Many people suppose that thick, discolored nails are an old age symptom. Sometimes it really is. The elderly are more predisposed to nail fungus and this is due to the fact that elder people have weak immune system. Actually anyone can have a nail infection. When you notice that nails are unsightly to infections, you ought to apply some antifungal treatment to resolve the problem.
One way to get a nail antifungal is to visit the doctor. The professional will examine the nails and will detect whether you really have nail fungus. In case you have it, it is probable that the doctor will offer you some methods of removing the fungus from the nails. Here are the three mostly spread options for eliminating fungus:
Nail removal
The doctor will remove the nail with infection surgically. It is a simple outpatient process that causes only a slight discomfort. This procedure guarantees to remove the infection but it is still possible that other nails have been contracted with the fungus. If other nails also show signs of infection, another nail removal is required or you may also use some other type of nail antifungal. Remember that the removal of a nail is a permanent thing, so think about it when choosing this option.
Oral treatments
The doctor may prescribe oral medicines to treat nail fungus.
The most common oral drugs for treating nail fungus are fluconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine. These medicines require about 3 months of treatment before the patient begins to notice the outcomes. Those who suffer from nail fungus need to continue the therapy for a year until the infection vanishes. The treatment is risky, it can lead to skin rash, liver damage and other harmful adverse effects. Mostly people continue the treatment with the drugs because the prescriptions for these drugs are very expensive.
Topical treatment
We should say that only 1 available topical medication that is effective in curing nail fungus exists. This is ciclopirox 8% solution. The treatment is to be applied every day following the doctor’s instructions. Though this medication is not so expensive as oral drugs, it is less effective. Sometimes doctors recommend taking topical and oral medications together because nail fungus is very resistant to the treatments.