Why is toenail turning white

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Sign Me Up. Print This Page Click to Print. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Sign Up. Left untreated, the discolored area will grow as the infection spreads. Anyone can develop nail fungus. But certain people have a higher risk, including older adults and people with reduced blood circulation or weakened immune systems. Mild fungal infections usually respond well to over-the-counter OTC antifungal treatments, which you can find on Amazon. Look for something that contains either clotrimazole or terbinafine.

You can also try these 10 home remedies. Left untreated, several fungal infections can cause permanent nail damage. You should also see a healthcare provider if you have diabetes and a fungal infection in your toenail. This injury can also result from wearing shoes that are too tight. Subungual hematomas can make your nail appear red or purple. Eventually, this will change to a brown or black color. The affected nail will also likely feel sore and tender.

Subungual hematomas usually heal on their own within a few days. In the meantime, try to rest the affected foot. You can also wrap an ice pack in a towel and place it on the nail to help with the pain. You may have a more severe injury that requires treatment. This would cause a black toenail. If the trauma does not cause broken blood vessels, a white spot may appear under the nail. The spot will slowly grow out with the normal growth of the toenail.

Debridement The thickened portions of the nail can be debrided, or removed, to reduce pain and allow a topical treatment to penetrate more effectively. Topical Medication Medications that are applied like nail polish or hand cream are sometimes used to treat nail infections.

However, topical medication often fails because it doesn't move deeply enough into the nail to reach the fungus or users forget to apply it daily for almost a year, as is required. Oral Medication Oral medications used to treat toenail fungus include terbinafine Lamisil and itraconazole Sporanox, Onmel.

Both medications require at least a three-month course of treatment for toenails; if used consistently, they have a good success rate.

Because both drugs can affect the liver, however, blood tests of liver function are recommended before treatment is started and every four to six weeks during treatment. A third medication, fluconazole Diflucan , is sometimes used on an off-label basis for toenail fungus caused by yeast.