Sun's out Toes out! Fungal Toenail Infection

May 19, 2015 Fungal Nail Infection

It's that time of year again where temperatures are slowly creeping up and many of us like to wear sandals and flip flops to let our feet enjoy some of the sun. During the winter we all wear closed toe footwear meaning any embarrassing foot conditions are kept out of sight. But there is one condition in particular which can be an embarrassing topic for most to admit. Fungal toenail infections can be irritating, stubborn and unsightly so what’s the most effective way to keep your toes looking perfect for summer.

You need to know what you are looking for when it comes to fungal nail infections, you may display all or some of these symptoms.

Discoloured nail
Brittle edges
Pain along the sides of the nail bed
Thickening and distortion of the nail

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How to spot a fungal nail infection:

Although most fungal nail infections can be easily spotted its best to see your GP who can send off a sample of the affected nail for testing. This will then show if it is actually Onychomycosis (fungal nail infection) or if its due to something else. We always advise that you go to see your GP or Chiropodist at the first instance to get a diagnosis. After a confirmed diagnosis we can look at treatment options.

The first thing you’ve got to remember that most treatments to combat fungal nail infections aren’t a short term treatment, they usually last months. The primary reason for this is that the infected nail has to grow out so that the healthy one can grow in, and toe nails can take months to grow out. If you are diabetic you must go to your doctor straight away as infections such as this can lead to complications far quicker in diabetics.

Here at SimplyMeds we offer prescription strength amorolfine also known as the brand name Curanail, this is a nail lacquer which is applied to the infected nail once a week. This has proven to be a successful treatment for fungal nail infections when 3 or fewer nails are affected. Its applied to the nails after filing and cleansing, and left to dry for around 3 minutes. This treatment will take around 6 months to treat finger nails and 9-12 months for toenails. Thankfully there are some precautions we can take in order to prevent the recurrence of fungal nail infections once treated.