Laser Therapy for Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis or a fungal infection of the toenails is an extremely common problem. The infection causes the toenail to become discoloured and break up. Almost always the condition is not painful, but does cause a lot o embarrassment for the person with the infection as it looks very unattractive. The main risk factors for this infection are the dark moist environment that exists within footwear. The bugs love this environment and thrive in it. There are many treatments available for onychomycosis. The most common are a variety of topical agents and also widely used are some oral prescription drugs. Both types of treatment need to be taken or used for at least six months as the nail grows out with the infected tissue. With all treatments there is a high probably of it happening again due to the foot being placed back in the shoe which is the exact environment that increased the risk for it in the first place. Strategies need to be put in place to make sure that the environment of the shoe is not conducive to the infection.

Due to the problems with the traditional approaches there has been a lot of recent interest in the use of laser therapy for this condition. The laser is supposed to directly kill the infecting fungi with one treatment. It is then a matter of time to wait as the nail grows out to see if it is effective. The machine for this has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration as safe. This safety approval is being used by operators as some sort of endorsement of the treatment approach. There is no published research on clinical trials as to if the approach is more or less effective than the current treatments, despite claims made about how effective the method is by those who are promoting it. There are claims made by the manufactures about the successful treatment of a small number of people, but it is not known if this was compared to a control group or compared to another of the standard widely used treatments.

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Currently no insurance companies are covering the treatment and it is expensive for the treatment. Until some independent clinical trials are published to verify or not the claims by those marketing the laser therapy, it is probably better to approach this treatment with a certain amount of scepticism. It may well be that the treatment is effective, but there is simply no evidence either way at the current point in time.

Laser Therapy for Onychomycosis

Laser Therapy for Onychomycosis

How Do I Know If I Have White Superficial Onychomycosis?

White Superficial Onychomycosis (WSO) is a fungus which grows on the surface of the nail plate, turning the nail plate opaque and milky white in color. Some forms of the WSO infection may result in opaque whitish-yellowish and sometimes brown patches on the nail plate.

1 to 2 % of the population suffers from WSO, with 4% of the Italian population 65 years or older are afflicted with it.

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Mold WSO usually starts with the infection of a single toenail and is more prevalent in adults who walk barefoot outside.

How Do I Know If I Have White Superficial Onychomycosis?

The Relationship between WSO and HIV

30% of patients with HIV also have been diagnosed with Onychomycosis. WSO is found in the fingernails and the toenails in most affected patients. Often times HIV patients with WSO cannot be treated with topical treatments.

Symptoms

WSO, also known as ringworm of the nails is caused by a species of trichophyton and microsporon. It begins by infecting the edges of the nails. The infection has typically been present for years unbeknownst to the patient.

Patients suffering from WSO will often have opaque, brittle or deformed nails with debris underneath the nail edges, but without pain or itching, which can be associated with other types of nail fungus.

A diagnosis can be made with a simple visit to the doctor. A sample is taken from the infected area, which is sent off to the lab to be tested. If testing proves positive, a treatment regimen will be recommended by your healthcare provider.

WSO is sometimes caused by a metabolic upset, run-down condition or emotional stress, which may cause dystrophy of the nails. This particular fungus grows inside the hard surface of the nail and cannot be penetrated with topical agents.

Treatment Options

The outlook may seem grim if topical treatments don't do the trick; however, there are medications such as Griseofulvin which can be taken orally for six to nine weeks. Another somewhat odd treatment is to file the affected area with broken glass regularly. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can use a regular nail file instead.

Even though they tend to not be as effective, a topical cream may be applied in conjunction with other treatment options. The patient can also correct internal, physical, metabolic and emotional internal factors which may be contributing to WSO.

Treatment must be persistent and often times the nail treatment will be accompanied by treatment of the groin area as well. Treatment may be challenging, but persistence can ultimately win out in the end.

Other drugs used to treat WSO include Terbinafine, Itraconazole and Fluconazole. There are some moderate to serious side effects associated with some of these medications and the recommended dosage should be monitored by a healthcare professional.

How Do I Know If I Have White Superficial Onychomycosis?