Onychomycosis is a very common and widespread disease. Nail fungus mainly develops on the legs. 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, for any type of fungus, favorable conditions are a warm and humid environment. Onychomycosis requires mandatory treatment. After all, in the absence of proper therapy, the fungus penetrates the general bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. In this case, severe long-term systemic treatment will be required. For local treatment, creams, ointments, varnishes, sprays and drops are used. These are the drops that have recently been very popular.
When are nail fungus drops used?
For treatment to be fast and successful, it is very important to see a doctor for help in a timely manner. Nail fungus is treated quickly at the initial stage. The causative agents of onychomycosis are completely different. Most often it is yeast, mold fungi, dermatophytes. The doctor can identify the genus of the fungus only after performing a laboratory study of a scraping taken from the affected area of the nail.
Toenail fungus drops are highly effective in treating the early stage of onychomycosis. In the same case, it is not necessary to use antifungal drugs in the form of tablets, capsules, powders. Doctors prefer drops against onychomycosis because of their fungicidal and fungistatic properties. In the first case, the elimination of the fungus itself and of the affected cells is noted. The fungistatic property is the drug's ability to prevent the spread of the fungus.
Modern drops combine these two main properties. This is the key to successful therapy. The doctor just needs to choose the most effective drops for a specific case of fungal infection of the toenails. After all, each drug has different active ingredients that affect specific types of fungi. In general, the use of drops from a fungal nail infection is necessary in such cases:
- Deformation of the nail plate;
- Change the color of the nail;
- Thickening of the nail plate;
- Bad smell;
- Delamination, exfoliation, crumbling of the nail;
- The appearance of spots or streaks on the surface of the plate.
Contraindications for use
Nail fungus drops have several contraindications. And before using any antifungal agent, you need to carefully study this list. If you do not pay attention to these precautions, various adverse reactions can occur. It could be the simplest headaches, abdominal pain or shortness of breath, anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema, cardiac arrest.
The main contraindications to the use of nail fungus drops are the following factors:
- Pregnancy period;
- lactation period;
- Children's age up to 12 years;
- Individual intolerance to individual drug components;
- The presence of open wounds, bleeding;
- Allergic reactions to the drug.
Many nail fungus medications and drops are acceptable for use by pregnant women. But nevertheless, during the period of pregnancy, it is better to avoid taking medication. Of course, if the nail fungus does not threaten the health of the expectant mother and baby. In this case, the doctor may authorize the use of some antifungals.
Modern drops against onychomycosis have a minimum number of contraindications. But nevertheless, it is not worth prescribing any medicine for yourself. Only a doctor will be able to advise specific drops suitable for the treatment of a particular type of fungus. The pills also have a wide range of contraindications and side effects. Complex treatment must be fully controlled by a physician. If the patient during the period of treatment with drops noticed abnormal redness, itching, burning, then the therapy should be stopped. It may be worth replacing the remedy or using other forms - gel, cream, ointment.
Popular nail fungus drops
Today, there are a large number of antifungal agents. For nail care, you can use drops, varnishes, adhesives, sprays, creams, ointments, powders, tablets. Drops differ in speed and high efficiency. They are easy to use, quickly absorbed, which does not interfere with the patient's usual rhythm of life. The drops not only kill the fungus, but also prevent ringworm from re-developing. Drops should only be used externally. The active ingredient penetrates deeply into the nail bed, concentrates in sufficient amounts and exerts its therapeutic effect. The most popular and effective are the following tools.
Naftifine hydrochloride drops
The active substance in these drops is naftifine hydrochloride. The drops do an excellent job with a fungal infection not only on the nails, but also on the skin of the legs, hands, in the area between the fingers. Often, specialists prescribe a drug to fight lichen and other skin diseases. To obtain the maximum and fastest effect, the nail plate should be cut (as far as possible) and cleaned before application. Only after that the drops are applied to the surface of the nail plate. In addition, it is important to treat the skin adjacent to the nail. The tool is gently rubbed into the damaged areas. It is enough to carry out such manipulations only once a day. The duration of the course of therapy is prescribed only by the doctor. On average, the course lasts from 2 to 5 weeks. Even with the disappearance of symptoms, it is important to complete the entire course to the end.
Cyclopirox-based toenail fungus drops
These drops effectively fight yeasts and fungi. It is these types of microorganisms that most often affect the nail plates on the legs and arms. In addition, they have a therapeutic effect against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Doctors recommend using this drug in the early stages of the development of onychomycosis, when no more than half of the nail plate is damaged. Before application, the maximum amount of the diseased nail is applied. The remaining nail should be brought to a roughened state with a nail file. Only now you can apply drops. This will allow the active component to penetrate deep into the nail bed and quickly reduce the fungus population. You need to cover your nails twice a day, rubbing the product with light massaging movements. The course of therapy is 1-3 months.
Bifonazole-based antifungal drops
The drug has a broad spectrum of action. Thus, drops are used to treat these diseases:
- Microsporia;
- Trichophytosis;
- nail candidiasis;
- Lichen;
- Redness;
- diaper rash;
- Increased sweating.
The agent is applied to the entire surface of the nail, the nail roller. In this case, the product is rubbed with light movements. To get a quick effect, it is better to apply the drug twice a day. Before each application, it is worth steaming the nail, removing spore particles. This will help get rid of the softened plaque and penetrate the agent into the lesion. On average, the course of therapy lasts 2-3 weeks.
drops with terbinafine
These drugs have a pronounced fungicidal effect. Regular use of drops for 3 months allows you to completely destroy the cell membrane of dermatophytes, yeast and mold. Before starting the application, it is recommended to steam the nail and remove the affected area. It is necessary to process the plate and nail roller at least twice a day. Subject to all recommendations, passing the full course, the manufacturer of the drops guarantees the absence of relapses in 2 years.
It is worth remembering that the course of treatment for onychomycosis is quite long. Therefore, you have to be patient and follow all the doctor's recommendations. In addition, some experts recommend taking antifungals orally (tablets, capsules). This will enhance the effect, speed up the healing process. Only an integrated approach will allow the patient to permanently get rid of toenail problems.