Toenail Laser Fungus

Toenail fungus is a condition that is caused by a fungus that comes under the categorization of dermatophytes. Dermatophytes are basically pathogens that grow on the skin; though in the case of toenail fungus, they are under the nail bed. The infection affects a large majority of people and since some of the problems associated with nails are not given prominence, the disease sometimes goes unnoticed until a whole nail is lost. A major problem that has plagued the medical community and especially podiatrists, with regard to toenail fungus, is the diagnosis and treatment of the condition, which has been expensive and also toxic to the liver, in some cases.

Toenail Fungal Infections

Toenail fungus is a condition that is more accurately called onychomycosis. The infection is caught by walking barefoot on surfaces that might have the spores of the fungus. These spores are usually on these surfaces after being shed off by another infected host. Once the spores make contact with a new host nail, the fungus starts to germinate and migrates to the under surface of the nail. Eventually, the fungus will travel and burrow its way into the nail bed. The fungus will then feed on the nutrient rich area and destroys the nail in the process. Dealing with the fungus with modern medicine is quite a long and tedious process that is fraught with problems and no guarantee of success in completely eradicating the fungus either. The problem fundamentally lies in the fact that infection is in one of the most inaccessible areas of the body. The treatment therefore relies heavily on the use of oral antifungal medicines along with a topical application of antifungal creams. This treatment could go on for almost an entire year before the problem is completely solved. Following on from the basic premise of modern medicine, a home remedy that would also be useful is garlic, which is the oral antifungal and tea tree oil that is a topical antifungal treatment. However, these are also fraught with problems of time taken to cure and as well as effectiveness. Part of the treatment of onychomycosis is also the removal of the nail using a softening cream and then treating the nail bed.

Toenail Fungus and Laser Treatment

Laser treatments, however, show much promise since they are a one-time treatment that claims an 88 per cent success rate. The laser treatment does not require any anesthetics as the treatment is not painful and the laser goes right through the transparent nail to specifically target the fungus.