Treatment options


For a very mild infection with only superficial discoloration and no thickening, some people choose to not treat the infection. However is a chance that it will affect other nails or deteriorate over time.

For many people the delay in treatment has been due to the lack of any effective and safe treatment up until now.

Lacquers have been used by many people and are indicated for minor infections with only 1 or 2 nails affected at the tip. It can take more than a year of treatment and they are not particularly effective.

Taking antifungal medication orally can be effective for some people and is the traditional treatment for the infection. It can take between 3-6 months of taking the tablets daily. There are potential side effects to the liver and liver function blood tests are advised to monitor for problems.

Both of these treatments have had a maximum of 60-67% effectiveness in studies reported in the British Medical Journal. Some NHS Trusts or GPs refuse or discourage treatment of fungal infections because of the lack of effective and safe options available until now.