An effective remedy for toenail fungus can only be with the right choice of composition that affects the causative agent of the disease.Nail fungi (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 types of dermatophytes, similar to yeast (Candida) and mold.To choose one of the anti-fungal drugs available in the pharmacy, you need to know which pathogen has caused the damage to the nails, and this can only be studied in the laboratory.
Self-medication, 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 from the surface of the nail.The fungus itself, the causative agent of the pathology, then grows again, affecting the nail plates and the skin around it.In order to reduce the treatment time and get a lasting result, it is wiser to contact a mycologist, a specialist in the treatment of all types of nail fungus.After a laboratory examination of a particle of the affected nail, the doctor will determine the type of fungus and prescribe an antifungal drug whose pharmacological action is aimed at fighting the existing pathogen.
All the drugs offered differ in their way of use and composition.Means for combating 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 (spray, ointment, cream, gel) or orally (tablets, capsules).Liquid types – solutions, sprays – 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 increased by taking tablets and capsules.Also, the treatment program, depending on the area of the fungal infection, may include a sterile medical pedicure procedure.A systematic, comprehensive approach is always indicated for extensive nail lesions.
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 at a high concentration of the active substance (fungicidal effect).Active against most fungi, including candida.
Examples - Fluconazole, Miconazole, Itraconazole, Ketoconazole, Clotrimazole.
- Allylamine
Effective for lesions up to 50% of the nail surface, for the treatment of manifestations on the skin of the feet, can be used daily, acts against mold, candida, dermatophytes.
Examples - Terbinafine hydrochloride, Naftifine,
- Morpholines
They oppose all known types of nail fungus, quickly penetrate the nail plate, but work 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 itself or the skin around it - these are ointments, creams, and varnishes suitable for the treatment of nail fungus.All drugs have their advantages, but also disadvantages, which are most often manifested in some discomfort from the use of formulations with a creamy consistency.The cost of varnish products is higher than 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 the speed to get rid of nail fungus.
The slow drying and absorption of creams and ointments is not as convenient as varnishes, provided that most of the time is spent every day 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 antifungal medicine
It cannot be said for sure that gels, ointments and creams against different types of fungi do not work as effectively as varnishes - how effective the drugs will be depends on the degree of damage and the discipline of the patient in treating the disease.However, many cream products do not contain excipients that facilitate the rapid penetration of the composition deep into the hard horny plates of the nails.
Advantages of anti-fungal creams, ointments, gels:
- Does not irritate the skin of the feet.
- Destroy the pathology in the nails themselves and in the skin around them.
- Ready-to-use kits (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:
- fluconazole;
- itraconazole.
Allylamine
Types of products based on the active substance terbinafine
Naftifine and its derivatives.
Amorpholins
Toenail fungus remedies with the active ingredient amorolfine resist a wide range of pathogens, including candida.
Other drugs - Sertaconazole, Clotrimazole, salicylic, sulfuric, zinc ointment.
Nail fungus spray
They are used in the initial stages of mycoses, when the nail is affected 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 upper layers and only then use the medicine.After cutting the affected areas, it will have to be repeated, according to the information specified in the description.
Advantages of anti-mold sprays:
- Durability - the applied coating lasts up to several days.
- Ease of use - the products do not stain clothing and dry quickly.
- Highly active components - quickly penetrate the surface of the affected nail through microcracks.
- Broad spectrum of action - used against various types of pathogens, has a fungistatic and fungicidal effect.
- Convenience - 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 the treatment and disinfection of fungi
With properties similar to cream preparations and varnishes, manufacturers of antifungal products offer a wide range of sprays and solutions.Their use makes sense in the initial stages of the development of the pathology.The liquid form of antifungal agents allows the composition to penetrate into the most difficult-to-reach places, filling micropores, cracks, folds of the skin and also has an antimicrobial, antiseptic effect and works as a medicine with fungistatic functionality.Also, sprays and solutions dry the skin of the feet and the horny plate of the nail, creating an unfavorable environment for the pathogen.
Any product presented in liquid form, as a solution or spray, depending on its membership in the group of active substances, acts against fungal nail infections and in the form of disease prevention, disinfection of personal hygiene items, clothing and shoes.In addition, liquid forms are suitable for use to treat the skin of the feet.
Miconazole, Fluconazole, Terbinafine Hydrochloride, Bifonazole, Clotrimazole.
Anti-fungal tablets
Systemic mycoses with deep lesions, when toenail fungus spreads over the entire surface and depth of the stratum corneum, as well as epidermicosis and candidiasis often require complex therapy, with the simultaneous use of tablets and local preparations.For the treatment of fungal nail infections, in addition to antimycotics, antibiotics are also used, as well as iodine preparations and ammonium salts.
Antimycotics – Itraconazole, Fluconazole, Terbinafine.
Antibiotics - Griseofulvin, Levorin, Natamycin, drugs of the nystatin group, any drug based on Amphotericin.
Preparations for the treatment of fungi for pregnant and lactating women
The choice of remedies for fungus at any stage of pregnancy is exclusively the prerogative of the attending physician.An independent approach to determining the type of fungus and treating the lesions may turn out to be wrong, which will at least delay time and allow the colonies to penetrate deep into the nail and in some cases cause an unwanted reaction.The sooner you discover the pathology on the feet and in the horny plates of the 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 through surgery.
There are no guaranteed safe synthetic substances that destroy fungi without any risk of harming the successful course of pregnancy and the fetus.Even the relative safety of traditional methods can cause 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 combined drug, prescribed in the presence of strict indications, signs of hypersensitivity may appear.
Bifonazol - except for the first trimester, in the second and third according to strict indications, there is a risk of allergic reactions.