photo credit: chefrandenNail fungus infection occurs when a fungus enters the nail by either a wound or other skin opening then resides in the nail bed. It is really difficult to treat because the nail acts as a protective barrier from being treated.

Topical creams and ointments that are readily available over the counter are less effective than the prescription ones. But for minor nail fungus conditions like athelete’s foot or the early stages of nail fungus, has been proven to work just make sure to always keep your feet clean and dry.

Nail fungus is really difficult to treat because it lives in the rich, dark environment of the nail bed and has a constant supply of blood for nourishment. Topical medicines work on a superficial level, so if nail fungus treatment is attacked on a cellular level, it kills the fungi better without a chance of a comeback.

Lamsil & Sporanox
Lamisil (terbinafine) and Sporanox (itraconazole) are some brands of nail fungus treatment, and because it has proven its efficacy. You just have to go to the doctor to get yourself a prescription.

The likelihood of your doctor recommending that you take oral medication for your nail fungus is that you may have diabetes, or cellulitis, or your nail is inflamed and is causing you pain and discomfort or it’s just plain unsightly to see.

Dosage
A typical dosage is taken for 6 to 12 weeks, wherein you wait for the nail regrowth while the infected portion slowly withers away. You have to wait for several months to wait for the infection to dry and reoccurrence is possible if you continuously expose the nails to warm and moist conditions.

Precautions
Precautionary measures are to be taken when taking nail fungus treatment medications because of a rare but serious side effects associated when taken in orally. Dangerous drug interactions, liver disease and or congestive heart failure are fatal possibilities.

There are a couple more nail fungus treatment options which are less threatening, and their use is dependent on the severity of your nail fungus infection.

Antifungal Lacquer
An antifungal lacquer, or an antifungal nail polish, most commonly known as Penlac (ciclopirox) where you just paint it on the affected toenails and the affected skin area once daily. Use alcohol to clean the area after a weeks worth of treatment to start a new batch of applications. Use daily for a year has been known to clear up the nail infection.

Topical & Oral Medications
Topical medications are used in conjunction with oral medicines to help speed up the treatment process. So while the topical medication attacks the infection on a superficial level, the oral medication surprises the fungi on a cellular level. Topical medication helps speed up the drying process of the infected nail so you doctor may ask you to file off the dead surface of the nail.

If the nail is extremely painful and severe, a complete surgical removal of the nail is going to be suggested by your doctor, but don’t worry it will slowly grow back.