FUNGAL NAILS | Common Foot Problem

Fungal nails often have a yellow discoloration. They can become thickened and at times can appear ‘worm eaten and brittle’. A fungal infection of the nail often starts in a small section of one nail and may spread slowly to several or all nails. You can contract fungal nails from dirt(gardening without shoes), sharing nail clippers, files or nail polish with other people (nail salons that dont sterilize instruments).

Treatment

Your podiatrist will assess your affected nail and identify the stage and extent to which your nail has been infected and recommend the best course of action.

Fungal nails are rarely painful, if you are experiencing pain it is often caused by the thickness of the nail, this can be treated by your podiatrist by thinning the nail down and relieving pressure.

Regular general treatments to reduce the nail thickness and application of tea tree oil will keep the nail under control but will not cure the infection. The best two ways to get rid of the fungus are:

Loceryl- which is a once a week application and can be purchased from the chemist.

Lamisil oral tablets-clippings are taken of the nail and sent for pathology testing, if positive you may be eligible to receive lamisil tablets from your doctor.

Any questions please feel free to ask the podiatrist, who will be happy to help you.