Have your toe nails become yellow, discoloured, crumbly and thick? Embarrassed to show your toes in public? Are you avoiding certain footwear so you can hide your toes? You may be suffering from a fungal nail infection.
Nail fungus can be an embarrassing, stubborn problem for many people to treat and live with. As the fungal infection progresses, the nail can become brittle, crumbly, distorted or thickened. This can cause the nail to separate from the underlying skin. These changes to the nail may cause pain, difficulty wearing certain shoes or lead to a possible infection.
In the past, the main treatments for fungal nails consisted of:
- Oral drugs
- Very effective in eliminating nail infections and restoring clear nails
- Drugs must be taken for up to 12 weeks and may cause side effects including headache, diarrhea, upset stomach and skin rash
- Serious side effects include risk of liver damage and heart failure
- Weekly blood tests may be required to monitor liver function
- Cannot be used for patients in poor health or who have liver disease
- Topical Drugs
- Less effective in treating nail infections and restoring clear nails
- Drugs are applied directly to the nails daily for up to 12 months
- In some patients, drug is ineffective because it cannot pass through the nail to reach the infection
The Mississauga Foot Clinic offers a simple and effective treatment for nail fungus to help eliminate those yellow, discoloured, brittle nails and turn them into clearer, healthier looking nails. Our clinic uses a laser that is approved by Health Canada for the treatment of toenail fungus. The Nd:YAG 1064nm laser has been cleared to be both a safe and effective solution for the treatment of toenail fungus.
How does the laser treat nail fungus?
- Laser light passes through the nail and the surrounding tissue
- The laser light is absorbed by pigment in the fungi causing the pigment to heat
- This heat kills or damages the fungal organism
- Can result in your nail growing normally
