Fungal Nail Infections - Onychomycosis
Fungal nail infections are very common and highly contagious. Treatments can vary. Usually the nail will appear discoloured, thick, crumbly, brittle and flaky. It is important to treat fungal nail at the first signs of infection and be consistent and diligent in any treatment to eradicate the fungus. Before your GP prescribes treatment he may send a clipping of your nail to the laboratory to test for infection. The main treatments are antifungal tablets and antifungal lacquers to paint on the nails. Antifungal tablets with the ingredient Terbinafine are very effective to treat fungal nail infections as they go through your bloodstream to fight the infection, however, these must be given under direction of your GP as Terbinafine can interfere with other medication and have known side-effects, notably liver and kidney damage. Nail lacquers that are painted onto the nail are not as effective as the tablets as they have to work their way through the nail plate to the infection. Trimming out the infected nail and reducing the nail plate can help the paints/lacquers to penetrate and be absorbed into the nail plate. As mentioned previously, any treatment has to be consistent. It can take anything from 6 months to two years for a new nail to grow. Also remember to consider your footwear and socks as described earlier. |
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