Fungal Toenails

If you walk barefoot at the gym or public pool, your risk for fungal toenails significantly increases. To restore your toenail health and prevent the spread of infection, Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, offers comprehensive fungal toenail treatments. Joel Segalman, DPM, FACFAS, FACFAO, and Stephen Lazaroff, DPM, FACFAS, use advanced laser technologies that target and destroy nail fungus. If you’re embarrassed by yellowed and thickened fungal toenails, call the office in Waterbury or Newtown, Connecticut, to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online today.

What are fungal toenails?

Fungal toenails develop when fungus grows in and under your nail. Fungal infections are contagious and can easily spread in moist and warm environments, like public locker rooms, pools, and nail salons.

Because the infection is contagious, you can also easily spread it to other people through physical contact.

Without treatment, the fungus can stay in your toenails for many years and cause symptoms that affect the health and appearance of your nails.

What are the symptoms of fungal toenails?

When fungus infects your toenails, it can cause a yellowed appearance. Nails also become brittle and may crumble when you touch them.

Other symptoms of fungal toenails include:

• Nail thickening
• Dark discoloration
• Distorted nail shape
• Foul-smelling odor

While fungal toenails may not be painful, they can alter the appearance of your toenails and cause embarrassment.

You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC if you have any symptoms of fungal toenails. Noninvasive treatments are available to protect your nail health and prevent the spread of the infection.

How are fungal toenails treated?

Your treatment plan for fungal toenails may include topical or oral medications to destroy the fungus. However, these therapies may not be effective, and they can cause unpleasant side effects.

If conservative treatments aren’t clearing your infection, the Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC providers can determine if you’re a candidate for laser therapy. Laser treatments for fungal toenails require no incisions. Instead, your surgeon aims a concentrated laser beam through your nail to kill the fungus living in and under your nail.

Laser treatments are virtually painless and require no anesthesia. To improve your overall outcome, the physicians may recommend up to three laser treatments to clear the infection.

Following your laser treatments, you can prevent new infections by keeping your feet clean and dry. You should also change out of damp shoes and sweaty socks and wear shoes when walking in public locker rooms or gyms.

To treat fungal toenails and restore the health of your nails, call the Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, office near you, or book an appointment online today.