Fungal Toenails
Nail fungus (onychomycosis) disease has been estimated to affect up to 12 percent (32 million) people in the US. As such, a fungal toenail condition is quite common for many people. It typically begins as a yellow or white spot under your toenail or fingernail at the tip. As the infection goes deeper, it causes your nail to thicken, discolor and crumble at the edge. Although it rarely affects all your nails, it can affect more than one.
Here in either of our five offices, our podiatrist, Dr. Luis E. Mendoza, DPM, specializes in treating onychomycosis to get your nails back to normal. We have locations in Chicago, Cicero, Oak Brook, Aurora, and Franklin Park.
Onychomycosis Risk Factors
Several risk factors can make you more susceptible to this condition. Some include:
- Advancing age
- Family history
- Trauma
- Poor health
- Communal Showering (like fitness clubs)
- Wearing shoes habitually that doesn’t provide enough airflow
Fungal Toenail Treatments
Dr. Mendoza examines your nails on your first appointment. He generally scrapes away any debris he finds under your nail and has it examined at a lab to see what the cause of the infection is.
It is not usually recommended that you treat your fungal nail infection with over-the-counter products since they are not a reliable source of treatment. Dr. Mendoza can prescribe you any of the prescription medications below:
- Itraconazole (Sporanox)
- Terbinafine (Lamisil)
- Griseofulvin (Gris-Peg)
- Fluconazole (Diflucan)
In some cases, surgery might be required. A couple of surgical procedures include Light-based and laser therapy or nail removal.
If you suspect you have onychomycosis, give us a call at any of our five offices at 708-780-8661 to set up your initial exam with Dr. Mendoza to get rid of your fungal toenail infection.
