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Curing Toenail Fungus with Prescription Drugs

Curing Toenail Fungus with Prescription Drugs

Thanks to the advancements of modern medicine, curing toenail fungus with antifungal prescription medicines has become quite regular. As this is an infection that can spread easily, both throughout a person’s nails and through a populous, treating it has become of higher concern than it used to be.

What does an infected toenail look like?

The first and most common symptom to develop is a whitish or yellowish spot on your nail. Gradually this will cover your entire nail and you may eventually develop dark yellow and brown spots on the nail. Your nail will become thick and brittle as the fungus burrows deep into and underneath the nail on its quest to spread.

Infection occurs when people are exposed to the spores of the fungus. This can happen if you wander around barefoot, especially in areas that are particularly dirty, if your shoes are dirty or excessively damaged, and if you have particularly sweaty feet as heat and humidity are two key ingredients to a successful fungus growing environment.

Nails can become discolored due to trauma at the nail site, rubbing of the nail from the shoe and even if you have psoriasis. It is best to consult your doctor to determine what is causing the discoloration so that you can work together to come up with the best treatment.

Your doctor will take a sample of your nail and examine it under a microscope as well as have it sent to a lab for culture. The point of this exercise is to determine if it is a fungal or bacterial infection, and if it is a fungal infection, which type of fungus is it? The more you know, the more effective your treatment will be.

Topical Medications

A standard topical medication prescribed for toenail fungus infections is Ciclipirox, commercially known as Penlac. This comes as a nail polish, which needs to be applied daily to the infected nail to destroy the fungal infection. This can take several months to occur, so be patient.

Side Effects

Penlac has been known to cause skin irritation and itching where it has been applied.

Oral Antifungal Medications

Common prescriptives for eradicating toenail fungus infections are Lamisil, known as Terbinafine, Sporanox and Itraconazole. All of these drugs will run at least a twelve week course and it takes about nine months for the nail to grow out to fully replace itself.

All of these drugs come with the risk of side effects. If you suffer severe abdominal pain, headaches, dizziness or nausea, vomiting or jaundice in the skin or eyes or if your urine becomes particularly dark, you need to cease taking the medication and report this to your doctor right away.

None of these prescriptions are recommended for people with liver or heart disorders.

Thanks to the advancements of modern medicine, curing toenail fungus with antifungal prescription medicines has become quite regular. As this is an infection that can spread easily, both throughout a person’s nails and through a populous, treating it has become of higher concern than it used to be.