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Suggest Ways To Get Rid Of Toe Nail Fungus?
Question: How can I get rid of toe nail fungus? Nail is thick and yellowish have had it for a few years. Now another toe nail is starting to yellow.
Brief Answer:
Oral medicines are available. Laser surgery may help
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. There are oral as well as topical medicines available for the treatment of nail fungus. Some facilities also can treat the fungus with lasers. You need to confirm that this is indeed fungus. A doctor can examine it and take samples of the affected nails to confirm a fungus is present.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment can be started. The oral medicines have to be taken over a long time, because the toenail grows very slowly. The medicine is taken up into the nail and kills the fungus, but the part of the nail that is already yellow and thick will not change. The new nail growing after the fungus is killed will be normal, but you will not see this change for awhile until the old nail grows out.
Laser therapy for nail fungus has been around a short while. A number of private clinics are starting to do this now. You might also check with a dermatologist and see if they are using this method. In general, it might be a good idea to see a dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis and also start the appropriate treatment. They can also be sure it is truly fungus that is causing the yellowing and thickening, and not some other condition that requires a different type of treatment.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Oral medicines are available. Laser surgery may help
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. There are oral as well as topical medicines available for the treatment of nail fungus. Some facilities also can treat the fungus with lasers. You need to confirm that this is indeed fungus. A doctor can examine it and take samples of the affected nails to confirm a fungus is present.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment can be started. The oral medicines have to be taken over a long time, because the toenail grows very slowly. The medicine is taken up into the nail and kills the fungus, but the part of the nail that is already yellow and thick will not change. The new nail growing after the fungus is killed will be normal, but you will not see this change for awhile until the old nail grows out.
Laser therapy for nail fungus has been around a short while. A number of private clinics are starting to do this now. You might also check with a dermatologist and see if they are using this method. In general, it might be a good idea to see a dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis and also start the appropriate treatment. They can also be sure it is truly fungus that is causing the yellowing and thickening, and not some other condition that requires a different type of treatment.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
What other conditions cause yellowing and thickness of nails. And thank you for your response, I will have it confirmed by a doctor. Is laser really effective?
Brief Answer:
Nail trauma, tumors, psoriasis
Detailed Answer:
Yellowing and thickening of nails may be caused by tumors in the nailbed, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, trauma, or lichen planus. There is also a condition called "yellow nail syndrome." Also as we age, nails tend to grow more slowly and thicker.
Laser treatment is fairly new, and there are not a lot of studies about it. It also can be expensive and may take several sessions. Information available suggests mixed results, so I can't strongly recommend it. Your best bet is to confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment with a dermatologist. They should be familiar with the most effective treatments available at this time. Hope this helps.
Nail trauma, tumors, psoriasis
Detailed Answer:
Yellowing and thickening of nails may be caused by tumors in the nailbed, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, trauma, or lichen planus. There is also a condition called "yellow nail syndrome." Also as we age, nails tend to grow more slowly and thicker.
Laser treatment is fairly new, and there are not a lot of studies about it. It also can be expensive and may take several sessions. Information available suggests mixed results, so I can't strongly recommend it. Your best bet is to confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment with a dermatologist. They should be familiar with the most effective treatments available at this time. Hope this helps.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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