of these home remedies is highly doubtful. Application of household bleach and hydrogen peroxide is also not recommended due to lack of evidence that these treatments work. These agents can also cause unwanted skin irritation. Thickened nails that have been affected by fungus can be difficult to trim. Using topical urea cream will soften the nail and make it easier to trim. These creams do not require a prescription.

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What Is The Prognosis Of Fungal Nails

Curing fungal nails can be difficult and treatment can take up to 18 months. Relapse and reinfection are common. Trying to remove or modify your risk factors, if possible, is essential to preventing reinfection. People who have medical illnesses that predispose them to fungal nails can have an even more difficult time eradicating the fungus.

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Sets With Creams And A Nail Scraper

Treatment sets that contain two creams and a nail scraper can also be used for the topical treatment of nail fungus:

• One cream has urea in it, which softens the nail so it can be removed.
• The other cream contains bifonazole, which has an antifungal effect.

For this treatment, the affected toe or finger first has to be soaked in warm water for ten minutes and then dried. After that, the urea-based cream is applied to the nail, and the nail is covered with an adhesive bandage. After 24 hours, the bandage is removed and the toe or finger is held in warm water again. The softened layer of the nail is then scraped off using a spatula, the cream is applied again and the nail is covered with a new bandage. This treatment is carried out over 14 days. Once the infected part of the nail has been scraped away completely, the skin beneath is treated for another four weeks with a bifonazole cream.

Understanding What Happens With A Toenail Fungal Infection

The microscopic organisms that lead to a toenail infection thrive in the moist, warm environment provided when you cover your feet in socks and shoes. The fungus doesnt need light to survive and invades your skin through tiny cuts and abrasions you cant even see. Sometimes, the infections begin through a small separation between your nail and toe.

Some people may have a higher risk of developing a toenail fungal infection, including those who:

• Are older
• Use public pools, showers, or locker rooms
• Get pedicures at salons
• Have sweaty feet
• Smoke cigarettes

Those individuals with chronic, untreated athletes foot have a higher risk of toenail fungus, as do those whove had a toenail injury or previous infection. Chronic conditions, such as psoriasis, diabetes, and poor circulation, can also increase your risk of getting a toenail infection.

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What To Expect After Treatment

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 non-stick bandage. Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed. It should heal within 2 weeks.

Fingernails may take 6 months to grow back, and toenails may take 12 to 18 months to grow back.

What Is Toenail Fungus And How Do You Treat It

Toenail fungus is also known as onychomycosis which is a common foot problem. It is an infection where it involves the inflammation process and causes the crumbling effect on your toes as well as the yellow discoloration of your toenails. The problem spreads if not treated and the thing about this problem is that it thrives in a moist condition like having poor foot hygiene or if you have sweaty socks and we shoes. It also happens to people with abnormal pH levels and a weak immune system.

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What About The Cost Of Oral Medications For Fungal Nails

A further consideration is cost. Because newer oral antifungal agents are very expensive, some insurance companies balk at paying for what they consider a “cosmetic issue,” unless nail fungus causes pain or other functional symptoms. Terbinafine and fluconazole are now available as generic drugs and are quite inexpensive.

How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Nail Fungus

To find out if a patient has nail fungus, a dermatologist examines your nails and nearby skin. Its important to check the skin because the fungus can spread. You may already have a skin infection caused by fungus like athletes foot.

To get rid of the infection, you will need to treat all infected areas.

Before giving you the diagnosis, your dermatologist may also take some samples. Collecting a bit of debris from beneath a nail, trimming off part your nail, or scraping off a bit of skin can be very helpful. In a lab, these samples can be examined under a microscope to find out whats causing the problem.

Are you hiding an infected nail with nail polish?

Be sure to ask your dermatologist if you can wear nail polish while treating nail fungus.

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My Personal Journey In Curing Nail Fungus For Good A Weekly Treatment Diary

This is a guest post series from a follower of the blog. The goal is to chronicle the various ways one person can treat and get rid of nail fungus for good. We hope you enjoy!

Week 1 Hi my name is John and if you are like me one day you looked down at your feet and thought wow my toenails look pretty gross. Could be at a pool party, walking on the beach or just wearing your flip flops out in public. For me I love training in martial arts. In the martial arts gym you are always barefooted. No shoes allowed! It was there one day that it hit me, amongst all these 20 somethings with clear nails my nails looked yellow and crusty. It was really embarrassing and I vowed to clear them up once and for all.

Nail fungus never really appears out of the blue its a gradual thing get a crack in your nail walk around the shower in the gym barefooted wearing your shoes constantly without letting you toes breath and next thing you know your nail start getting little cracks and discolored. My story is that I took a break with martial arts training to have a family and to work on my career and so after 5 years decided to starting training again. I never really cared what my feet looked like, however that changed when I got back into martial arts.

In the gym you are training in close quarters, whether you are grappling, wrestling or sparring so being clean and cleanliness in general is of a high concern. You dont want to be that guy that has terrible body odor or super bad breath

Week 2

How Toenail Fungus Occurs

Toenail fungus, or onychomycosis, is an infection that develops when microorganisms grow under the surface of your nail. It typically occurs after your toenail has had contact with a dermatophyte fungus, though it can also be related to molds or yeasts.

Anyone can have toenail fungus, but its more common in older adults. The condition affects about 75% of people over age 60. With age, your nails become more brittle and cracks develop on the surface. These cracks are the perfect entry points for fungi.

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Treatment For Full Blown Fungal Infection

Are you embarrassed about your discolored or deformed nails? Are you embarrassed about the foul smell from your feet? Worry less, because there is a remedy for this condition. It is not permanent. If for some reason it wasnt preventable, or it was overlooked during the early developmental stages, the following steps can be taken to deal with it accordingly and effectively.

Home Remedies to treat a bad case of toe nail fungus

Home remedies are found to be helpful for a few, but not for everyone. There are quite a number of them. Some have been tried and worked, while others only work passively. If you have tried one remedy and failed, never give up. Try the next one too. Sometimes that is how it goes. Sample these remedies and see whether there is one that works for you because there is one that must work for you.

• Tea tree oil

Treatment Options For Nail Fungus

Interviewer:

Most of my conversation is usually discussing medical therapy, so things that are available by prescription only. And those come in two main forms, which are topical antifungal medications, and then oral antifungal medications. There are other surgical or procedural options, so you can remove nails as well. And then there’s starting to be more interest in technologies like lasers for nail fungus.

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Whos At Risk For Fungal Infections

There are many different causes of fungal nail infections. Each cause has a treatment of its own. Although many of the causes of a fungal nail infection are preventable, some risk factors increase the likelihood of developing one. Youre more likely to develop a fungal nail infection if you:

• wear closed-toe shoes, such as tennis shoes or boots

Nail infections occur more often in men than in women, and the infections are found in adults more often than in children. If you have family members who often get these types of fungal infections, youre more likely to get them as well.

Older adults have a high risk for getting fungal nail infections because they have poorer circulation. The nails also grow more slowly and thicken as we age.

A fungal infection of the nail may affect part of the nail, the entire nail, or several nails.

Common signs of a fungal nail infection include:

• a distorted nail that may lift off from the nail bed
• an odor coming from the infected nail
• a brittle or thickened nail

Nail Fungus That Lifts The Nail And Turns Black

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Treat Bad Nail Fungus

Public showers and swimming pools are two examples of communal collecting spaces.

The prevention of nail fungus is anything that most of the people fail to spot until it is too late to do anything about it.

Despite the undeniable fact that this is sound advice for any topical nail cure, it can be especially relevant when it comes to Vicks VapoRub.

If you have minor cuts near your nails or in case your immune system is weak, you are more likely to get nail fungus than the general inhabitants. The first thing to be aware is to keep a safe distance between your self and any bodies of water, as well as to keep the affected region dry and clean. Treat Bad Nail Fungus The first thing to be aware is to keep a safe distance between your self and any bodies of water, as well as to keep the affected region dry and clean. Topical medications, which can be utilized at once to the contaminated nails point of origin, are available.

What Happens If Nail Fungus Is Left Untreated

For mild fungal nail infections, treatment is often topical solutions which are easy to obtain, have little to no side effects, and can remove infections in a short period of time. However, if these are left untreated, they may contribute to higher risks of bacterial infection or severe problems with the immune system.

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Who Is Most Likely To Develop Fungal Infections

Men are at a higher risk of developing fungal infections as compared to women. The reason is their poorer immunity as compared to women as the only fighting factor that prevents fungus from occurring in the immune system and women are said to have a stronger immune system than men.

Older people have more chances of developing finger and toenail infections. This is due to their poor circulation system as our antibodies are present in blood so a poorer circulation speed will result in the rate at which antibodies reach the target site to be slowed down. Besides that, our nails also grow more slowly and thicken as we age.

People suffering from diabetes develop foot infections more often. Because the healing power of people suffering from diabetes is affected drastically due to their abnormal blood sugar level. Risen sugar levels result in poor immunity thus more prone to bacterial infections.

Moreover, if you regularly wear artificial nails or apply nail polish that is shared with several people or have a nail injury the chances of bacteria attacking and causing an infection are more likely. Also, swimming in public swimming pools, visiting swampy, high moisture places and wearing closed shoes such as boots and tennis shoes and gloves will cause fingernails and toenails to develop a fungal infection.