Fungal Nail Infection
Fungal toenail infections are a very common condition seen in older population and in immune compromised individuals. It can also be seeing in patient who are physically active and there has been trauma to the nail. In the most common cases, the nails become yellow, crumbly and thickened and may be painful when wearing shoes that press against the nail. The fungus residing in the affected nail can easily spread to neighbouring toenails and skin, creating an infecting cycle from nail to skin and vice versa. There are different types of fungal nail infections, and stages, and the sooner a fungal nail is treated the greater the success rate.
If you see a change in your nail texture, colour and/or thickness, make an appointment to see the Chiropodist/Foot specialist at (613) 440-3839 to get treatment.
Fungal nails are usually more resistant to treatment and more difficult to treat than Athlete’s foot. There are several treatments available for fungal nails.
1. Topical or oral fungal medications can be used. The topicals have a low rate of success and the oral medications can have serious side effects.
2. A more drastic treatment is permanent removal of the affected toenail(s). This is not a common treatment option.
3. Laser Nail Treatments are now available and a very common treatment. It requires 4 treatments (depending on severity of the fungus) and has a high success rate. Results are noticed as the nail grows out with a healthy-looking nail taking as long as it takes for the nail to completely grow out. The treatment is virtually pain-free and patients can resume their normal activity right away.
After a fungal nail infection has cleared up, you can take steps to prevent the infection from coming back.