Toenail Fungus
Get Rid of Fungal Nails with Professional Treatment
A fungal toenail infection can be a very stubborn and very unsightly condition. The way it mars the appearance of your nails can make you think twice anytime there’s the possibility of exposing your feet in public.
The fungal nail treatment experts at Waco Foot & Ankle have helped scores of patients get healthy, clear nails back. If you want to effectively fight back against the fungus, there is no better time to contact us than now!
What Are the Signs of Toenail Fungus?
Common symptoms of fungal toenails can be quite plain to see. The nails tend to be:
- Discolored, usually in a hue of off-white, yellow, or brown
- Thickened up
- Brittle and crumbly
- Ragged, jagged, or otherwise distorted in shape
In some cases, the nails may have a faint foul order, or the nail has distorted enough that it causes pain. These symptoms tend to be uncommon.
However, all the above symptoms are from the later stages of infection, when the fungus has had plenty of time to reside within the nail. Early stages of a fungal nail infection are not as obvious.
Many times, an early fungal nail infection will appear as whitish spots or streaks in the nail. It is easy to assume they are from normal bumps and wear against the nail when you first see them. However, if they do not go away over time – and in fact start changing in size and shape – it’s worth giving us a call. If it’s an early fungal nail infection, treating it now can save you plenty of time and worry!
Getting Rid of Fungal Toenails
Getting rid of fungal toenails means getting rid of the fungus that has invaded the nail. Only then can new, clear nail grow out and not be attacked.
In some cases, before starting treatment, we may want to confirm that you actually have a fungal toenail infection and that your symptoms do not come from other conditions such as psoriasis or lichen planus. We might painlessly take a sample of the nail to test.
We carry three main methods for professional treatment of toenail fungus:
- Laser Therapy. This is often a preferred method of treatment for its ability to travel through nail tissue and hit the fungus directly where it lives. Laser therapy is scheduled out over several sessions spanning several weeks or months. The laser is painless and does not burn or damage healthy tissue in any way.
- Topical Antimicrobials. These often take the form of creams or lacquers that are applied directly to the nail. Topicals must come into direct contact with fungus to have the best effect, which can be challenging given how the fungus hides within nail tissue. We may file nails down to provide a better chance of contact.
- Oral Antifungal Medications. Oral medication works through the bloodstream, essentially attacking the fungus from within. They can be more effective at reaching the fungus than topical medications, but can also come with side effects that may be harmful to some patients. We must carefully consider whether oral antifungals are a proper consideration for each patient.
For more severe or unresponsive cases, we may recommend more than one of the above treatments be used simultaneously for the best outcome.
Don't Procrastinate on Fungal Nail Treatment!
Regardless of the treatment route, it will always take time to see the full results of fungal nail treatment. Even when the fungus itself is fully destroyed, the damage it made to the nail will remain until new nail is able to grow out and replace it. Since toenails grow slowly, a full replacement can take months.
But the sooner you begin treating toenail fungus, the sooner you can have clear nails back. Schedule an appointment to speak with one of our well-qualified podiatrists by calling (254) 776-6995 or by filling out our online contact form.