If your doctor has diagnosed you with nail fungus, there is no need to panic. This condition is treatable, and there are several available treatment options. The most important thing is not to delay and to start treatment in a timely manner.
Patients often ask: Which treatment is the most effective? What methods are available? The answer is not straightforward, as treatment is selected individually, taking into account the stage of the disease, the extent of nail damage, and the patient’s overall health condition.
Medication-based treatment
Surgical nail removal
Treatment with special antifungal nail lacquers
Combination therapy, combining several treatment methods
Nail fungus should be treated not only for aesthetic reasons. When treatment is postponed, the infection progresses, making therapy more complicated and prolonged. In addition, fungal infections are contagious and can easily spread to others, especially family members.
Visiting public places such as swimming pools, saunas, or fitness clubs increases the risk of transmitting the infection to strangers as well. Neither you nor others would want to receive such an unpleasant “gift.”
It is important to emphasize that hiding the problem is not a solution. Covering infected nails with a thick layer of cosmetic nail polish does not cure the fungus and does not prevent its spread. Even polished nails can remain a source of infection. Therefore, the only correct solution is appropriate and timely treatment.
One of the older treatment methods for nail fungus is surgical removal of the affected nail. During the procedure, the nail is removed in a way that allows a healthy nail to grow back later.
Although this method may sound frightening, it is not a crude or painful procedure. It is performed under local anesthesia, and patients are usually given a short period of sick leave afterward. Further nail care and the healing process are explained by the treating physician.
Nevertheless, despite being painless, this treatment option is chosen by relatively few patients, as it is considered one of the most unpleasant approaches.
A more commonly chosen and patient-friendly method is medication-based treatment, which may include:
Topical treatment – ointments, solutions, creams
Oral treatment – antifungal tablets
Combined treatment – combining topical and oral therapy
If the fungal infection is mild, treatment usually begins with topical medications. If this approach is ineffective or the infection is more advanced, oral antifungal drugs may be prescribed, or a combined treatment may be applied.
Oral antifungal medications are not prescribed hastily, as they may cause side effects, particularly affecting the liver, and they have significant interactions with other medications. Therefore, before prescribing such treatment, the physician must carefully assess the patient’s overall condition and current medications.
A third and increasingly popular treatment option involves special antifungal nail lacquers. These products are generally safe, non-harmful to the body, and relatively affordable.
However, it is important to note that not all nail lacquers are equally effective, and their efficacy may vary depending on the type of fungus and the stage of the infection. In some cases, these products work very well; in others, additional treatment is required.
The best decision is made in consultation with a dermatologist. Each case is individual, and what works for one patient may not be effective for another.
If your doctor suggests several treatment options, you will be able to choose the one that suits you best, taking into account effectiveness, cost, and convenience. In some cases, combination therapy may be necessary.
It is important to remember that postponing treatment will not solve the problem. Over time, treatment often becomes longer, more complex, and more expensive, and long-standing nail fungus is significantly harder to cure.
Regardless of the chosen treatment method, it is essential to follow strict hygiene rules in order to:
prevent infecting others,
avoid reinfection.
Recommendations include:
using only personal towels, footwear, and socks;
disinfecting nail care tools (scissors, nail files) after each use;
disinfecting footwear (using vinegar, formalin solutions, or special pharmacy-available sprays);
washing socks at high temperatures with disinfecting agents;
boiling bed linen or ironing it with a hot iron;
wearing slippers indoors, especially if at least one family member is infected;
having carpets professionally cleaned and washing floors with disinfecting products.
If at least one family member has nail fungus, all household members should use preventive antifungal measures.
Nail fungus should be treated as soon as the first symptoms appear or once diagnostic test results are received. Untreated fungal infections spread, making treatment longer and more difficult.
After recovering from nail fungus, immunity is not acquired, meaning reinfection is possible. Therefore, daily hygiene and preventive measures remain extremely important even after successful treatment.
