Nail fungus infection begin with fungus affecting one or more nails and it becomes visible through a white or yellow spot on your fingernail or toenail tip. The fungal organism that causes nail fungus is richophyton rubrum. It works by getting inside the skin through small cuts. You succumb to nail fungus if your nails are continuously exposed to warm and moist environments. As the fungus spreads, it can cause the nail color to discolor and become thick. In the advanced stage, the affected nail or nails can crumble and this can be very painful. Men are more prone to fungus infection than women and they are affected in the later stage of their life, usually after 40.
Once nail fungus starts, it will persist continuously till it is treated. Though you can use over-the-counter medication for treating nail fungus infection, effective treatment can only be found with prescription medications. Usual anti-fungal prescriptions are in oral form available such as Lamisil and Sporanox as topical applications are really not very effective. These medications are prescribed for a period of six to twelve weeks. They kill the fungus that causes the infection and help new healthy nails to grow. A point to be noted about oral anti-fungal medication is that is not recommended for people with congestive heart failure or live disease.
If you are not comfortable with oral anti-fungal medication, the doctor can prescribe antifungal laquer. This is an anti-fungal nail polish that you should paint on your infected nails and surrounding skin area for a period of seven days. The paint should be then removed though alcohol and another coating has to be applied. This should be carried out for six months to see positive results.
Treating nail fungus infection largely lies in checking the symptoms as soon as they appear, otherwise the infection will spread and cause extensive nail damage.