Speak with your doctor to ensure you can safely take an oral antifungal. The same underlying comorbidities, including chronic renal failure (with dialysis) and renal transplant, immunodeficiency, diabetes, cancer, and peripheral arterial disease that make someone more susceptible to toenail fungus also make them more at risk for side effects when taking the drugs. “Lamisil also has the lowest side effect profile of the oral antifungal medications and works as a fungicidal which destroys a fungus by blocking its ability to ‘breath’ or make the oxygen molecules it needs to survive,” says Orit Markowitz, MD, founder and CEO of OptiSkin treatment center in New York City.īut there are several conditions that can make people ineligible for oral antifungal medications. Oral medications have been proven effective, but they take time to work. Toenail fungus treatments can come in a variety of forms, but oral, topical, and homeopathic medications are the most commonly used for treating toenail fungus. Other medications often prescribed include the active ingredient terbinafine, which is usually prescribed as oral or topical Lamisil. One common medication in the “azole” family used to treat toenail fungus is Jublia (efinaconazole). Lipner says, which essentially kills the fungus. “The compound interferes with the synthesis of the fungal cell membrane,” Dr. Also, if you seek help from a dermatologist, they will likely prescribe medications in the “azole” family. Zinc undecylenate and undecylenic acid are both FDA-approved ingredients to treat toenail fungus. Campbell, you’ll need to focus on treating it with topical creams, ointments, and polishes, or oral medications. Athlete’s foot can be addressed with antifungal ointments, sprays, and powders available over-the-counter, but if your fungus has moved to under the nail or the surrounding skin, says Dr. Since treating athlete’s foot differs from treating toenail fungus, you’ll have to pay attention to where your problem is on your foot. Lipner says toenail fungus starts as athlete’s foot: “It begins with a rash on the foot and spreads to the toenails,” she says. If you notice the fungus spreading, or if your toenails have become thick and yellowed, you might need either a prescription-strength product or to seek help from a board-certified dermatologist. Campbell, another reason why early treatment is ideal. “Given how difficult it can be to treat, it’s best to get in to see a dermatologist as soon as possible to avoid it worsening.”įurthermore, the fungus can spread to other nails and other areas of the body, adds Dr. “Toenail fungus is very hard to treat, and even under the care of a dermatologist it doesn't always resolve,” says California-based dermatologist Caren Campbell, MD. In fact, it’s best not to wait until your problem is severe before starting some kind of treatment, especially if you’re hoping to stick with OTC products. Toenail fungus, if left untreated, can become a tough problem to treat and will greatly influence what medications you need. Nusha Ashjaee / Verywell What to Look for in a Toenail Fungus Treatment Severity We also had a medical dermatologist from our Medical Expert Board review the contents of this article for medical accuracy regarding how toenail fungus progresses and what to know about how to treat it. We researched dozens of toenail fungus treatments and evaluated them based on the following attributes: cost, medication forms, ingredients, and treatment areas. In addition to understanding stage and severity of your toenail fungus when shopping for treatments, you should carefully assess the ingredients and the type of treatment for the fungus based on its location. At this stage, the fungal infection is easier to treat with over-the-counter medication, and that's where toenail fungus treatments come in. “The more severe the toenail fungus, the thicker the nail, and the more nails involved makes it that much harder to treat the nails even with effective therapies,” says Shari Lipner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine. The fungus often begins in the form of athlete's foot between the toes or on the soles of the feet. If left untreated, the fungus can grow severely by hardening the nails and spreading to other toes. When mild, it looks like white and yellow spots growing under the nail beds. Toenail fungus is a common fungal condition that often starts after a rash on the foot spreads to the nails.
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