Treatment of Toenail Fungus
The best way to stay away from toenail fungus is to prevent it before you get it, because once you to contract it, it can be hard to treat. However, this is not always possible. Here is a bit of information that to help towards the prevention and treatment of toenail fungus.
Treatment
If left untreated, toenail fungus can become very painful, and for people with diabetes, this problem can become very serious and health threatening. Therefore it is very important to seek medical attention to get treatment of toenail fungus as soon as you suspect that you have it. Here is some information on the treatment of this ailment.
Depending on the severity of the fungus, your doctor might try to remove as much of the nail as needed by filling, dissolving, or trimming it. Also there is a medicated nail polish that is sometimes prescribed for small cases of toenail fungus. However, for more serious cases you doctor will most likely prescribe you oral antifungal drugs for treatment of toenail fungus .
These drugs may include; (Loprox itraconazole (Sporanox), terbinafine (Lamisil), amorolfine (Loceryl) or ciclopirox, and treatment of toenail fungus can last up to 12 weeks. Just be sure to speak with your doctor about the side effects so that you are prepared. And finally, for extreme cases, your doctor may need to remove the entire nail. In addition, your doctor will explain the following ways to help speed up your recovery after treatment of toenail fungus.
• Use a hair dryer to help dry your toes each time after bathing
• Use a bit of medical salve like Vicks Vapor Rub on your toes before you put your socks on. Just make sure that your toes are always dry first so that you do not seal in the moisture.
• And if your case is severe and your toenail is being lifted up off your toe, try soaking your toe for at least 20 minutes in warm water so that you can easier trim the nail. This trimming is very important in getting rid of the fungal infection, so be sure to cut and scrape away any places that are thick and flaky while undergoing treatment of toenail fungus.
• Further soaking will help if you use a vinegar and water mixture every day. The vinegar helps greatly to lower the pH of your toenails, effectively cutting the food supply off from the fungus. And although his may take nightly soaks for up to three to six months, it is well worth the commitment to make treatment of toenail fungus as effective as possible.
• Making sure that your toes get as much air as possible is very important. Try going barefoot as much as possible or wear open toed shoes or sandals. If you have to wear socks make sure they are 100% cotton that can be bleached as to disinfect them.
• If you would like to use a more natural approach to your treatment of toenail fungus you can try a mixed remedy. This would include; 100% pure tea-tree oil or 5% to 10% of pure orange oil, and mix it with 50% vinegar and 50% rubbing alcohol. Shake this very well before you use it, and put it on your infected toes with an eye dropper.
• And most importantly, if you find that infections on your legs, feet, or toes do not heal very quickly, contact your doctor to be tested for diabetes. For those that have diabetes and affected by bacterial infections that go untreated, the consequences can be severe as gangrene can set in and you may have to undergo surgery to remove the infected areas.