Toenail fungus specialists in Fair Lawn can vary. It is important to stay alert during the wintertime. Our nail doctors will give you the best treatment option. They first consult you and then determine if it is a toenail fungus. Furthermore, they will let you know the best treatment option.
Toenail Fungus in the Winter
Avoiding toenail fungus in the winter can be simple. As long as you follow these simple steps, you will stay fungus-free!
- Never walk barefoot in public places like:
- public swimming pools
- hot tubs
- hot springs
- gyms
- locker rooms
- parks
- Always wear shoes with clean socks
- Avoid wearing closed-toe shoes for a long period of time
- Never share nail clippers
- You can infect your nails if someone with fungus uses them
- Always clean and disinfect your nail clipper
- Avoid going to unsanitary nail salons
- This is a common place to get infected
Toenail fungus spreads within families
Toenail fungus spreads within families. Your own family members can be the ones infecting you. Furthermore, according to WebMD, studies confirm that toenail fungus does spread among families.
How does it spread?
By using molecular biology techniques, researchers in one of the studies observed the expansion of the microorganisms called dermatophytes. As a result, it commonly causes toenail fungus among families.
Also, another study found that among 57 families in which at least one person had a toe/foot infection, 19 families had more than two people whose toes/feet were infected within the same family.
Is it the same Nail Fungus?
Those researchers even confirmed the same DNA type in the dermatophytes among forty-two percent of the infected families. As a result, it could mean there is a high chance of fungal foot/toe infection spreading within families.
This evidence provided by these studies tells us the importance of treating fungal infections on the toes and feet.
Getting Infected
Nails get infected when the fungi get into the nail. As a result, the fungi get through
- A small cut in the skin around the nail
- Crack in the nail
- A separation between the nail and nail bed
Prevent infection of nail fungus
- Treat your athlete’s feet ASAP
- The fungus on your feet can spread to your toenails. As a result, if you treat your fungus on your toenails, do not forget to treat the fungus on your feet as well.
- Do not share things that could spread nail fungus
- As a result, you can easily pick up other people’s fungal infections by sharing nail clippers, towels, socks, shoes, and other foot-related items.
Different Toenail Fungus Treatments
Different toenail fungus treatments can be difficult to choose from. Toenail fungus, usually caused by a fungus that feeds on keratin, begins outward, progressing towards the toenail plate. Although the elderly population is more at risk of catching Onychomycosis, people and children of any age can get it. The most common form of treatment is oral medications. The problem with such a treatment is that medication cannot always reach the tissue where the fungus lives.
Conventional treatments for nail fungus
Physicians and patients alike considered topical remedies to work well since fungus grows relatively near the external environment of the body. Trial and error proved that creams and solutions alone did not suffice in getting rid of nail growths. Findings proved that products cannot easily penetrate through the nail to kill the fungus underneath. What’s next? Combined Therapy of topicals and oral medications seemed to work better in treating Onychomycosis. The money factor in this potentially steers patients away since toenail fungus, most of the time, doesn’t become an actual detriment to your health.
Laser Treatment for Toenail Fungus
Lasers have been developed to treat a majority of cosmetic-related issues, ranging from diseases to cosmetic touch-ups. As a result, concentrated light energy in lasers will reach the intended tissue by force of heat- this is the most common approach of laser techniques.
So what’s better- laser or traditional methods?
The argument against laser therapy is that there have not been as many studies and tests done as there have been for traditional treatments. Although this is true, the findings show that the treatment does not pose any side effects as medications do, and although there have not been as many long-term studies as there have been for medications, the success rates are favorable.
Laser Treatment for a Toenail Fungus in Fair Lawn
Toenail fungus treatments in Fair Lawn can vary. If you have caught nail fungus, it can be easily treated using the FDA-approved PinPointe laser, which typically only takes one treatment. Other treatments, like topical solutions and oral medication, are not as effective. Topical solutions have a very low cure rate. This is because the solution does not penetrate all the way through the nail bed. This is because it can lead to liver toxicity. You would need to have consistent blood tests throughout the course of taking the medication.
Our nail doctor in Fair Lawn, NJ, recommends this treatment for toenail fungus. The PinPointe Laser treatment has the highest cure rate in the market. It has no side effects and no recovery period. As a result, you can go about your daily activities right after the treatment. Also, there’s no pain.
If you have any signs of nail fungus, call us at 800-672-0625 at our Fair Lawn, NJ location, or visit our website for more information on our doctors at one of our over 150 locations.
