It is a very common problem. You probably know at least one person who suffers with this condition. There have been some very promising results with laser treatment for toenail fungus. Although it is a relatively new procedure, it seems to be quite successful so far.
Advanced stages of this nail fungus are not very attractive. The nails often become thick, hard, and discolored. They often will have a yellow color to them. The nails also tend to be very soft, and can start to crumble or peel. If left untreated, the whole toenail can be lost. This condition is seen most often in the elderly. It seems to be seen more often in men than in women.
The particular fungi that cause this condition are called dermatophytes. They tend to thrive in moist environments like the bath or the gym. It can affect one or several nails at the same time. It usually first appears as a small white spot. It can then quickly spread.
Before this technology became available, the typical treatments were either topical and/or oral medication. Neither of these solutions seem to work that effectively. The topical worked for around ten percent of the patients. The oral medication worked a little better, helping around fifty percent. The condition often reoccurs when either of these are used.
Fortunately, there have been some very positive preliminary results using lasers. A special type of laser is used for a short period of time. It acts by heating the fungi to vaporize and kill it. Different wavelengths can be used depending on the patient, and the severity of the problem.
There have been no adverse side effects shown with those who use this method. Unlike the other ways to treat which did sometimes have bad side effects for the user. It is done as an office procedure and will take around twenty minutes to complete. One positive for using this method to treat is that no damage is done to the nail or the toe. Shoes may be worn immediately after the procedure. It may take several treatments. It all depends on the problem's severity. This is something you need to discuss with your doctor.
Most medical insurance companies see this as a cosmetic procedure as opposed to a medical one. Therefore, most insurance will not cover the cost. You will need to fully discuss the cost with your doctor before he begins the procedure.
There have been promising results with using laser treatment for toenail fungus. It seems to be effective for about ninety percent of the users. It may take a long time for the healthy nail to grow back. More studies are being done to test for its long term results. With other types of treatments, the problem has come back with some patients. This procedure is so new that it is unclear if it will be a long term solution. However, so far it seems to be the best way available to deal with this condition. Be sure to talk with your doctor to see if he believes this is a good option for you to try.
Advanced stages of this nail fungus are not very attractive. The nails often become thick, hard, and discolored. They often will have a yellow color to them. The nails also tend to be very soft, and can start to crumble or peel. If left untreated, the whole toenail can be lost. This condition is seen most often in the elderly. It seems to be seen more often in men than in women.
The particular fungi that cause this condition are called dermatophytes. They tend to thrive in moist environments like the bath or the gym. It can affect one or several nails at the same time. It usually first appears as a small white spot. It can then quickly spread.
Before this technology became available, the typical treatments were either topical and/or oral medication. Neither of these solutions seem to work that effectively. The topical worked for around ten percent of the patients. The oral medication worked a little better, helping around fifty percent. The condition often reoccurs when either of these are used.
Fortunately, there have been some very positive preliminary results using lasers. A special type of laser is used for a short period of time. It acts by heating the fungi to vaporize and kill it. Different wavelengths can be used depending on the patient, and the severity of the problem.
There have been no adverse side effects shown with those who use this method. Unlike the other ways to treat which did sometimes have bad side effects for the user. It is done as an office procedure and will take around twenty minutes to complete. One positive for using this method to treat is that no damage is done to the nail or the toe. Shoes may be worn immediately after the procedure. It may take several treatments. It all depends on the problem's severity. This is something you need to discuss with your doctor.
Most medical insurance companies see this as a cosmetic procedure as opposed to a medical one. Therefore, most insurance will not cover the cost. You will need to fully discuss the cost with your doctor before he begins the procedure.
There have been promising results with using laser treatment for toenail fungus. It seems to be effective for about ninety percent of the users. It may take a long time for the healthy nail to grow back. More studies are being done to test for its long term results. With other types of treatments, the problem has come back with some patients. This procedure is so new that it is unclear if it will be a long term solution. However, so far it seems to be the best way available to deal with this condition. Be sure to talk with your doctor to see if he believes this is a good option for you to try.
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