Fungal Nail InfectionThursday, 21 September 2017 | Admin Who Gets Fungal Nail Infections? This is an option if the infection is mild or causing no symptoms. For example, a single small toenail may be infected and remain painless. Also, some people may prefer not to take medication as, although rare, there is a small chance of serious side-effects from antifungal medication. The option to treat can be reviewed at a later date if the infection becomes worse. ![]() Medication Antifungal tablets will usually clear a fungal nail infection. But, you need to take the tablets for 6-12 weeks, sometimes longer. The medication will also clear any associated fungal skin infection such as athlete's foot. About 9 in 10 people treated will be cured with medication. One reason for treatment to fail is because some people stop their medication too early.
This is an alternative, but tends not to work as well as medication taken by mouth. It may be useful if the infection is just towards the end of the nail. This treatment does not work well if the infection is near the skin, or involves the skin around the nail. The nail paint has to be put on exactly as prescribed for the best chance of success. You may need six months of nail paint treatment for fingernails, and up to a year for toenails. Recommended product: Emtrix The fungi that are killed with treatment remain in the nail until the nail grows out. Fresh, healthy nail growing from the base of the nail is a sign that treatment is working. After you finish a course of treatment, it will take several weeks for the old infected part of the nail to grow out and be clipped off. The non-infected fresh new nail continues growing forward. When it reaches the end of the finger or toe, the nail will look normal again. It may take 3 months or more for the new nail to grow back fully. Fingernails grow faster than toenails, so it may appear they are quicker to get back to normal. Consult a doctor if there does not seem to be any healthy new nail beginning to grow after a few weeks of treatment. However, the infection can still respond to treatment even after you finish a course of medication. This is because the antifungal infection stays in the nail for about 9 months after you stop taking medication. What can I do to help? Take medication as directed, and do not give up without discussing this with a doctor. Side-effects are uncommon with modern medication, but tell a doctor if you notice any problems with treatment. Tips on nail care if you have a nail infection, with or without taking medication, include the following. Keep your nails cut short, and file down any thickened nail. Use a separate pair of scissors to cut the infected nail(s) to prevent contaminating the other nails. Do not share nail scissors with anyone else (for the same reason). Avoid injury and irritants to your nails. For example, if fingers are affected use cotton and vinyl gloves for wet work. Use heavy cotton gloves for dry work. If toenails are affected, wear properly fitted shoes with a wide toebox. Keep your feet as cool and dry as much as possible. Preventing fungal nail infections ![]() Treat athlete's foot as early as possible to prevent it spreading to the nail. Athlete's foot is common and may recur from time to time. The first sign of athlete's foot is itchy and scaling skin between the toes. Lots of creams, sprays etc available for this condition. |
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