Stress Fracture Treatment Birmingham

Definition
Fungal nail infections are the main type of nail deformity that can occur at any age. It is common for nails to change colour and thicken when suffering from a fungal nail infection. When fungi feed on the keratin in the nail, an infection begins. Footwear is the ideal place for fungi to spread as they flourish in dark, damp, moist places.

When the nail has been infected, it will begin with a yellow streak through the nail and look chalky. The nail will generally become brittle and start to break apart. When the nail begins to thicken it may start to become loose. A fungal infection tends to begin in one nail but can spread to other nails. This condition should be diagnosed by a podiatrist as there may be other reasons for yellow thick nails.

Treatment
There are many treatments available to treat fungal nail infections. Once a diagnosis has been made then the right treatment for you will be advised. This can vary from using lacquers, creams and tablets to surgery.

Lacquers and creams are applied directly onto the nail. These can be purchased from a chemist whilst there are others that Podiatrists and General Practitioners will prescribe. When applying these treatments, you have to be patient as it can take several months to cure the nail. If the nail is very thick and stops the lacquer and creams being absorbed properly then a Podiatrist may have to use a drill and make small holes in the nail.

Tablets may be prescribed by a Podiatrist and like the lacquers and creams, these must be taken for several months too until the nail is back to normal. If the infection is caught early enough then taking tablets should completely cure the fungal nail infection.

If the fungal nail infection is very severe that nothing is working, then a Podiatrist may operate and remove the nail so that it no longer causes a problem. Then the new nail will need to be treated to stop the infection reoccurring.