Fungal Toe Nails

Fungal infections of the toenails are an unpleasant, common problem but are usually painless.

If toenails start to take on a white veneer or become yellowed and crumbly, then this is likely to be a fungal infection taking hold.

Some skin conditions and medical problems manifest themselves by changing the appearance of your toenail to look like fungal infections. It is important to obtain a correct assessment and diagnosis. A scraping of the toenail can be taken by your doctor to identify the fungus.

It is always best to seek treatment and advice early on. Once a fungal infection has been identified there are a variety of options available:

• Toenail paints: Your podiatrist can thin down thickened toenail s and make them easier to treat yourself at home with nail paints. Fungal nail paints are available from the pharmacy. Treatment can take a long time and has limited success. It takes a lot of perseverance.
• Photodynamic technology combined with a me dicated gel is currently available as an effective treatment for the resolution of fungal nails.
• Oral medication: These are prescribed by a Medical Doctor. The fungus can lead to thickened, discolored toenails and will slowly spread to other toena ils. It also can act as a source of skin fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot.