What is nail fungus? How is nail fungus treatment?

 What is nail fungus? How is nail fungus treatment?

Commonly observed nail fungus is a nuisance for both health and cosmetic reasons. Nail fungus can be seen in a single nail or spread to many nails, causing the nails to become discolored, thickened or the edges of the nails crumbled. In this article, we have compiled for you what you wonder about nail fungus and its treatments.

Nail Fungus Treatments Products

What is nail fungus?
Nail fungus is a common condition that starts as a yellow or white spot just below the nail tip. In mild cases, nail fungus may not bother people and may not require treatment. However, in some cases, nail fungus causes painful and thick nails. Nail fungus is also called onychomycosis or tinea unguium.

What are the symptoms of nail fungus?

• Nail fungus,
• observed on the nails;
• thickened tissue
• White-yellow or brown discoloration
• crumbly or irregular structure
• deformity
• slight fragrance
• presents with symptoms such as

Toenail fungus is a much more common condition than hand nail fungus.

When to see a doctor for nail fungus?
In cases where the treatments you can apply yourself for nail fungus do not work, you can see a doctor if the nail gradually changes color, becomes thicker or deformed. You should also see a specialist doctor if you have diabetes and think you have developed nail fungus.

What causes nail fungus?
Fungal nail infections are caused by various organisms called fungi. Apart from this, yeast and molds can also cause nail infections.

Although fungal infection of the nails can be observed in people of all ages, it is more common in older adults. As the nail ages, it becomes brittle and dry in texture. The dry texture causes the nails to crack, and fungi can enter and settle in these cracks more easily. Another reason why nail fungus is observed more in old age is factors such as decreased blood circulation in the feet and weakening of the immune system.

A toenail fungal infection can sometimes start in the feet and spread to the nails. It is very rare to get an infection from someone else.

What are the risk factors for developing nail fungus?
Factors that can increase your risk of developing nail fungus include:

• Advanced age (more years of exposure to fungi and slower growing nails, for the reasons mentioned above)
• excessive sweating
• athlete's foot history
• Walking barefoot in damp, public areas such as swimming pools, gyms, and showers
• Having a minor skin or nail injury or a skin condition such as psoriasis
• having diabetes, circulation problems, or a weakened immune system

Are there any complications of nail fungus?
A severe case of nail fungus can be painful and cause permanent damage to the nails. Having a suppressed immune system due to medication, diabetes or other conditions can lead to other serious infections that spread from the feet to other places.

In patients with uncontrolled diabetes, blood circulation and the nerve network in the feet may be affected. There is also a higher risk of bacterial skin infection. Therefore, in such patients, minor injuries to the feet, including a fungal nail infection, can lead to a more serious complication. If you have diabetes and think you have developed nail fungus, seek medical advice immediately.

Can nail fungus be prevented?
The following habits can help prevent nail fungus, recurring fungal infections or athlete's foot:

• Washing hands and feet regularly: Wash your hands after touching an infected nail. Moisturize your nails after washing.
• Trimming nails straight: After trimming the nails, trim the edges with a file and thin the thickened areas. Disinfect your nail file with nail clippers after each use.
• To prevent the feet from sweating: Wear sweat-absorbent socks or change your socks by carrying spare socks if possible. Choose shoes made of breathable materials.
• Pay attention to common areas: Wear slippers in pool areas and locker rooms. Choose a nail salon that uses sterilized manicure tools for each client.
• Paying attention to the products you use: Avoid using nail polish, nail polish and artificial nails.

How is nail fungus diagnosed?
Nail fungus is easily detected by physicians during examination. Sometimes physicians may want to determine the type of fungus causing the infection. Therefore, a piece of the nail is taken and sent to the laboratory for testing.

Other conditions, such as psoriasis, sometimes look like a fungal nail infection. Apart from this, microorganisms such as bacteria can also infect the nails.

Knowing the cause of the infection is an important step in determining the best treatment.

How to treat nail fungus?
Nail fungus infections can be difficult to treat. A physician should be consulted if self-care strategies and over-the-counter products have not helped. Treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the type of fungus causing it. It may take months to see results, and even if the nail fungus heals, re-infections may occur.

nail fungus treatment drugs
For such conditions, physicians usually prescribe antifungal medications that are taken orally or applied to the nails. In some cases, oral and topical antifungal treatments are used together.

Oral antifungal medications: These medications are often the first choice for treating nail fungus because they clear the infection faster than topical medications. For this purpose, drugs with active ingredients such as terbinafine and itraconazole can be prescribed. These drugs help keep a new nail free of infection, while allowing the infected part to change slowly.

Oral antifungal medications are usually used for 6 to 12 weeks to treat nail fungus. However, the result of the treatment may not be observed until the nail is fully grown. It can take four months or longer to eliminate an infection.

Since oral antifungal drugs can cause many serious side effects, regular blood tests may be required while using these types of drugs.

Medicated nail polish: An antifungal nail polish called ciclopirox is another option for treatment. This nail polish is applied to infected nails and surrounding tissue once a day. After seven days, all applied layers are cleaned with alcohol and reapplied. This type of nail polish may need to be used daily for almost a year.

Medicated nail cream: Your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream that is rubbed into the nails. These types of creams work better when the nail is thinned. To thin the nails, the doctor may recommend a lotion containing urea or apply it himself with a nail file or a similar special tool.

SURGICAL INTERVENTION
In some special cases, the physician may recommend temporary removal of the nail in order to apply the antifungal medication directly to the infection under the nail. Some serious nail fungus infections do not respond to medications. If the infection is severe or extremely painful, permanent removal of the nail may be recommended.

What is good for nail fungus?
There are some applications for the treatment of the most common toenail fungus:

You can try over-the-counter antifungal nail creams and ointments: If you notice white spots on the surfaces of the nails; file, soak your nails in water, dry and apply medicated cream or lotion.

Trim and thin nails: This application helps reduce pain by reducing the pressure on the nails. Also, if you do this before applying an antifungal, the drug can reach the deeper layers of the nail.