Many people look forward to this time of year, but it can cause great anxiety for others. If you are dealing with toenail fungus, the last thing you may want to wear is open-toed shoes. Toenail fungus can affect one or multiple toes at a time. Please be aware that this is a highly contagious condition. If it starts to affect just one toe, it can easily spread to others if not treated promptly. Treat toenail fungus in Indianapolis and Carmel, IN with laser treatment. Dr. Jeffrey Agricola from Prestige Podiatry provides this service, one of the most advanced treatments to have become available in recent years. Read on to learn more.
What are the symptoms and what causes toenail fungus?
Aesthetic symptoms caused by toenail fungus will be easily visible. However, they will not be the same for everyone. The symptoms that toenail fungus may cause are:
- A change in color of the nail generally to a yellowish appearance with white dots showing up in some cases.
- Oddly shaped nails
- Thickening of the nail
- Peeling or brittle nails that easily break
- Bad odor coming from the toenail
- Separation of the toenail from the nailbed
Fungi called dermatophytes are responsible for causing toenail fungus. If you are unlucky enough to unwillingly give a ride to dermatophytes on your toes, they will feed on proteins that contribute to the makeup of your toenails. Dermatophytes love warm, moist spaces.
It may seem like a no-win situation. This fungus is the exact reason making you choose your shoes carefully and avoid open-toed shoes. But the fungus will multiply and worsens in sweaty socks and shoes. So, what do you do? There are effective treatments for toenail fungus. Keep reading...
How laser treatment helps toenail fungus
Treating toenail fungus is a great option. Laser therapy is a completely non-invasive treatment, does not involve surgery or medication, and has a higher success rate than oral and topical medications.
Laser treatment devices emit waves of energy that produce heat. The heat discharged from the laser penetrates the troublesome nail and destroys the infected tissue. The heat from the lasers also sterilises the surrounding area. This will help to prevent new fungi from infecting your toenail.
In most cases, this treatment will only require one visit. But several visits may be necessary to eliminate the fungus. The best part - no downtime is required after this treatment.
Once dermatophytes have settled on their toenails, the fungus will not go away on its own. It is there to stay and get worse unless it is addressed.
Contact us
Treat your feet with laser treatment for toenail fungus in Indianapolis and Carmel, IN with Dr. Agricola from Prestige Podiatry. Wear whatever shoes you want this summer. Schedule a consultation with us to discuss this treatment by calling our Indianapolis offices at (317) 881-0070 and our Carmel office at (317) 846-4111.