Nail fungus is a treatable condition. Your doctor or healthcare professional can help you choose the best option to achieve healthy nails, allowing you to resume the activities you love, from walks along the beach and going to the pool to working out at the gym.

Current therapies include both brush-on and oral prescription medications. Surgical treatment such as nail debridement also may be necessary. Home remedies are also available. However, they have not been proven to be effective in treating nail fungus, and their safety has not been tested.

In order to help you choose the best treatment for your needs, the doctor may consider:

• Your overall health and age
• Whether your nail fungus has gotten worse or has spread
• Any other medications you may be taking, and
• Your comfort level with specific medications for nail fungus

To begin treatment for your nail fungus, you may wish to discuss the following options with your healthcare professional:

• Prescription brush-on medication. Penlac® is the only FDA-approved brush-on prescription medication that safely targets the nail fungus infection, not the whole body. Penlac® works directly on the infected nail — from the outside in. Penlac® has no known drug interactions, few side effects and is economical.

• Prescription oral medications. Oral medications are pills taken by mouth. Although effective, they can have serious side effects, especially in patients who are taking other medications or who have immune system disorders. Patients using these drugs to treat nail fungus may also need periodic blood tests.

• Debridement. As part of your comprehensive treatment program, your doctor may remove debris and file down thickened sections of the diseased nail.