You have been diagnosed with toenail fungus, how to treat it?

According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, one fifth of the world's population suffers from fungal infections.

In many developed countries, this figure is twenty-five percent.

In civilized countries with insurance medicine, the treatment of a disease is increasingly considered mandatory: fungus is a social and partly urban disease.

Oddly enough, a fungal infection is also dangerous for people who lead a healthy lifestyle.

You can catch a fungus in the gym, the beauty salon, at the beach, in the pool, in the sauna.The main reasons for the infection are non-observance of basic hygiene rules and a sharp decrease in immunity.

1. All diseases of this group are caused by pathogenic fungi.
2. Fungi appear on the skin and nails of the toes;the skin and nails of the fingers, the skin of the armpits and the groin are less frequently affected.
3. Nails with onychomycosis begin to peel and crumble, change color.
4. The affected area becomes painful and itching appears around it.
5. Sufficiently high temperature and humidity, contact of the skin of the feet with the fungus are necessary for infection.
6. Fungi can be inherited, and their manifestations often become a family problem.
7. Nail damage in children is rare;it occurs mainly in adults and the elderly, but even an infection in childhood cannot be ignored and without medical help.
8. The development of the disease is facilitated by age-related changes in the pH of the nails and skin, chronic diseases: diabetes, obesity, blood circulation disorders in the legs, gastrointestinal diseases, problems with the thyroid gland and adrenal glands.

The appearance of fungus should be treated very carefully and an attempt should be made to cure it completely as soon as the first symptoms appear.

The further the disease develops, the more difficult it is to treat: keratinized and hardened nails are extremely difficult to remove.

Advanced forms of fungus, including nail fungus, significantly reduce the overall resistance of the body.

Toenail fungus is persistent;its complete removal from shoes requires at least 20 minutes (one percent formaldehyde solution).Disinfection of household items with chloramine takes about an hour.

In advanced forms, treatment is long and requires patience and discipline.We can talk about a complete cure not after the symptoms disappear, but only based on the results of the tests and after visiting a doctor.

Methods of treatment of nail fungus

If at the first symptoms of foot and toenail fungus you have treated them with the help of knowledge gathered from TV commercials, the likelihood of recurrences, including nail infections, increases sharply.

Toenail fungus is treated by a dermatologist;you should see it at least to examine yourself and make a diagnosis.The doctor must make a final conclusion on how and how to treat the toenail fungus in your case, whether to use local drugs or it will be a waste of time and money.

The mainstay of serious treatment when the nails are already damaged is a combination of topical, targeted drugs and tablets taken by mouth and affecting the infection through the blood.

• As a result of several attempts at self-treatment, fungal agents can mutate and become resistant to drugs.
• Antifungal medications (both topical and tablets) are toxic;only a doctor can create the right treatment regimen that is as gentle as possible to the body without overdosing.
• Only a doctor can take into account all contraindications.For example, liver and kidney failure in a self-medicating patient may worsen sharply.

Progressive complex methods can cure nail fungus in 2-4 months.The general principle is that treatment should be carried out as quickly as possible, using significant doses of medication.In this case, long breaks between courses are necessary.

Local treatment

Almost everyone starts a topical treatment for nail fungus at its first (acute) onset, but very few follow through.Local treatment should be started after diagnosis.

The use of exclusively local drugs for the treatment of toenail fungus is possible only in the early stages of the pathology.

Antifungal creams are applied twice a day, and before each application it is necessary to clean and remove the affected areas.Varnishes mainly affect the nail plates.Once inside, their effectiveness is greatly reduced.

Before starting complex treatment, the doctor will most likely recommend that you purchase a special kit for disinfecting the nail, removing the affected areas or the entire nail and cleaning the cavity.The composition includes a spatula, antifungal adhesive plaster, ointment, alcohol or iodine solution.

In large cities, in well-equipped medical centers, onychomycosis is successfully treated with laser therapy.With this method, it is not necessary to remove the affected nail.

Systemic treatment

The most effective is the combination of local agents affecting the fungus with tablets.It can provide full recovery.If hygiene is followed, there is a 100% chance that fungus will cease to be a problem for the rest of your life.There are many medications for toenail fungus.

All of them affect not only fungi, but also the body as a whole, disrupting the microflora, creating additional stress on the liver and kidneys, endangering the gastrointestinal tract.

The efforts of doctors today are aimed at minimizing the damage caused to the body and giving it an opportunity to recover.

For this purpose, a treatment regimen called pulse therapy was created.

Tablets are taken in addition to local means for one week, twice a day.A three-week break from taking the pills follows.During this period, you should use all the possibilities for treatment and recovery of the body.Then a new weekly course and rest again.The number of courses is at least three.

In therapy that combines tablets and cream, approximately the same treatment regimen is used (tablets are used intermittently, cream is used continuously).

What is the best treatment for nail fungus?

Antifungal therapy is characterized by the fact that the most effective treatment will be if the patient is aware that a significant part is usually carried out by himself.

If he is ready to completely cure the fungus, then he must plan for this event, find time and energy, and also be armed with the determination not to give up halfway.

The treatment is very long.The body will be subjected to additional stress due to the intake of toxic drugs.Your lifestyle at this time should be as healthy as possible.All additional risks (alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, stress) are eliminated if possible.A healthy diet is a must.Hygiene should be a priority both during and after treatment.

If all the conditions are met, you can give up hope and follow the pulse therapy regimen prescribed by your doctor, which guarantees a full recovery.

As a preparation for starting complex treatment, it is useful to further improve the health of the body, as well as to improve the condition of the nails and feet with the help of traditional medicine.