Toenail Fungus: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Effective Treatment Options

Toenail fungus can become an unsightly problem, causing you to hide your feet in closed-toe shoes all summer long. Typically, the fungus remains on the toenail, but it can spread beyond your toenail if you're immunocompromised from diabetes, another medical concern, or certain medications. At Total Foot Care, serving Greenbelt and Ellicott City, MD, and the nearby region, Dr. Richard Cohen, Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, and Dr. Alex Lakner can treat this condition. Here's what you should know about the treatment and determining if you may have a toenail fungus.

Toenail Fungus Symptoms

 Athlete's feet can spread to the toenails and cause a fungal infection, or you may pick it up at the gym shower. Once you develop it, this infection typically starts as a white to yellowish-brown spot on the toenail.

As the infection worsens, your nail may change color, usually becoming yellow, green, brown, or black. The nail may thicken and crumble. The integrity of the nail can change from the infection, causing it to become brittle. The nail may also begin to separate from the nail bed. Another common symptom is an odor released from the fungi.

Diagnosing the Problem

 A podiatrist from our Greenbelt or our Ellicott City, MD, office may be able to diagnose your infection by merely looking at the nail and assessing it carefully. Because infections from other microorganisms may mimic a fungal infection, our practitioner may need to conduct further testing to accurately diagnose the problem, such as taking a clipping or scraping a sample for laboratory testing.

How We Treat Toenail Fungus

 We may recommend a medicated nail polish that consists of an antifungal agent. We'll ask you to apply it once daily. 

Sometimes, the treatment is an oral antifungal you take once daily for six to 12 weeks. Slowly, a healthy nail will grow, one free of toenail fungus.

In some cases, a doctor from our practice will recommend partially removing the nail to make the application of topical antifungals more effective. Alternatively, though we try to avoid this option as much as possible, our practitioner may surgically remove the nail completely.

Total Foot Care, serving Greenbelt and Ellicott City, MD, and the general vicinity, is home to Dr. Cohen, Dr. Steinberg, and Dr. Lakner who recommend patients reach out if they have signs of a toenail infection. We can treat the problem or prevent it from worsening while ensuring you don't have to live with the embarrassment.

Call 301-345-4087 today.