Onychomycosis is a fairly common and widespread disease. Nail fungus develops primarily on the feet. Wearing tight, warm, wet shoes creates the most favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms. And increased sweating only increases the risk of onychomycosis. In fact, the warm and humid environment is favorable for all kinds of mushrooms. Onychomycosis requires mandatory treatment. After all, in the absence of proper therapy, the fungus enters the general bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. In this case, severe long-term systemic treatment will be required. For topical treatment, creams, ointments, varnishes, sprays and drops are used. The drops have been very popular lately.
When to use anti-nail drops?
In order for treatment to be quick and successful, it is very important that you see a doctor in time for help. The fungus is treated quickly in the initial stages. The pathogens of onychomycosis are completely different. Most often yeast, molds, dermatophytes. The doctor can only identify the genus of the fungus after a laboratory examination of the scraping taken from the affected area of the nail.
Anti-nail drops are extremely effective in treating the early stages of onychomycosis. In the same case, it is not necessary to use antifungal drugs in the form of tablets, capsules or powders. Doctors prefer drops against onychomycosis because of their fungicidal and fungistatic properties. In the first case, the fungus itself and the affected cells disappear. A fungistatic property is the ability of a drug to prevent the spread of a fungus.
Modern drops combine these two main properties. This is the key to successful therapy. The doctor only needs to select the most effective drops for a given fungal infection of the nail. After all, each drug has different active ingredients that affect certain types of fungi. Usually in such cases it is necessary to use drops from a fungal infection of the nail:
- Deformation of the nail plate;
- Changing the color of the nail;
- Thickening of the nail plate;
- Bad smell;
- Detachment, peeling, crushing of the nail;
- Appearance of spots or streaks on the surface of the disc.
Contraindications to use
Drops from nail fungus have several contraindications. And before using any antifungal agent, you should carefully study this list. If you do not take these precautions, various side effects may occur. This could be the simplest headache, abdominal pain or shortness of breath, anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema, cardiac arrest.
The main contraindications to the use of nail droplets are the following factors:
- Period of pregnancy;
- lactation;
- Age of children up to 12 years;
- Individual intolerance to certain components of the drug;
- Presence of open wounds, bleeding;
- Allergic reactions to the drug.
Many medications and anti-fungal drops are acceptable for pregnant women. Nevertheless, it is better to avoid the use of medications during the period of childbirth. Of course, if the nail fungus does not endanger the health of both the mother and the baby. In this case, your doctor may allow the use of certain antifungal agents.
Modern drops against onychomycosis have a minimal number of contraindications. But still, it is not worth prescribing any medication to yourself. Only a doctor can advise on special drops for treating a certain type of fungus. The tablets also have a number of contraindications and side effects. The complex treatment should be fully checked by a doctor. If the patient experiences abnormal redness, itching or burning during treatment with the drops, treatment should be stopped. You may want to change your medicine or use other forms - gel, cream, ointment.
Popular drops from nail fungus
There are a large number of antifungal agents today. Drops, varnishes, patches, sprays, creams, ointments, powders, tablets can be used to treat the nails. The speed and high efficiency of the drops differ. They are easy to use and are quickly absorbed, which does not disturb the patient's normal rhythm of life. The drops not only kill the fungi but also prevent the recurrence of mycosis. The drops should only be used externally. The active ingredient penetrates deep into the nail bed, is sufficiently concentrated and exerts its therapeutic effect. The most popular and effective tools are as follows.
Drops based on naphthine hydrochloride
The active substance in these drops is naphthine hydrochloride. The drops do an excellent job not only on the nails, but also on the skin of the feet and hands, in the area between the fingers in case of a fungal infection. Often, experts prescribe medication to combat lichen and other skin conditions. For maximum and fastest effect, the nail plate should be cut off (as far as possible) and cleaned before application. Only then should the drops be applied to the surface of the nail plate. It is also important to treat the skin next to the nail. Carefully rub the tool onto the damaged areas. It is sufficient to perform such manipulations once a day. The duration of therapy is prescribed by your doctor only. The course lasts an average of 2-5 weeks. Even if the symptoms go away, it is important to complete the entire course by the end.
Ciclopirox-based drops from nail fungus
These drops are effective against yeast and mold. These types of microorganisms most commonly affect the nail plates on the legs and arms. In addition, they have a therapeutic effect on some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Doctors recommend the use of this drug in the early stages of onychomycosis, when up to half of the nail plate is damaged. The maximum amount of patient nails should be applied before application. The remaining nails should be roughened with a nail file. You can only apply drops now. This allows the active ingredient to penetrate deep into the nail bed and quickly reduce the fungal population. You need to cover your nails twice a day, rubbing the product with light massaging movements. The duration of therapy is 1-3 months.
Antifungal drops based on bifonazole
The drug has a broad spectrum of action. So the drops are used to treat such diseases:
- Microsporia;
- Trichophytosis;
- nail candidiasis;
- Lichen;
- Rubrophytia;
- diaper rash;
- Increased sweating.
The product is applied to the entire surface of the nail, the nail roller. In this case, the product is rubbed with light movements. It is better to take the medicine twice a day to get a quick effect. Before each application, it is advisable to steam the toenail and remove spore particles. This helps to get rid of the softened plate and penetrate the lesion into the preparation. The average duration of therapy is 2-3 weeks.
Drops with terbinafine
These drugs have a pronounced fungicidal effect. Regular use of the drops for 3 months allows complete destruction of the cell membrane of dermatophytes, yeasts and mold. It is recommended to steam the nail and remove the affected area before starting the application. The plate and nail roller should be processed at least twice a day. Adhering to all recommendations, the manufacturer of the drops for the entire course guarantees the absence of relapses within 2 years.
It is worth noting that the process of treating onychomycosis is quite long. Therefore, you must be patient and follow all the recommendations of your doctor. In addition, some experts recommend taking oral antifungal drugs (tablets, capsules). This enhances the effect, speeds up the healing process. Only an integrated approach allows the patient to get rid of toenail problems permanently.