If You’re Toenails Have Become Thick And Discolored – Read This

If you’re looking for a way to get beautiful looking toenails again, this article will be very helpful to you.

Here’s What You Will Get In This Article:

1. What it is
2. The cause and how you get it
3. Treatment options

One of the most common complaints of patients in my office in the spring is toenail thickening and discoloration. Always when the weather starts getting warm and sandal season is upon us, trips to the beach and weekends by the pool, people will come to me wanting treatment to save them from the embarrassment of their ugly toenails.

It is best to see a podiatrist as soon as you notice it, so they can prescribe the proper treatment. Regardless of the treatment method chosen, the infection can take up to 12 months to fully clear. The reason for this is that the infected nail must grow out and be trimmed away while the new, uninfected toenail grows in behind it.

Onychomycosis, or toenail fungus, is largely an opportunistic infection that, in my professional opinion, may be genetically motivated.

The cause of the infection is some type of damage to the toenail that separates the nail plate from the nail bed allowing entrance to infecting elements present on the skin. This damage could be caused by stubbing the toe, dropping something on the toe, wearing tight shoes, being generally active in sports or any number of more subtle events.

We all have normal bacterial flora on our skin and in the same way we can harbor yeast and fungal elements on the skin that do not cause infection until the right conditions occur. Many patients also have an active Athlete’s foot infection (or fungal infection of the skin) and do not realize it. Fungal infections of the skin can look like dry skin especially in the absence of other symptoms such as redness, blisters, or itching.

Successful treatment of toenail infections require a culture to be performed of clippings from the infected toenails and or shavings from the skin to isolate the causative organisms. Not all anti-fungal medications treat all varieties of yeast or fungus. In addition, dematiaceous molds can be part of a mixed infection.

Treatment options include:

• Topical Medications
• Oral Medications
• Laser Therapy

There are several new topical treatments that have shown some real promise in the treatment of toenail fungus. To decrease the colonization of the skin and nails and prevent re-occurrence, I generally recommend topical treatment along with either oral or laser therapy.

In addition, a shoe sanitizer will be instrumental in clearing infecting agents from your shoes to prevent reinfection. It is important to note that if you became infected once, it is possible to become infected again in the future even after successful treatment.

Some insurance companies consider toenail fungus to be a cosmetic issue rather than a medically important infection and certain treatments may not be covered by your health insurance.

If you have an infection you have been putting off treating now is the best time, if you want to get your beautiful looking toenails back as soon as possible. I will help you find the best option for your type of infection and your budget and give you all the tools you will need to remain fungus free.

Here’s How to Get Your Toenail Treatment:

Get back to going barefoot, or wearing sandals without worrying about how your toenails look.

Just call 301-937-5666 or click here to submit your request online.