Fungal Nail Treatment​

 

Onychomycosis, or fungal nail infection, is a frequent foot problem. Infections can range in severity from moderate to severe, and they can damage one or more nails on both feet. Your toenails thicken and become unattractive as a result of the infection, which can influence your confidence and lifestyle.

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Our podiatrists have a wealth of experience treating fungal nails.

 

Diagnosing Fungal Nail Infections

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There are a variety of symptoms associated with fungus nail infections. The nail can thicken and discolour, turning white or cream, and the nail's quality can be compromised, becoming brittle and crumbly. Your nail may break in chunks, and the nail may become soft and fall off entirely. When walking, you may also feel some discomfort.

Because the symptoms of a fungal nail infection might be similar to those of other nail issues, it's critical to determine whether you have one before starting therapy. The diagnosis is painless and rapid. We take a biopsy by removing a section of the nail and sending it to a lab for analysis.

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We use a process known as amplification to discover minuscule amounts of DNA in a sample using a sophisticated test called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). The confirmation of the diagnosis can take anywhere from one to three weeks.

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Fungal nail treatment

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If your test findings are negative, a trauma to the nail or nail bed could be the source of your toenail problem. In this case, we would utilize standard chiropody treatment to improve the nail's appearance by trimming and remodelling it.

If a fungal nail infection is discovered, we will recommend the best treatment option for you.

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TOPICAL ANTI-FUNGAL AGENTS

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Topical therapies, such as oils, sprays, or lotions, might be used to treat a minor infection. The majority of topical therapies must be used over a period of time. A chiropodist can recommend which therapy to buy, and in some situations, topical agents should be used in conjunction with regular chiropody treatments, when we file and rebuild your nails. This helps to clean away some of the infected nail, allowing the drug to penetrate the nail more quickly and speeding up the healing process.

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ORAL MEDICATION

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If your illness is moderate to severe, you may need to take an oral antibiotic that can only be prescribed by your doctor. Antifungal drugs enter your system and attack and eradicate the fungus from the inside out.

The first round of treatment lasts 12 weeks. However, because the infected nail plate needs to grow out, you won't notice any improvement during this time. As a result, the duration of treatment is frequently extended. You should be able to see the healthy nail at the nail base after the 12-week period has elapsed.

Although oral drugs are the most efficient treatment for severe infections, they do have adverse effects that we will discuss with you. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or have liver or renal disease, you can't take them. We propose a combination of oral and topical treatment for various infections. 

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ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT

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Laser therapy is available at some nail clinics. However, this is costly, and the outcomes have yet to be demonstrated to be superior to conventional therapies. As a result, we've decided not to offer this for the time being.