What happens at a foot fungus clinic?
Worried about those unsightly toenails spoiling your summers? With warm beachy days ahead of us, it becomes a challenge for some people to keep their self-esteem intact while wearing flipflops. The culprit is- foot fungus!
Foot fungus is a common enemy for Aussies. Especially, when we tend to spend more time barefoot and often overlook the importance of keeping the skin dry and clean, allowing fungi to enter into the crack of the nails and cause those ugly sights. The annoyance of horrid toenails can be regulated effectively at a foot fungus clinic. You don’t have to feel embarrassed about your nail situation, just find a good podiatrist near you and get your feet the care and attention they need.
What is foot fungus and how to spot it?
There are two primary concerns for people dealing with foot fungus: number one unsightly appearance, and number two painful experiences when wearing shoes. To get it diagnosed, you need to book an appointment at a foot and nail clinic. For general observations, refer to the list of symptoms given below:
● Thickened nails
● Nail discoloration, mostly towards yellow, orange or brown
● Crumbling nails
● Brittle nails
● Nails lifted from the end
The change in the look or texture of your toenails is not something you should avoid. If you don’t get them treated right away, it may lead to severe health issues and eventually you will end up searching for effective foot pain treatment. So to avoid things getting out of control, you should schedule an appointment at a foot fungus clinic to get your condition diagnosed for effective and immediate intervention.
What are the common reasons for fungal infection in toenails?
When fungi enter the crack of your toenail the resultant is ugly, brittle or thickened nails that might cause some discomfort or excruciating pain depending on your immune system. Mostly, senior citizens are susceptible to foot fungus because of their weak immune systems. People who have diabetes are also at higher risk of developing serious foot conditions. If you belong to any of these categories, make sure to keep the risk factors as low as possible.
● Damage: When you have damaged nails due to an injury , it is highly likely that the cracks would become a breeding ground for germs.
● Medical conditions: As discussed above, people with weak immune systems or diabetes are most susceptible. Additionally, if you ever experienced an episode of psoriasis, you are more likely to catch the infection.
● Lifestyle: Certain conditions like smoking, poor health, sharing facilities with damp conditions like a pool, unhygienic pedicures, ill-fitted footwear, are some lifestyle factors that might lead you to a foot doctor.
What are the treatment options for foot fungus?
When you expose yourself to conditions where the families of fungi reside, you have to take utmost care of your feet. Some of the most common treatment options for fungal infection in the toenails include:
- Over the counter treatments: There are certain anti-fungal creams that you can apply to the affected region daily to get a significant amount of relief. Additionally, you can take oral medications to get rid of the fungus. Topical creams can only offer temporary relief whereas oral medications are effective but can adversely impact your overall health. Especially, there will be severe side effects on the liver when you take oral medications for a prolonged duration.
- Surgery: Those who are not willing to apply ointments and wait to get relief from fungal situations can also try out the surgical alternatives. Doctors can perform surgeries to remove the affected nail. The option may work for some people, but it further increases the risk of infection and once the nail is removed it may become a painful experience to wear enclosed shoes.
- Laser treatment: With technological advancements, it became possible to bring forth innovative treatment options for toenail infections. Varied foot and nail clinics areoffering two types of laser treatments:i.e. thermal laser and cold laser. Thermal laser is quite hot and not everyone has the pain threshold to handle the discomfort during the treatment. Another effective and pain-free method is the very famous ‘Lunula’ cold laser which is considered the best treatment. Studies have proven that foot fungus treated with the cold laser has a 95% success rate.
Only the diseased part is removed during a nail surgery, which doesn’t assure that the nail growing back would be free from the risk of infection.
On the other hand, the impressive success rate of cold laser treatment makes it the best alternative to get rid of foot fungus. In this treatment, two different wavelengths are produced: one for antifungal effects and the second for regenerative effects. Through the cold laser, the entire nail bed including the nail matrix will be treated. You don’t have to bear any pain or take medicines that would take months to heal the problem and also create toxicity for your liver.
How long does it take to get rid of foot fungus?
If you are relying upon over the counter products, you have to practice patience to the utmost levels because it would take months. Typically, you need to complete a 9 months course of antifungal medications. Toenail removal surgery would take a couple of hours, however the recovery time is no less than 3-4 months. On the other hand, if you opt for a foot fungus clinic that specializes in laser therapy, you can get rid of the fungus in just 30 minutes and can experience a healthy nail regrowth within 3 months.
Final word
Severely affected nails might need advanced interventions, so why wait till the situation gets worse? Find an expert podiatrist near you and discuss the treatment options available. If interested in Lunula cold laser therapy, you can visit the link given below for more information.
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