Nassau County Podiatrist Discusses Toenail Fungal Infections
Toenail Fungus is an unappealing foot condition that causes the toenail to become dense, yellow and brittle. If this condition goes untreated for a lengthy amount of time, the brittleness of the toenail will advance and cause it to crumble further.
One factor that contributes to the creation of this condition is using antibiotics when they’re not required since they can cause the lining of the stomach to become damaged, creating a thriving environment for fungi to grow and cause infections.
Since toenails infected with fungus are thick, topical medicated creams do not pierce through the nail in a sufficient manner to touch the fungus. It is therefore important that you obtain the correct treatment accordingly.
Treatment for this condition involves:
Trimming toenails to reduce the number of fungi in them.
Medications, although they may not be as useful if the fungal infection has spread to deep under the toenail.
Laser therapy which focuses a concentrated beam of laser light through the nail to destroy the fungus living under and in the nail. The procedure is performed in our office, requires no anesthesia and is painless. Most patients require a few treatments and can once again enjoy wearing open toed shoes.
Surgical procedures to remove the entire nail. The recovery period can take up to a year for the fungus to be completely eliminated since it can take this long for the new nail to grow back into place.
This condition, as discussed above, is not a pretty sight to behold. Fungal toenails can be painful and cause complications. Due to the location of this fungus underneath the toenail, we recommend that you contact a podiatrist in the early stages of this condition so that the fungus can be treated before it develops into advanced stages and spreads to other parts of the foot.
Valley Stream Podiatry
Andrew Shapiro, DPM