Laser Treatment For Toenail Fungus Showing Promising Results

By Allyson Burke


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.

This toe fungus can make the whole foot look quite ugly. The nails often are discolored, hard, and thick. Sometimes, they even get very soft and will peel or crumble. Some people end up losing the entire toenail. The condition seems to occur most often in the elderly. Men seem to have it more often than 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.

In the past both topical and oral medication have been used to treat this nail condition. However, neither approach has been really successful. The oral medications tend to work only about 50 percent of the time. The topical application is even less effective working an average of only 10 percent of the time. The condition also has a tendency to reoccur in many patients.

Lasers seem to be a much better solution for this condition. The doctor uses a special laser for a brief time period. This causes the fungi to heat up. It is then vaporized and killed. The doctor has the choice of using various wavelengths. He bases how much to use by looking at the severity of each individual patient's case.

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.

Unfortunately, most medical insurances do not cover the cost for this procedure. They usually consider it to be a cosmetic condition rather than a medical one. You will need to discuss the cost with the doctor before the process begins.

There is good news when choosing laser treatment for toenail fungus. The statistics so for are very good. Approximately ninety percent of patients using this technique have had positive results. Even when the fungi goes away, however, it may still take a while for the new healthy nail to grow back. Some patients using the oral and/or topical medications saw the condition reoccur. Since this is such a new technique, it is still unclear whether or not this regrowth will appear with these patients. It may or may not be a long term solution. The results, so far, are quite promising. Be sure to discuss any questions you have with your doctor.




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