photo credit: Kai Hendry
Toe nail fungus treatment isn’t overnight, especially if it’s really severe. You need to have dedication and patience to cure it even if you’ve had the condition for quite a while. Nail fungus does look bad, so you just have to follow-up on treatments.

Here are a couple of things to be considered when treating toenail fungus.

1. We are talking of a long term treatment, and it usually takes up to 6 months. You need to follow through on the regimen of cleansing and applying medication religiously.

2. Since fingernail infections are more exposed to air than toenails, fingernail infections tend to heal quicker than toenail. Toes are covered most of the time, and fungus thrives on warm, moist and dark environments, treatment and healing may take some time. You just need to take medication for up to six weeks for the fungus to disappear.

3. Prescription medicine always has side effects, and nail fungus medication is no exception. Worst case scenario maybe liver damage (though rare) so need to consult a doctor if your liver is healthy so you can proceed with the toenail fungus treatment.

4. Doctors would normally recommend oral medication for toenail fungus treatment but there are other treatments readily available of the infected nail. If your nail infection just started or is mild, you just might be given a nail lacquer or the alternative tea tree oil to kill the living fungus present in the nails.

5. If you have severe or a reoccurring case of infection, though rare, your doctor would recommend total removal of the infected nail.

6. Just leave it alone if the nail infection isn’t inflamed or is not causing you discomfort. There are a lot of treatments readily available in treating nail fungus infections.

Three Categories
After careful research, treatment for nail fungus infections generally falls under three categories. It is always best to see a doctor first to get treatment tailor-made for you.

Itraconazole pills, or most commonly known as Sporanox. These are antifungal pills for treating fungus nail infections.

Terbinafine pills or its brand name Lamisil. These are antifungal pills for treating fungus nail infections, but are not usually prescribed to people with nail infections.

Ciclopirox lacquer or Penlac Nail Lacquer, is an antifungal nail polish if taking oral medication leaves a bad taste in your mouth. This easier and quicker to use because you just brush the affected nail with it.

Griseofulvin pills or its brand name Grifulvin V is an antibiotic pill and it doesn’t seem to work as well as other antifungal infection medication.

Ketoconazole pills or more commonly known for its brand name Nizoral, is an antifungal drug but can cause liver damage.

Terbinafine cream or spray (Lamisil) is an antifungal medication that comes in creams or spray. The spray kind is much easier to use for treatment.

If your nail infection is severe and it reoccurs, removal of the nail is what your doctor may suggest but not often.