A fungal nail infection, or onychomycosis, is when the
hard material that makes up the nail (keratin) is
infected by fungi – normally dermatophyte fungi. The
infection can affect any part of the nail including the
nail itself, the nail bed or the nail root. Toenails are
more commonly infected than fingernails and the result
is a discoloured (white, black, yellow or green),
thickened and distorted nail. The main problem for most
is that the infected nail looks unsightly, but some
people may experience pain or discomfort due to the
distortion of the nail shape.
Fungal infections of the nails, especially the toenails,
are very common and can be unsightly. There are four
classifications of a fungal nail infection, which all
look slightly different. The most common is called
'distal lateral subungual onychomycosis' (DLSO), in
which the underside of the nail appears a green-yellow
colour, starting at the top of the nail and working
down. The nail also becomes thicker and flaky.
Other types of nail infection can appear as crumbly
white 'islands' on the top surface of the nail, or as
white areas underneath the nail at its base, close to
the toe. If any of these infections are left untreated,
the whole nail may become affected and may become very
uncomfortable as it thickens and distorts. The infection
will not go away on its own, and could eventually lead
to loss of the nail.
Pharmacy2U offers a convenient and confidential Online
Doctor consultation if you’ve got a fungal nail
infection, which could lead to prescription-strength
treatments being recommended where appropriate.
The nail becomes infected by a dermatophyte fungi, which
also causes athletes foot. Athletes foot is a fungal
infection of the skin between the toes, and it can
spread to the nails. Fungi thrive in a damp environment,
so you will be more at risk of a fungal nail infection
if your shoes make your feet hot and sweaty. Damage to
the nail through stubbing your toe or biting your nails
can also increase the risk of infection. Finally, there
are some medical conditions that can increase your risk
of fungal nail infection including diabetes, psoriasis
and anything that diminishes your immune system.
Once one nail is infected, it’s very easy to spread it
to other nails when cutting or filing your nails. You
should always use separate nail files or scissors for
the infected nail, preferably cleaning them with
alcoholic wipes after each use and discarding disposable
nail files after use.
Treatment of fungal nail infection is possible, but it
can take 12 months to completely remove the infection
from a toe nail. If the infection is minor (involving
only the upper half or sides of one or two nails) then a
non-prescription treatment is available to buy from
Pharmacy2U called Curanail.
For more serious infections, antifungal tablets can be
prescribed by a doctor. This is more effective than nail
lacquers, as the antifungal medicine is carried in the
blood and does not have to penetrate the nail to be
effective. The Pharmacy2U Online Doctor can prescribe terbinafine if
it suitable for you. As with all antifungal treatments,
it may take six to nine months for the infection to be
completely eradicated and early cessation of treatment
could result in the infection returning.
Like all medicines, terbinafine can have some side
effects – one of the rare side effects is liver
toxicity. Whilst this is rare, it is important that when
you're taking terbinafine, we monitor your liver. When
the doctor prescribes terbinafine, you will also be sent
a blood
test that checks your liver is functioning
correctly. The blood test can be conducted from the
convenience of your own home and is performed by
collecting finger prick blood into a small vial. This
will need to be done each time we send you a new supply
of medicine.
In very severe cases, the infected nail could be removed
surgically and laser treatments are also available.
However, Pharmacy2U does not offer surgical or laser
treatments.
If you think you may have an infected nail and need
prescription treatments, act now and start a convenient
and confidential consultation with one of our UK
registered GPs.
Start Consultation here >>
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