Diagnosis
The doctor will examine your nails. They may take clippings from your nails or scrape off some debris from under the nail and send the sample to the lab to identify the type of fungus causing the infection.
Some diseases, such as psoriasis, can be very similar to a
fungal infection of the nail. Microorganisms like yeast and bacteria can
also infect the nails. Learning about the cause of the infection helps
determine the best treatment.
Treatment
Nail fungus infections can be difficult to treat. See your
doctor if self-care strategies and over-the-counter products haven't
helped. Treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the type of
fungus causing it. It may take calendar month before you see results. Also,
even if nail disease improves, recurrent infections are common.
Medicines
Your doctor may prescribe antifungal medications that you can
take by mouth or apply to the nail. In some situations, it is helpful to
combine oral and topical antifungal treatments.
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Oral antifungal medications. These medications are
often the first option, since they clear the infection more quickly than
topical medications. Options include terbinafine (Lamisil) and
itraconazole (Sporanox). These drugs help a new infection-free nail to
grow, slowly replacing the infected part.
This type of medicine is usually taken for 6 to 12
weeks. But you won't see the final result of the treatment until the nail
has completely finished growing back. Eliminating an infection can take
four months or longer. Success rates for treatment with these drugs appear
to be lower in adults over 65 years of age.
Oral antifungal medications can cause side effects ranging from
skin rash to liver damage. In some cases, you may need blood tests to
check how you are doing while taking these types of
medications. Registrars may not recommend them for people with liver
disease or congestive heart failure, or for people taking certain medications.
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Nail polish with medications. Your doctor may
prescribe an fungicide nail polish called "ciclopirox"
(Penlac). It is used to paint infected nails and the skin around them once
a day. After seven days, you remove the overlapping layers with rubbing
alcohol and begin the applications again. You may need to wear this type
of nail polish every day for about a year.
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Medicated nail cream. Your doctor English
hawthorn prescribe an antifungal cream, which you should rub over the infected
nails after soaking them. These creams may work best if you refine your
nails first. This helps the medicine penetrate the hard surface of the
nail and reach the fungus underneath.