Doctors are using ‘cold’ laser beams to vaporise nail fungus, a common cause of painful, unsightly toenails. Unlike conventional lasers, which use heat, the new handheld device relies on a special type of intense light to kill the fungus.
The painless therapy — which takes ten minutes to treat each foot — does not harm the surrounding tissue of the toe and nail bed. Furthermore, researchers say that the laser therapy does not have the side-effects that have been associated with drug therapy.
Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, affects between 3 and 9 per cent of the population. Toenails are four times more likely to be affected than finger nails, and men are more likely to suffer than women.
The problem is also more common with advancing age. The infection, which is similar to athlete’s foot, is caused when tiny spores of fungus infect the skin.
Wearing sweaty trainers or suffering from hot, perspiring feet provide the perfect breeding ground for the fungal spores. The risk of getting nail fungus is also greater if there is nail damage (people with conditions such as psoriasis and diabetes are particularly vulnerable).
As the fungus spreads deeper into the nail, it may cause discolouration, thickening and the development of crumbling edges. The nail can turn white, black, yellow or green, and even break away from the toe.
The nail bed and surrounding skin can become inflamed and painful, and in extreme cases it can make walking difficult.
read more ...
SOURCE Daily Mail
The painless therapy — which takes ten minutes to treat each foot — does not harm the surrounding tissue of the toe and nail bed. Furthermore, researchers say that the laser therapy does not have the side-effects that have been associated with drug therapy.
Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, affects between 3 and 9 per cent of the population. Toenails are four times more likely to be affected than finger nails, and men are more likely to suffer than women.
The problem is also more common with advancing age. The infection, which is similar to athlete’s foot, is caused when tiny spores of fungus infect the skin.
Wearing sweaty trainers or suffering from hot, perspiring feet provide the perfect breeding ground for the fungal spores. The risk of getting nail fungus is also greater if there is nail damage (people with conditions such as psoriasis and diabetes are particularly vulnerable).
As the fungus spreads deeper into the nail, it may cause discolouration, thickening and the development of crumbling edges. The nail can turn white, black, yellow or green, and even break away from the toe.
The nail bed and surrounding skin can become inflamed and painful, and in extreme cases it can make walking difficult.
read more ...
SOURCE Daily Mail
