A nail fungus infection can cause discoloring and thickening of the nails on your fingers and toes. It is believed that around 50% of malformed nails are because of infections caused by fungus. These infections on the nail have medical terms like onychomycosis and tinea unguium. About 3% of the population in developed countries is affected by nail fungus infections and men and people above 40 years old are more prone to acquire the condition.
Since nail fungi cannot be seen by the naked eye, you want to know certainly how it looks like. Find that out in this article as you also discover the factors that aggravate nail fungal infection. You must not be bothered though as there are available treatments available in the market.
How a Nail Fungus Infection Looks Like
The 4 varying types of nail fungus infections are classified depending on the part of the nail infected. When the fungus attacks the hyponychium, the end of the nail is infected. This condition is the most common type among nail fungus infections.
Nail Fungus Infection
At first, the process known as onycholysis takes place. This happens when the nail plate is separated from the nail bed. Following this, the color of the nail becomes white or yellow and the development of keratin debris underneath the nail causes more disconnection. The fungus then develops in the nail’s substance.
Factors which can Greatly Affect Nail Fungus Infections
Below are several factors which can aggravate nail fungus infections. Bear in mind not to do the following so as not to worsen your infection.
- Tight shoes and sandals makes your toes crowded which makes your toes moist and warm. Because of this, fungi will grow more rapidly than usual.
- Exercising can bring about slight disturbance to the hyponychium permitting fungi to infect the nail.
- Taking a bath on common or public showers can expose your nails, especially on the toes, to fungi.
Nail Fungus Infection Treatments
Oral antifungal medications prove to be the best treatment for nail fungus infections. Listed below are the three of the most effective oral antifungal treatments. Two of these three medications are approved by the FDA as treatments for nail fungus infections and the other is not directly approved by the FDA to treat nail fungus. Take note that these medications should not be taken when pregnant.
- Terbinafine (Lamisil). FDA approved this medication as a treatment for nail fungus infection. When used as prescribed, Terbinafine has a rate of 70% to 90% effectiveness. Remember that this medication does not work well with caffeine and cimetidine. For fingernail infections, consume a 250mg dosage a day for 6 weeks. For toenail infections on the other hand, consume the same dosage for a day for a period of 12 weeks.
- Itraconazole (Sporanox). This is another FDA approved medication for nail fungus infection and has an effectiveness rate of 70% to 80%. Never take the medicine without eating food. You can take Itraconazole with a dosage of 200mg once a day for 6 weeks for infections on the finger and 12 weeks for infections on the toe.
- Fluconazole (Diflucan). This medication is not specifically approved to treat fungal infections but is still a great antifungal treatment. What’s good about Fluconazole is that it remains in the body for a long period of time and can only be taken in once a week with a 450mg dosage for 4 to 9 months. The effectiveness rate of this medication is between 72% and 89%.
Nail fungus infection is not very alarming given that you know what to do and expect. Correct treatment is still the most ideal measure to prevent these kinds of infections. Should you feel that the plight is bothering you, do not just sit down in your couch and wait for a miracle to happen. When in doubt about any medication, never fail to consult a doctor to remedy these nail fungus infections.
