Onychomycosis - Symptoms & Treatment

Onychomycosis (tinea unguium) is a fungal infection of the nail bed, matrix or platewhich which is very difficult to cure. Onychomycosis means fungal infection of the nails . This condition may affect toe- or fingernails, but toenail infections are particularly common. Toenail fungus, also called onychomycosis, is a relatively common condition that disfigures and sometimes destroys the nail. This problem can be caused by several different types of fungi (microscopic organisms related to mold and mildew). Onychomycosis accounts for one third of fungal skin infections. Because only about one half of nail dystrophies are caused by fungus.The nails of people with onychomycosis are initially a cosmetic concern. Without treatment, however, the nails can become so thick that they press against the inside of the shoes, causing pressure, irritation, and pain.

Symptoms of Onychomycosis

Symptoms of Onychomycosis are below:

• Onychomycosis does not cause any symptoms. People with onychomycosis usually go to the doctor for cosmetic reasons, not because of physical pain or problems related to onychomycosis.
• As the disease progresses, onychomycosis may interfere with standing, walking, and exercising.
• Foul-smelling debris also may accumulate under the nail, especially at the sides and tip.
• Paresthesia (a sensation of pricking, tingling, or creeping on the skin having no objective cause and usually associated with injury or irritation of a nerve), pain, discomfort, and loss of agility (dexterity) may occur. Loss of self-esteem and social problems can also develop.
• In endonyx onychomycosis (EO), the nail plate has a milky white discoloration, but unlike DLSO, the nail does not separate from the bed (no onycholysis).

Causes of Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is caused by 3 main classes of organisms: dermatophytes (fungi that infect hair, skin, and nails and feed on nail tissue), yeasts, and nondermatophyte molds. Yeasts cause 8% of cases, and nondermatophyte molds cause 2% of onychomycosis cases.

• The dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes commonly causes white superficial onychomycosis (WSO), and more rarely, WSO can be caused by species of nondermatophyte molds.
• The dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum is the most common fungus causing distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO) and proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO).
• The yeast Candida albicans is the most common cause of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (disease of mucous membrane and regular skin) of the nail.
• Onychomycosis is caused by a fungus. Often a person has had athlete's foot for a long time prior to the development of onychomycosis.
• Sometimes trauma or damage to a nail predisposes to the development of onychomycosis.

Treatment of Onychomycosis

There are many Treatment of Onychomycosis these are following :

• Once fungus gets into the nails, it is very difficult to treat.
• One of the most effective new treatments is called Leucatin , an all-natural solution that can eliminate fungal infection and prevent recurrence.
• Onychomycosis of the finger nails can be treated by taking pills called griseofulvin. The pills must be taken for six months to one year and have side effects. These include headaches, nausea, and rare reversible liver damage. You can not drink alcohol if you are taking griseofulvin. A course of treatment costs approximately $350 and has a 50-70% chance of curing the condition.
• A new medication, terbinafine, is now available for the treatment of toe and finger nail fungal infections. Terbinafine is taken once a day for 6 to 12 weeks. This medication has less side effects than griseofulvin. A 12 week course of treatment costs approximately $500 and has a 50-70% chance of curing the condition.
• If you do not want to try to cure the condition you can control onychomycosis and improve the appearance of the nails by brushing on FDA approved undecylenic acid.
• Removal of the nail will not get rid of onychomycosis. When the new nail grows in, it almost always becomes reinfected.