Fungal Nail
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Order Prescription Fungal Nail Treatments Online
You can order prescription fungal nail treatments in the UK such as Curanail and Trosyl online from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy. Fill in a short online assessment and if appropriate, our doctors will provide a script. No prior prescription is required. Our pharmacy will then dispense and deliver your prescription to your door.
Fungal Nail treatment options
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Overview
Tablet of Contents
What is a fungal nail infection?
Preventing Fungal Nail Infections
What is a fungal nail infection?
Fungal nail infections are common infections of the finger or toenails. They are caused by fungal spores that lodge between the nail and the skin underneath the nail, known as the nail bed. Here the fungus begins to feed off the keratin within the healthy nail, infecting it.
The fungal infection tends to occur due to the same fungus responsible for the athlete’s foot. Athletes foot is a condition that mostly affects the area between the toes which can then spread to the toenail.
Another type of fungus that can cause infected nails are yeasts. This type of nail fungus tends to attack nails that are already damaged as it is easier for them to penetrate the nail.
How do you get fungal nail infections?
The fungus can rapidly grow and spread easily in the right environment. Direct skin contact with any warm moist environment can be a likely place to pick up a fungal infection. You may pick up a fungal infection from:
- Wet/ damp shoes
- Unclean showers
- Swimming pools/ spas
- Public restrooms/ changing areas
- Poor foot hygiene
- Wearing wet/ damp socks
- The transfer from an athletes foot infection
What do fungal nail infections look like?
Nail fungus tends to start at the top of the nail, gradually moving down the sides until it reaches the base of the nail known as the nail matrix.
Nail infections are characterised by thickening or distorting of the nail. Often a yellow or brown colour will develop over time moving down the nail as the infection moves.
The nail will become weak, often causing the nail to split and break.
If the fungus moves from the nail to the skin, a skin infection can develop and spread the infection further into other nails.
Fungal nail treatment
Fungal nail infection treatments can come in many forms. Which treatment is best largely depends on how much of the nail surface is affected. If the base of the nail, known as the nail matrix is affected, you should speak to your doctor about your treatment options as these infections may take longer to completely destroy the fungus.
Fungal nail lacquer
The most common treatment for fungal nail infections is the application of antifungal nail lacquer. These medicines are applied to the nail for between 6 and 12 months.
This nail lacquer is applied to the affected nails once or twice weekly for 6 to 12 months. Before using this medicine, it is recommended that you file down and layers of the nail which may have thickened due to the fungal infection.
Side effects of this medicine are very rare, although it may cause brittle nails and nail discolouration.
This lacquer is applied to the affected nails every 12 to 24 hours for 6 to 12 months. Due to this medicine requiring a regular, daily application, it is often less preferred to the once-weekly treatments.
Side effects of the medicine can include minor swelling to the hands or feet and skin irritation.
Fungal nail tablets
Tablet treatments for nail infections are usually reserved for infections that reach the bottom of the nail, as these are often harder to treat with other medicines.
Oral antifungal medicines are taken for 6 weeks to 12 months depending on the severity of the infection. You should speak to your doctor about these treatments and if they are required.
Side effects of these medicines can include nausea, diarrhoea, reflux, headaches, rash, weight loss.
Laser treatment
A relatively new treatment for eliminating nail fungus is laser treatment. Laser devices emit pulses of heat that penetrate to the nail bed where the fungus is present. This treatment is usually required to be repeated a number of times to eliminate the nail fungus.
The cost of treatment can be quite high as it is not covered under the NHS. You should speak to your doctor to assess the severity before using laser treatments.
Fungal nail removal
As a last resort in severe infections, a doctor or podiatrist can remove the infected nail(s) under local anaesthetic. This can remove a large majority of the fungal infection or eliminate it entirely. Your healthy nail will then being to grow back over the next 6-12 months.
How to prevent fungal nail infections from coming back
There are a number of ways you can try to greatly reduce your chances of another nail infection.
These include:
- Practising good foot hygiene. Always ensure you wash your feet properly, including in between the toes. Ensure you dry them properly afterwards.
- Buying fitting shoes. Shoes that are the right size allow your feet to get fresh air, yet are not big enough to be uncomfortable. Doing this will reduce the moisture in your shoes.
- Cut your nails regularly with clean nail clippers. Cutting and cleaning your nails regularly prevents dirt and fungus from accumulating under nails where they can begin a nail infection.
- Not walking in public areas barefoot. Public areas, particularly warm moist areas such as swimming pools, change rooms, and bathrooms are all likely to have fungus spores on the floor.
- Avoiding sharing shoes, socks and towels with others. The fungus can be shared through all of these so they are best avoided whenever possible.
- Throwing away socks and shoes potentially containing toenail fungus OR treating these items with topical antifungal powders thoroughly.
- Changing your soiled socks regularly. If your socks become wet or damp, change them as soon as possible to avoid creating a warm moist environment.
Loceryl Nail Lacquer
Medication | Simple Online Pharmacy |
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5% x5ml | £18.95
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Trosyl Nail Solution
Medication | Simple Online Pharmacy |
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283mg/ml x12ml | £29.99
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Amorolfine Nail Solution (Curanail)
Medication | Simple Online Pharmacy |
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5% w/v x5ml | £19.99
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