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) are destructive changes in the appearance and structure of the nail plate, sometimes spreading to the skin of the feet.The cause of this phenomenon is always more than 10 species of dermatophytes, yeast fungi (Candida) and molds.In order to choose one of the antifungal remedies available in the pharmacy, it is necessary to know which pathogen caused the nail damage, and this can only be examined in the laboratory.
Self-treatment, including folk remedies, is a very lengthy process, takes several months, but most often does not lead to cure, but to temporary elimination of visible symptoms from the nail surface.The fungus itself, the causative agent of the pathology, subsequently grows again and affects the nail plates and the skin around it.To shorten the treatment time and achieve a lasting result, it is advisable to visit a mycologist who specializes in the treatment of all types of nail fungus.After a laboratory examination of a particle of the affected nail, the doctor determines the type of fungus and prescribes an antifungal drug, the pharmacological action of which is aimed at combating the existing pathogen.
All medications offered differ in the way they are used and in their composition.Means for combating various types of fungi - antifungal drugs - are available in accessible and convenient dosage forms.The active ingredients can be in a composition for external use (varnish, ointment, cream, gel) or oral (tablets, capsules).Liquid forms - solutions, sprays - are also widely used in the pharmaceutical market.
Often a mycologist prescribes complex therapy, using external drugs in the treatment program, the effect of which is enhanced by taking tablets and capsules.The treatment program may also include a sterile medical pedicure, depending on the area of fungal infection.In the case of extensive nail lesions, a systematic, comprehensive approach is always indicated.
Without exception, all drugs are divided into three categories according to 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 substance (fungicidal effect).Active against most fungi, including Candida.
Examples – fluconazole, miconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, clotrimazole.
- Allylamines
Effective for lesions of up to 50% of the nail surface, for the treatment of manifestations on the skin of the feet, can be used daily, is effective against mold, candida, dermatophytes.
Examples – terbinafine hydrochloride, naftifine,
- Morpholines
They counteract all known types of nail fungus, quickly penetrate the nail plate, but act more slowly than other substances;The course of treatment can last up to six months.
Examples – amorolfine, chloronitrophenol.
All medicines 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 itself or the skin surrounding it - these are ointments, creams and practical varnishes for treating toenail fungus.All drugs have their advantages, but also disadvantages, which are usually expressed in some discomfort when using formulations with a creamy consistency.The cost of products in the form of varnishes is higher than creams and ointments against fungi, but if there are different types in the pharmacy, the price of antifungal drugs is not the main selection criterion.The decisive factor is the spectrum of action of the drug and the speed with which nail fungus is eliminated.
The slow drying and absorption of creams and ointments is not as pleasant as with polishes, provided that you spend most of the time in shoes every day and your feet sweat, which can slow down the healing process.On the contrary, varnishes dry quite quickly on the surface of the nail plate without causing discomfort during the day.
Creamy remedies for fungi
It cannot be said with certainty that gels, ointments and creams against various types of fungi are not as effective as varnishes - how effective the drugs are depends on the degree of damage and the patient's discipline in treating the disease.However, many creamy products do not contain excipients that allow the composition to quickly penetrate deep into the hard horny plates of the nails.
Benefits of creams, ointments, gels against fungi:
- Does not irritate the skin of the feet.
- Destroy pathologies on the nails themselves and on the skin around them.
- Practical sets for use (with nail file, scraper).
- Broad spectrum of action, effective against all types of pathogens.
- All categories are represented – azoles, allylamines and morpholines.
- Low drug prices.
Azoles
Imidazole derivatives – clotrimazole, econazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, ketoconazole.
Triazole derivatives:
- fluconazole;
- Itraconazole.
Allylamines
Types of products based on the active ingredient terbinafine
Naftifine and its derivatives.
Amorpholines
Toenail fungus remedies with the active ingredient amorolfine resist a variety of pathogens, including Candida.
Other drugs - sertaconazole, clotrimazole, salicylic acid, sulfuric acid, zinc ointment.
Varnishes against 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 must first remove the top layers and only then apply the medication.After felling the affected areas, the process must be repeated as indicated in the description.
Advantages of anti-fungal varnishes:
- Durability – the applied coating lasts up to several days.
- Convenience of use - the products do not leave stains on clothing and dry quickly.
- Highly active components – quickly penetrate through microcracks into the surface of the affected nail.
- Wide spectrum of action – used against various types of pathogens, have a fungistatic and fungicidal effect.
- Convenient – the set contains the varnish itself, as well as additional tools necessary for use: files, sponges.
- Large selection of different products.
Sprays and solutions for fungal treatment and disinfection
With properties similar to creamy preparations and varnishes, manufacturers of antifungal agents offer a wide range of sprays and solutions.Their use is useful in the initial stages of pathology development.The liquid form of antifungal agents allows the composition to penetrate into the most difficult to reach places, fill micropores, cracks and skin folds, also has an antimicrobial, antiseptic effect and acts as a medicine with fungistatic functionality.In addition, sprays and solutions dry out the skin on the legs and the horny plate of the nail, creating an unfavorable environment for the pathogen.
Each product, which is offered in liquid form, as a solution or spray depending on the active ingredient group, works against fungal nail infections and in the form of disease prevention and disinfection of personal care items, clothing and shoes.In addition, liquid forms are good for treating foot skin.
Miconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine hydrochloride, bifonazole, clotrimazole.
Tablets against nail fungus
Systemic mycoses with deep lesions, in which toenail fungus spreads to the entire surface and depth of the stratum corneum, as well as epidermycoses and candidiasis often require complex therapy with the simultaneous use of tablets and topical preparations.In addition to antimycotics, antibiotics as well as iodine preparations and ammonium salts are used to treat fungal infections of the nails.
Antifungals – itraconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine.
Antibiotics – griseofulvin, levorin, natamycin, drugs of the nystatin group, all drugs based on amphotericin.
Preparations for the treatment of fungus in pregnant and breastfeeding women
The choice of antifungal remedies at any stage of pregnancy rests exclusively with the attending physician.An independent approach to determining the type of fungus and treating lesions may turn out to be flawed, at least delaying time and allowing colonies to penetrate deep into the nail and, in some cases, causing an undesirable reaction.The faster you 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 and the fungus penetrates deep into the nail structure, it is worth discussing the procedure for its complete removal through surgery.
There are no guaranteed safe synthetic substances that destroy fungi without harming the successful course of pregnancy and the fetus.Even the relative safety of traditional methods can lead to an allergic reaction to a natural component or a burn of the skin around the nail (when using vinegar, iodine, etc.).
Undecylenic acid + zinc undecylenate is a combination drug that is prescribed in the presence of strict indications and signs of hypersensitivity may occur.
Bifonazole – with the exception of the first trimester, there is a risk of allergic reactions in the second and third trimesters if strictly indicated.