Laser Treatment for Fungus- Calling All Toenails!!!
I have been lasering toenails for quite some time now and only recently have come across more and more people wondering “Why not just laser the affected toenails? It would, after all, come out cheaper that way wouldn’t it?”
The simple answer is “No, not really.” But let me back this up so you can take my word for it.
Fungus is visible when the nail is grossly infected. What many do not realize, is that the process started long before you could see it with the naked eye. This alone is enough reason for the need to laser all ten toenails.
All too often I see patients who tell me that their nail fungus was only on one nail for the longest time. Then, all of a sudden, it has spread to others. Fungus is contagious! It does not just sit in one place. It gets in in your carpet, your bath mats, your shower tile. And worst of all, if you do have fungus, even in just one toenail, that fungus has already grossly contaminated your shoes! For your other nails there is no escape!
Think about how lasering only those affected nails singularly, ignoring all the others which are surely contaminated. How secure do you feel about that? If you had a bad cough and shortness of breath, how secure would you feel about going to a doctor who gave you cough medicine, but didn’t bother to listen to the pneumonia brewing in your lungs? Only treating the “visible” symptom, but not the underlying problem is a problem, whether it is lungs, nails or any other condition. Fungus brews until it has a large enough colony to “visibly” affect other nails or even a previously treated nail! What does that mean to the patient? It means more frequent trips to the podiatrist for yet another “spot” treatment. You will find, is that in the end, you will have coughed up (no pun intended!) what you should have to have all nails treated in the first place! Worse yet, the cycle may continue since only the nails with visible fungus are treated again! Who knows when it might end for you and how much time you will need to devote to these types of visits? Why take that chance?
What I do strongly believe, as do all the physicians at Foot and Ankle Associates of North Texas (FAANT), is that if you are going to spend your valuable time and finances to have this procedure preformed, the least we can do is treat all your toenails at once. This will greatly increase the odds of success! One very effective treatment in one visit!
Another thing to consider is FDA approval. Only one type of fungus-treating laser in the U.S. is FDA approved. Fortunately, we have this laser at FAANT!! This is something that should give you extra piece of mind! You are getting what we know is safe and effective! All ten toenails and FDA approval is money well spent!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
New Treatment for Fungal Toenails
Yellow, thick, crumbly, and ugly toenails are hiding behind shoes. They smell a little funky, they look a little funny, and they drive your significant other into frenzy! Toenail fungus is extremely common. As a foot doctor, I see it every day. Over the last several years, treatment for nail fungus has been getting a lot of attention. There are topical options and oral options for treating the ugly toenails. In addition, there are newer treatments that are non-harmful and very effective. My patients are always very concerned about the treatments and how they will affect their body. So let us discuss the pros and cons of the popular oral treatment, Lamisil as well as the new treatments.
Why take a pill? There are many medications that can be applied directly to the nail but they are not always effective. If the fungus is only at the tip of the nail or less than half of the nail is infected, the topical treatments can work to eliminate the fungus. This can take up to 10 months and there is a high risk of recurrence. Once the fungus has infected the entire nail the topical agents are not strong enough to kill the fungus. The nail is too thick for the medication to penetrate to under the nail, where the fungus calls home. Taking oral medication works from the inside of your body to fight the fungus and research, and in my personal experiences, has proven the pills to be more effective.
How long until the fungus is gone? The oral medications, such as Lamisil, are taken for three months. It takes a nail ten to twelve months to grow out. Thus, after three months of treatment, your nail may still look a little funny. When the fungus lives under your nail, it causes damage to the nail and will make it turn yellow and thick. As new, healthy, and uninfected nail growth takes place the ugly portion with grow out and eventually be replaced. Many of my patients get nervous after three months of treatment when their nail doesn’t look normal yet. If the part of the nail that is closest to your body looks normal, then the treatment worked and the nail will start appearing more normal over the next several months.
Is Lamisil hard on my body? Lamisil, much like Tylenol and alcohol can cause damage to the liver. Luckily, the liver unlike most organs in our body can quickly and easily repair itself form minor damage. To ensure the medication is safe for the patient, blood work is done to check the patients liver function. If the patients liver enzymes do not come back normal, then the patient is never started on the medication. If the liver is healthy, as it is in most people, the patient is started on the oral medication and blood work is repeated again after six weeks of taking the medication. If there liver enzymes are still at normal levels, then no damage to the liver is taking place. If the enzymes levels are abnormal then the patient is taken off the medications. At this time, the damage is so minor that the liver easily repairs itself after the medication is discontinued. If the drug is managed correctly by your doctor, Lamisil can be safer than Tylenol on your liver!
NEW and SAFE TREATMENTS
If you suffer from these ugly looking nails, then our new combination of Keryflex/Laser treatment can be effective. Keryflex is a resin that has an anti-fungal in it. Our laser is the K-laser. This is a cost effective, safe and painless procedure. We perform the laser treatment for seven minutes per foot and then apply the Keryflex resin. We use one or two laser treatments and apply the resin once a month for five months. Your nails will look better immediately.
Lamisil works about 80 percent of the time which is the same efficacy as the Keryflex/Laser. Due to the lack of any side effects, I prefer to recommend the application of the resin and use of the laser over the Lamisil.
So, it is time to show your feet at the beaches and no more wearing socks to bed. Besides, your feet will love you for it.
Why take a pill? There are many medications that can be applied directly to the nail but they are not always effective. If the fungus is only at the tip of the nail or less than half of the nail is infected, the topical treatments can work to eliminate the fungus. This can take up to 10 months and there is a high risk of recurrence. Once the fungus has infected the entire nail the topical agents are not strong enough to kill the fungus. The nail is too thick for the medication to penetrate to under the nail, where the fungus calls home. Taking oral medication works from the inside of your body to fight the fungus and research, and in my personal experiences, has proven the pills to be more effective.
How long until the fungus is gone? The oral medications, such as Lamisil, are taken for three months. It takes a nail ten to twelve months to grow out. Thus, after three months of treatment, your nail may still look a little funny. When the fungus lives under your nail, it causes damage to the nail and will make it turn yellow and thick. As new, healthy, and uninfected nail growth takes place the ugly portion with grow out and eventually be replaced. Many of my patients get nervous after three months of treatment when their nail doesn’t look normal yet. If the part of the nail that is closest to your body looks normal, then the treatment worked and the nail will start appearing more normal over the next several months.
Is Lamisil hard on my body? Lamisil, much like Tylenol and alcohol can cause damage to the liver. Luckily, the liver unlike most organs in our body can quickly and easily repair itself form minor damage. To ensure the medication is safe for the patient, blood work is done to check the patients liver function. If the patients liver enzymes do not come back normal, then the patient is never started on the medication. If the liver is healthy, as it is in most people, the patient is started on the oral medication and blood work is repeated again after six weeks of taking the medication. If there liver enzymes are still at normal levels, then no damage to the liver is taking place. If the enzymes levels are abnormal then the patient is taken off the medications. At this time, the damage is so minor that the liver easily repairs itself after the medication is discontinued. If the drug is managed correctly by your doctor, Lamisil can be safer than Tylenol on your liver!
NEW and SAFE TREATMENTS
If you suffer from these ugly looking nails, then our new combination of Keryflex/Laser treatment can be effective. Keryflex is a resin that has an anti-fungal in it. Our laser is the K-laser. This is a cost effective, safe and painless procedure. We perform the laser treatment for seven minutes per foot and then apply the Keryflex resin. We use one or two laser treatments and apply the resin once a month for five months. Your nails will look better immediately.
Lamisil works about 80 percent of the time which is the same efficacy as the Keryflex/Laser. Due to the lack of any side effects, I prefer to recommend the application of the resin and use of the laser over the Lamisil.
So, it is time to show your feet at the beaches and no more wearing socks to bed. Besides, your feet will love you for it.