An effective remedy for toenail fungus can only be with the correct choice of the composition that affects the causative agent of the disease.Nail fungus (mycosis and onychomycosis) is destructive changes in the appearance and structure of the nail plate, sometimes extending to the skin of the feet.The cause of this phenomenon is always more than 10 types of dermatophytes, yeasts (Candida) and molds.To choose one of the fungal remedies available in the pharmacy, it is necessary to know which pathogen caused the damage to the nails, and this can only be studied in the laboratory.
Self-treatment, including folk remedies, is a very long process, it takes several months, but most often it does not lead to a cure, but to a temporary elimination of visible symptoms of the nail plate.The fungus itself, the causative agent of the pathology, subsequently grows again and affects the nail plates and the skin surrounding them.To reduce treatment time and achieve a long-lasting result, the most sensible thing to do is to contact a mycologist, a specialist in the treatment of all types of nail fungus.After a laboratory examination of an affected nail particle, the doctor will determine the type of fungus and prescribe an antifungal drug, the pharmacological action of which is aimed at combating the existing pathogen.
All offered medications differ in the method of use and composition.Means to combat different types of fungi (antifungals) are available in accessible and convenient dosage forms.The active ingredients can be presented in a composition for external use (varnish, ointment, cream, gel) or oral use (tablets, capsules).Liquid types (solutions, aerosols) are also widely available in the pharmaceutical market.
Often, a mycologist prescribes complex therapy, using external medications in the treatment program, the effect of which is enhanced by taking tablets and capsules.Additionally, the treatment program, depending on the area of the fungal infection, may include a sterile medical pedicure procedure.In case of extensive nail lesions, a systematic and comprehensive approach is always indicated.
Without exception, all drugs are divided into three categories, depending on their spectrum of action:
- Azoles
Compounds that have a fungistatic effect (stop the growth of colonies) destroy the pathogen in a high concentration of the active ingredient (fungicide effect).Active against most fungi, including Candida.
Examples: fluconazole, miconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, clotrimazole.
- Allylamines
Effective for lesions up to 50% of the nail surface, for the treatment of manifestations on the skin of the feet, it can be used every day, it acts against molds, candida, dermatophytes.
Examples: terbinafine hydrochloride, naftifine,
- Morpholines
They counteract all known types of nail fungus, quickly penetrate the nail surface, but act more slowly than other substances;The course of treatment can last up to six months.
Examples: amorolfine, chlornitrophenol.
All drugs based on the listed compounds are available in dosage forms for local, oral and infusion use.
Antifungal preparations for external use.
This category includes products that are applied directly to the affected nail or the skin around it: these are convenient ointments, creams and varnishes for treating toenail fungus.All medications have their advantages, but also disadvantages, which most often manifest themselves in some discomfort from the use of formulations with a creamy consistency.The cost of products in the form of varnishes is higher than that of antifungal creams and ointments, but if there are different types in the pharmacy, the price of antifungals is not the main selection criterion.What matters is the spectrum of action of the drug and how quickly the nail fungus is eliminated.
The slow drying and absorption of creams and ointments is not as convenient as that of varnishes, provided that most of the time is spent daily in shoes and the feet sweat, which can slow down the healing process.On the contrary, varnishes dry on the surface of the nail plate quite quickly, without causing discomfort during the day.
Creamy remedies for fungus
It cannot be said with certainty that gels, ointments and creams against various types of fungi do not work as effectively as varnishes;The effectiveness of medications depends on the degree of damage and the patient's discipline in treating the disease.However, many creamy products do not contain excipients that facilitate the rapid penetration of the composition deep into the hard horny plates of the nails.
Advantages of creams, ointments, gels against fungus:
- Does not irritate the skin of the feet.
- Destroys the pathology in the nails themselves and in the skin that surrounds them.
- Convenient to use sets (with nail file, scraper).
- Broad spectrum of action, active against all types of pathogens.
- All categories are represented: azoles, allylamines and morpholines.
- Low price of medicines.
Azoles
Imidazole derivatives: clotrimazole, econazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, ketoconazole.
Triazole derivatives:
- fluconazoles;
- itraconazole.
Allylamines
Types of products based on the active ingredient terbinafine.
Naftifina and its derivatives.
Amorpholines
Toenail fungus remedies with the active ingredient amorolfine resist a wide range of pathogens, including candida.
Other medications: sertaconazole, clotrimazole, salicylic, sulfuric and zinc ointment.
Varnishes for nail fungus.
They are used in the initial stages of mycoses, when the nail is affected by no more than 2/3 of the entire surface.If the fungus has already penetrated deep into the nail tissue, you will first need to remove the top layers and only then use the medicine.After cutting the affected areas, it will be necessary to repeat the operation, according to the information specified in the description.
Advantages of antifungal varnishes:
- Durability: The applied coating lasts up to several days.
- Convenience of use: the products do not stain clothes and dry quickly.
- High-activity components: quickly penetrate the affected nail surface through microfissures.
- Broad spectrum of action: used against different types of pathogens, it has a fungistatic and fungicidal effect.
- Convenience - the set contains the varnish itself, as well as the additional tools necessary for its use: files, sponges.
- Great selection of different products.
Aerosols and solutions for the treatment and disinfection of fungi.
With properties similar to creamy preparations and varnishes, manufacturers of antifungal products offer a wide range of sprays and solutions.Its use makes sense in the initial stages of the development of pathology.The liquid form of antifungal agents allows the composition to penetrate into the most difficult-to-reach places, filling micropores, cracks, skin folds, and also has an antimicrobial and antiseptic effect and acts as a medicine with fungistatic functionality.In addition, sprays and solutions dry the skin of the legs and the horny nail plate, creating an unfavorable environment for the pathogen.
Any product presented in liquid, solution or spray form, depending on its belonging to the group of active substances, acts against nail fungal infections, and in the form of disease prevention, disinfection of personal hygiene items, clothing and footwear.In addition, liquid forms are convenient to use to treat the skin of the feet.
Miconazole, Fluconazole, Terbinafine Hydrochloride, Bifonazole, Clotrimazole.
Pills against nail fungus.
Systemic mycoses with deep lesions, when toenail fungus spreads to the entire surface and depth of the stratum corneum, as well as epidermycosis and candidiasis, often require complex therapy, with the simultaneous use of tablets and topical preparations.To treat fungal nail infections, in addition to antifungals, antibiotics are used, as well as iodine preparations and ammonium salts.
Antifungals: itraconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine.
Antibiotics: griseofulvin, levorin, natamycin, drugs from the nystatin group, any drugs based on amphotericin.
Preparations for the treatment of fungus for pregnant and lactating women.
The choice of remedies for fungus at any stage of pregnancy is the exclusive prerogative of the treating doctor.An independent approach to determining the type of fungus and treating lesions may turn out to be erroneous, which will at least delay time and allow colonies to penetrate deep into the nail and, in some cases, cause an undesirable reaction.The faster you can detect pathologies on your feet and on the horny plates of your nails and contact a mycologist, the better, better and safer the treatment and its results will be.
It is preferable to choose a drug for external use, and in situations where the disease has already reached the systemic stage, with deep penetration of the fungus into the nail structure, it is worth discussing the procedure for its complete removal by surgery.
There are no safe and guaranteed synthetic substances that destroy fungi without risk of harming the proper development of the pregnancy and fetus.Even the relative safety of traditional methods can cause an allergic reaction to a natural component or a burn on the skin around the nail (when using vinegar, iodine, etc.)
Undecylenic acid + zinc undecylenate is a combined drug that is prescribed in the presence of strict indications and signs of hypersensitivity may appear.
Bifonazole: except in the first trimester, in the second and third according to strict indications, there is a risk of allergic reactions.