Do you have a problem with your toenails turning into an ugly yellowish colour? Perhaps you have noticed some yellow streaks on your toenails or some other kind of discolouration? If so, you may have toenail fungi; a kind of infection that affects the toenails changing their appearance and colour.
What is toenail fungus and what causes it?
The toes are often subjected to warm and humid conditions which are most ideal for fungal growth. Toenail fungus not only looks unpleasant but is also painful and causes much discomfort. The discolouration is due to keratin lodged between the nail and the nail bed.
In the early stages, toenail fungus does not cause other symptoms other than nail discolouration. If so, then you can consider yourself fortunate to have caught the infection before it had the chance to spread. Many make the mistake of putting off the problem, causing irreversible damage to one’s toenails. As the disease worsens, the nail thickens and becomes brittle eventually separating from the nail bed causing significant pain and foul smelling discharge.
Would you like to have clear healthy nails again? Without having to take potentially toxic oral medication? Lance Penn Podiatrist explains the different fungal nail treatment options
How do you get rid of toenail fungus?
The most important thing when it comes to dealing with toenail fungi is to stop the infection from spreading any further. Keep your feet dry at all times to deny the fungus the humidity it needs to grow. After that, you can look into various treatment options which have their own pros and cons. Some may not work (or work gradually) depending on the extent and nature of the infection.
Your options for toenail fungus treatment in Australia:
Home Remedies
If you have yellowish toenails due to a fungal infection, then this is probably the first treatment option that you may wish to consider. There are household items that can serve as a possible treatment for toenail fungus. Such items include vinegar, oregano and even olive oil.
Do these remedies work? Vinegar in particular, has some antifungal properties and can be effective but only for very minor cases of toenail fungus. The same can be said about most other home remedies. For the vast majority of cases though, such remedies can be ineffective as toenail fungi are often notoriously difficult to eliminate. One must act quickly to stop the spread which would only make it even harder to treat and more likely to cause permanent damage.
Prescription anti-fungal medication
Are home remedies for getting rid of toenail fungus not doing you any good? If so, then now is a good time to see a doctor (Podiatrist) who can prescribe some antifungal medications like “Penlac” which is a topical drug applied daily to the afflicted toenail. There are also oral medications that you can take to eliminate toenail fungus through the bloodstream.
Foot doctors highly recommended both topical and oral antifungal medication for moderate cases of toenail fungus, and while they do work, treatment can take months to complete and can cause some nasty side effects (oral medications).
Laser toenail fungus treatment
Looking to get rid of toenail fungus efficiently and as quickly as possible? If so, then a laser antifungal treatment is the answer. It is the best treatment available when it comes to toenail fungi.
How is this so? Unlike home remedies and prescription medication, a laser-based treatment penetrates deep into the nail bed eliminating the fungal growth from the inside. Results are noticeable within a couple of months.
Would you like to learn more? Perhaps you have a few more questions of your own? Then come in for a complimentary Nail Assessment.
