Is it time to consult a podiatrist about your nail fungus?
Is one of your toes turning brittle and yellow? Is your nail thickening and making it difficult to wear your usual shoes? If this is the case, you may have nail fungus. This is a prevalent issue that affects elderly persons more frequently. While you might start with over-the-counter drugs.
When should I consult a podiatrist about my toenail fungus?
Over-the-counter medication can provide some people with the desired outcomes; however, this is not always the case. Antifungal creams cannot penetrate the nail. Therefore, the drug frequently does not reach the infection. As a result, if you’ve been treating this problem on your own and haven’t seen any improvement (or if the fungus keeps reappearing), it’s time to see a podiatrist.
How might a podiatrist help me with my nail fungus?
An oral antifungal drug that operates systemically rather than locally on the diseased region may be prescribed by your podiatrist to treat your nail fungus. This makes it significantly more effective than an over-the-counter nail infection cream (also known as onychomycosis).
However, a podiatrist may sometimes propose laser therapy to cure toenail fungus. Our office’s laser equipment is FDA-approved for treating and killing nail fungus. This UV light will penetrate the nail and eliminate the fungus without injuring the skin or nail.
What can I expect from laser therapy?
Laser therapy is quite effective at treating nail fungus. This non-invasive and painless therapy only takes around 10-15 minutes. Some patients may see benefits after just one session. However, those with more serious illnesses may need to repeat treatments for another 2-3 months.
The nail can take six months to a year to grow back clear. However, this is a safe and effective method for treating nail fungus that does not seem to react to previous therapies. Laser treatment could be the next step if you’ve been suffering from this issue for a while.
