Curling your toes within the sand and wearing sandals is a warm-weather treat, so long as you don't keep your toes covered in thick, yellow nails. Fungal infections of the nail (called onychomycosis) are common, Up to 14 percent of the general population is affected.. In advanced cases, nails may turn out to be brittle, broken, or ragged, and even separate from the nail bed.
Although these fungal infections are difficult to completely cure, the fitting treatment can prevent the issue from spreading and improve your nails.
Do nail fungal infections only affect toenails?
No, nails can be affected. However, toenails are a more common goal because of certain habits, including wearing shoes, so we'll deal with them on this post.
How do people get nail fungus?
She says people can be exposed to a wide range of fungi, called dermatophytes, from walking barefoot near locker rooms, spas, or swimming pools, or from getting pedicures at nail salons. Fungal overgrowth can affect the world between your toes and the skin or your feet, causing athlete's foot. The fungus can then spread to the toenails.
What makes toenail fungus difficult to treat?
While antifungal creams can easily treat skin infections, toenails are one other story.
“The nail tissue is tougher and thicker, so these drugs don't penetrate well,” explains Dr. Waldman. This can also be true for antifungal medications taken as pills. Toenails grow slowly and the tissue will not be metabolically lively. So despite the fact that the drug gets into your bloodstream, only a small amount results in your nails. This is why once nail fungus takes hold, it's difficult to eliminate it.
What counts as treatment?
Research has put the so-called cure rate at between 60% and 80%, but that just means the absence of symptoms — meaning your toenails return to their normal shape. A fungal infection should still be lurking under your nails, says Dr. Waldman.
In fact, in clinical trials when investigators recheck toenail clippings for any residual fungus after nail treatment, only 10% to fifteen% show no detectable fungal spores. As a result, recurrences of toenail fungal infections are quite common.
Even so, there's a good probability that different treatments can improve your symptoms and the looks of your nails.
What works to treat toenail fungus?
Here's a set of various treatment options, starting with Dr. Waldman's first-line suggestion, using inexpensive products you could have already got in your property.
Home Remedies
Soaking your fingers to melt your nails before applying the antifungal agent will help the drugs penetrate the nail. For soaking, Dr. Waldman recommends mixing one part white or apple cider vinegar with three parts warm water. Soak your fingers for not less than 10 minutes (but 40 minutes is best). Instead of vinegar, you should utilize Listerine, which accommodates thymol, the major compound within the herb thyme. Like vinegar, thymol also has antifungal properties.
Then dry your feet thoroughly and apply an antifungal agent to all affected nails. One option is crushed garlic paste, but most individuals will probably find it easier to make use of the pharmacy products listed below.
Over-the-counter products
The best evidence is 100% tea tree oil, but one other popular option is Vicks VapoRub (which also accommodates thymol and other essential oils that may fight fungus), says Dr. Waldman. Or you should utilize certainly one of the varied creams sold to treat athlete's foot in your toenails.
Be sure to use the product immediately after soaking. Clinical cure rates for every of those methods vary between products, and rely on the severity and duration of infection. But Dr. Waldman says that about 60% of individuals feel higher after a number of months of treatment.
There are several other over-the-counter nail treatments, including a treated patch that you simply placed on your nails overnight. It accommodates urea, an acidic substance that improves the looks of your nails by making them less brittle and discolored. Another product that guarantees similar results uses a small LED light that you simply clip onto your toenail after applying a liquid containing polyethylene glycol, which softens the nail.
Prescription Remedies for Ingrown Toenails
These topical products, that are best for mild infections, include amorolfine (Loseril, others), efinaconazole (Jubilia), tavaborole (Caridin), and cyclopirox (Penlac). They are clear lines that you simply brush over your nails once a day, often for months. It can take as much as a yr to see results. Medical cure rates range from 35% to 60%.
Prescription pills
More severe infections may respond higher to oral medications, including fluconazole (Diflucan), griseofulvin (Grifulvin), itraconazole (Sporanox), and terbinafine (Lamisil). These are taken every day in pill form for 3 months. While clinical cure rates are high (about 80%), these drugs have many negative effects, including stomach upset, diarrhea, and (in rare cases) liver damage.
Laser therapy
The laser penetrates and breaks the nail tissue, helping to destroy the fungus. There are many differing kinds of lasers and protocols. Clinical cure rates are difficult to quantify, but some have been reported to be between 60% and 75%.
Advice on trimming toenails, nail polish, recent shoes, etc
During and after treatment, Dr. Waldman advises people to make use of two sets of toenail clippers — one for infected nails and one for unaffected nails — to forestall the spread of the fungus. If you're embarrassed by the looks of your toenails, it's okay to make use of nail polish for a short while, she says.
After completing treatment, buying recent shoes will help prevent reinfection. Dr. Waldman says, “I always recommend that people do a vinegar soak once or twice a week after finishing the treatment, which helps prevent any lingering fungus from reinfecting the nail. “