Primary Care Treatment Options When Suffering From Severe Nail Fungus

When you have nail fungus, it is typically characterized by crumbly nails that feel rough to the touch. In addition to this, the affected nails will be a creamy yellow colour. It is easy to misdiagnose a nail fungus infection on your own as it can be confused with diseases such as lichen planus or even a nail bed tumour. Thus, to ensure that you get the appropriate nail fungus treatment, you should have a laboratory confirmation done at a hospital as well as a histological exam. The following are some of the primary care treatment options that may be administered to you by your doctor.

Itraconazole

This is one of the more popular treatment options for nail fungus. This medication is usually available as Sporanox. Most doctors will prescribe this medication if you have severe nail fungus. This medication not only alleviates the symptoms but also reduces one's risk of getting another infection. The medication can be taken either orally or intravenously depending on what the prescribing doctor decides. If you overdose on this medication, chances are you will experience a loss of appetite as well as darkening of your urine.

Terbinafine

This is an oral treatment for nail fungus. This antifungal medicine is synthetic attacks the fungi so that their growth ceases. If you have been prescribed this medicine, you should ensure that you strictly adhere to the dosage because, if it is not taken at the right levels, it could cause negative effects such as gastrointestinal problems, skin problems and even problems with your immune system.

Medicated nail lacquer

Nail lacquers containing amorolfine or containing ciclopirox have also become a popular way of treating nail fungus. This is more so with women who would also like to hide the appearance of the fungal nails. The ciclopirox is a synthetic antifungal agent that is used in preventing the fungus from growing.  Before applying this nail polish, you should ensure that you have removed any loose nails. Some patients may experience itching or some mild irritation with this form of treatment.

Laser therapy

Laser treatment is now also being used to combat severe nail fungus. This type of treatment tends to be used in the later stages of an infection. The laser is directed at the affected areas and kills all the germs plus the fungi. The biggest advantage to this treatment is that there are no side effects.

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