Podiatrist - Erie
3910 Caughey Road, Suite 130
Erie, PA 16506
(814) 833-3668
Toenail Fungus Treatment
Treatment of Onychomycosis (Toenail Fungus)
The PinPointe FootLaser uses a patented laser technology to kill the organisms underneath the toenail that cause the nails to become thick and discolored. The procedure is done in the office and takes less than an hour for all ten toenails. It is painless and requires no anesthesia. This is an excellent choice for people who do not want to take antifungal pills because of their possible side effects, such as liver damage, or for people who have tried the pills before but did not work for them. The procedure is highly effective and new healthy nail growth can be seen in just a few months.
Another way to treat fungal toenails is called "Combination Therapy." Combination Therapy consists of three key elements:
1. Debridement: periodic removal of the diseased portion of the toenails and fungal debris that builds up underneath the toenails. In mild cases, the patient may be able to do this themselves with sterile clippers. Thinning the nail with a clean nail file is also helpful to allow the topical medicine to penetrate deeper into the nail bed. In more severe cases of nail fungus, this should be performed by a Podiatrist.
2. Topical Antifungals: this is a liquid, cream or lotion applied directly to the nail and surrounding skin to kill the fungus that it comes into contact with. I strongly recommend using Formula-3 Antifungal since I have seen the best results with this of all of the different ones I have tried. This is applied twice daily to the nail, surrounding skin and between the toes if needed. Formula-3 can also be used twice weekly after the nails have cleared up to keep the fungus from coming back.
3. Oral Antifungals: the most commonly used one is Terbinafine (Lamisil). This is taken once daily for twelve weeks or ninety days. It is necessary to check your liver function with a simple blood test before starting this medicine and this test may need to be repeated six weeks later. Overall Terbinafine is very safe, well tolerated and has a low side effect profile.
Other Tips
It is also important to treat athlete's foot if you have it since this is caused by the same fungus that gets into the toenails. Athlete's foot may appear as scaly or flaky skin on the bottoms and sides of the feet or between the toes. You may also see redness on the skin or red spots on the feet. It may or may not itch.
Keep your feet clean and dry. Alternate shoes every day to let them dry out while you are not wearing them. Throw out your old nasty shoes. Always wear good synthetic fiber socks with shoes. If your feet perspire a lot, spray them with Arid XX Dry or another antiperspirant in the morning.
Avoid wearing toenail polish. Toenail polish increases the growth of nail fungus. If you must wear polish in the summertime, remove it at least once per week and apply Formula-3. Another option is to wear NovaNailRx, which is a nail polish with antifungal agents in it.