Treatment of Nail Fungus Infection

A nail fungus infection, unlike other fungal infections, does not heal by itself. One should not ignore nails that have been invaded by either the toenail fungus or the fingernail fungus. One should not cover such nail fungus with nail polish. And one should never hide the nail fungus inside socks. Wearing socks will induce the feet to sweat, and more sweat will only aid in the growth of nail fungus. Therefore, when one has nail fungus infection, one should immediately seek treatment.

The first stage of treating nail fungus infection is knowing if one indeed has the nail fungus infection. The best way is to consult a doctor. The doctor will inspect the nails and will sometimes scrape a small part of the nail’s surface and create a culture of it to determine the nail fungus type. There are also symptoms that unmistakably indicate the invasion of nail fungus. These are the thickening, the discoloration, the chipping, and the deformation of the nails. A foul stench emanating from the debris under the nails also indicate a nail fungus infection.

The second stage of treating nail fungus infection is identifying the cause. The usual cause is the dermatophyte fungi known as Trichophyton rubrum, and the nail fungus infection is identified as “tinea unguium”. Other causes are the yeast known as Candida albicans, and other non-dermatophyte molds. Of course, the presence of these microorganisms alone does not lead to nail fungus infection. There are other contributing factors, such as heat, trauma, humidity, and even diabetes.

The third stage of treatment is preventing the further invasion of the nail fungus. This involves having breathable shoes that fit well. Shoes that are too tight may lead to toenail fungus. Ideally, to prevent toenail fungus, the end of the shoe should be at least one thumb thick away from the toe. Such will prevent the cracking of nails and will stop the nail fungus from reaching the nail bed.

Another way to prevent the worsening of toenail fungus infection is keeping the feet clean and dry. Cotton socks are ideal because cotton absorbs moisture away from the feet. Keeping the feet dry also meant completely toweling off the water after swimming and bathing. If one ignores wet feet, one is risking toenail fungus.

The fourth stage of treating nail fungus infection is the use of topical solutions such as anti-fungal creams and nail gels. If the nail fungus infection is at its early stages, these over-the-counter creams may be enough. But if the creams don’t work, one may ask a doctor for stronger medications that will address the nail fungus infection.

If the nail fungus has reached the nail bed, topical solutions will not be enough. A doctor usually recommends oral medications in the form of tablets and capsules. Some examples of oral medications are Griseofulvin, Terbinafine, Itraconazole, and Fluconazole. Taking such oral medications will take a long time and there is a risk of side effects. But the alternative, which is ignoring the nail fungus, could lead to a permanent damage to the nails and the spread of the nail fungus to other parts of the body.