What is onychomycosis?
White superficial onychomycosis, usually called onychomycosis, is a fungal infection, affecting the plate of the nail, causing it to turn milky white and opaque. Accounting for over 20% of all the nail related disorders, onychomycosis is characterized by the discoloration and thickening of a person’s nails. The infection usually begins around the edge and then spreads to the rest of the nail. Very often brown patches are also seen on the nails. Onychomycosis is also known as ringworm of the nails, since it occurs because of a species of microsporon and trichophyton. While onychomycosis does not cause any pain, it is known to lead to the deterioration of the nail. At times, the infection spreads to such a large extent that treatment for onychomycosis becomes challenging. Due to the lack of pain, the infection could be present for years, before people even realize that they have a problem. Unfortunately, most people, especially women, look at onychomycosis as more of a cosmetic concern, rather than an infection and hence when they look for treatment of onychomycosis, it is mainly to cover the disfigured nail, instead of opting for the actual onychomycosis cure. If left untreated, the nail bed under the nail becomes harder and thicker, causing the nail to separate from the nail bed completely. Eventually, as the fungal infection spreads, the nail could even become powdery and crumble. Therefore, the sooner the treatment for onychomycosis is rendered, the better it is.
Treatment for onychomycosis
There are three ways to treat onychomycosis, which include topical, oral and surgical treatments. The success or the outcome depends a lot on how soon the treatment for onychomycosis is rendered. When the symptoms of onychomycosis are first noticed, it is best to start with home remedies like applying apple cider, tea tree oil, lavender oil and so on to the nail. Hygienic measures like keeping the nails trimmed, clean and dry would also go a long way in treating the condition. If the home remedies do not seem to yield the desired results then you could visit a doctor and get his recommendation on the use of some anti-fungal topical creams and ointments. If the infection has progressed to an advanced stage, then oral fungicides may need to be prescribed. However, there may be certain side effects associated with these medicines. In case none of the methods used seem to improve the condition, then a doctor may need to get the nail removed surgically. However, this is always used as the last resort, in cases where the infection has spread too much and cannot be controlled.
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