Medicines for onychomycosis – how to choose the best? [WE EXPLAIN]

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Onychomycosis, commonly known as onychomycosis, affects more and more people. It occurs more often in elderly people, in whom the body’s immunity is significantly reduced, and in diabetics it is also more common. The ailment also affects people who have had a mechanical injury to the nail plate.

Onychomycosis is a condition that should not be underestimated. It is very important to start treatment before disease spreads to more than one nail plate. Of course, the treatment should be carried out by a doctor. A quick response is especially important for people with diabetes.

Nail fungus – causes

Onychomycosis is caused by pathogenic fungi called dermatophytes, mold and yeast-like fungi. The fungus develops fastest in a dark, moist place, which is why the toenails are most often affected by the disease. Untreated onychomycosis can lead to complications. The aforementioned people with diabetes, the elderly, but also those suffering from psoriasis, cancer, AIDS and peripheral vascular diseases are at risk. Mycosis is more common in heavy smokers.

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Nail fungus – symptoms

Onychomycosis is not a disease that develops over a short period of time. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you should react quickly. Symptoms are very discreet at first and can be easily overlooked, especially if the nails are painted. Characteristically, the disease first develops on the first and fifth finger. What are the symptoms of the disease?

1. corrugation of the nail;
2. complete detachment of the nail plate from the bed;
3. nail brittleness;
4. plate deformation;
5. discoloration of the nail, most often it turns yellow, white, and in advanced form – black.

In the final stage, nail fungus is also manifested by pain in the infected nail, and there may even be problems with walking.

When are nail fungus medications ineffective?

For onychomycosis, therapeutic therapy should be relatively quick, but it is very important that the diagnosis is made correctly. The symptoms of mycosis may coincide with the symptoms of such diseases as:

1. skin infection;
2. psoriasis;
3. lichen planus;
4. nutritional deficiency;
5. infections caused by bacteria;
6. tumor.

When in doubt, when onychomycosis is diagnosed, medications do not work and the changes progress, the doctor should order a mycological examination. This type of examination involves taking a smear from or under the nail plate and analyzing it. The result will show whether it is fungal or other types of infection. If the pathogenic factor is a fungus, the test will allow to identify its type, and also to select drugs that are effective in combating it.

You have to remember that also after correct diagnosis of onychomycosis treatment is long and difficult. Sometimes the chosen treatment method turns out to be ineffective and it is necessary to switch to other medications, and mycosis may recur.

Treatment of onychomycosis – what treatments are used?

Medicines are used in various forms for onychomycosis. They should be selected according to the stage of the disease, the type of pathogen causing the disease, it is also important whether the patient is taking other medications. When onychomycosis is diagnosed, the following therapeutic methods are used:

1. local treatment;
2. general treatment;
3. combination therapy;
4. Surgical treatment;

In onychomycosis, drugs are initially applied topically, e.g. in the form of varnish or liquid. In the subsequent stages and when the disease is more advanced, the doctor includes oral medications in the treatment of onychomycosis, most often antifungal medications. The simultaneous use of oral and topical medications is a combination therapy.

There are also other more advanced ways to combat change. Laser therapy is an effective solution. In the case of onychomycosis, medications, unfortunately, do not always bring the desired effect, which is why, as a last resort, the doctor prescribes them surgical removal of the diseased nail. The therapy may last several weeks or even several months depending on the severity of the disease and the effectiveness of the medications used.

Varnishes and topical preparations for onychomycosis

If onychomycosis is diagnosed at an early stage of the disease, your doctor may recommend topical treatment. For this purpose, drugs in the form of nail fungus varnishes, special creams, ointments and gels are used. Most often these are preparations containing:

1. amorolfinę 5 proc. (np. Loceryl, Undofen Amorolfina);
2. ciclopirox 8 percent. (e.g. Pirolam, Ciclolac);
3. bifonazole (e.g. Steper pro, Canespor) and bifonazole with urea.

Plaque is also sometimes used during topical treatment with antifungal preparations agar Sabouraud – it affects the fungus in such a way that it transforms into a form more amenable to treatment. Research shows that essential oils can also be used topically in mycosis due to their antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. There is also a potentially effective cure for onychomycosis tazarotene gel.

If treatment is successful, the topical treatment of the ringworm can last from several months to a year.

Oral medications for onychomycosis

General treatment of onychomycosis consists in taking oral medications. This form of therapy is necessary when local treatment alone is ineffective, the disease has spread to a significant area of ​​the nails or has reached a significant degree of advancement. The decision to initiate treatment with oral agents is made by the physician. This form of fighting pathogenic fungi takes several months. Drugs for mycosis containing mycosis are primarily used triazole derivatives, e.g. terbinafine, itraconazole and fluconazole.

If the case of the disease is severe, changes in the nail plate are advanced, and mycosis medications are insufficient to allow the complete regrowth of a healthy nail, surgical treatment is applied. It involves the mechanical or chemical removal of the nail. Depending on the situation, it may be a part of it or the whole.

Unconventional treatment of onychomycosis – ozone therapy

In addition to the above-mentioned drugs for fungal infection and surgery, there is also an unconventional method of treating onychomycosis. It is ozone therapy, i.e. ozone treatment, which has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Ozone is also used to disinfect the shoes of people who have been struggling with fungal infection of the nails or feet.

Ozone therapy in the treatment of onychomycosis is carried out in the following forms:

1. ozone water dressings;
2. ozonated oil dressings;
3. dry baths in an oxygen-ozone mixture;
4. administration of intravenous or intra-articular ozonated fluids;
5. ozone autohemotransfusion (taking blood from a patient, mixing it with ozone and reintroducing it into the bloodstream;
6. an ozone ointment is used as an auxiliary.

It is best to consult a doctor about choosing the appropriate treatment and medications for mycosis. In the early stages of the disease, when the nail shows only minor changes, it may be tempting to self-medicate with over-the-counter medications. However, such treatment may not be suitable if the nail changes are due to a disease other than mycosis. Therefore, an effective therapy should be planned by a dermatologist. In addition, care treatments for changed nails can also be carried out under the supervision of a podiatrist.

Read more:

1. Home remedies for onychomycosis that speed up the fight against the disease
2. What does onychomycosis look like? Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
3. Dermatophyte mycosis of nails – appearance, causes, treatment

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