Studies have shown that nearly 35 million people in the United States and 700 million across the planet endure the pain and embarrassment of toenail fungus (onychomycosis). Historically, there were limited options for treating fungal nail infections. Topical treatments fail to cure toenail fungus in a majority of cases. Oral antifungal drugs are more effective, particularly the newer drugs such as terbinafine and itraconazole, but present health complications in some patients. In light of the problems of conventional remedies, companies are seeking to develop new ways to treat onychomycosis through technology. Now, sufferers of toenail fungus have a new option to treat the age-old problem -laser treatment.
Though using lasers for treating toenail fungal infections is very new, and still undergoing FDA trials, laser treatments offer a promising cure for the dreaded condition.
Currently, no laser devices have received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for use in treating nail fungus. There are two laser devices that are being touted for their ability to cure these fungal infections. One laser device has been approved for dermatology and plastic surgery while the other is in what its maker hopes is the final stages of FDA approval. The two competing systems are:
ThePinpointe FootLaserhas received FDA-clearance for use in dermatology and plastic surgery. Since the laser has not been approved by the FDA specifically for the treatment of nail fungus, using the laser to treat nail fungus is an "off-label" use. What that means is that doctors and podiatrists may use the laser to treat toenail fungus, but the manufacturer of the laser, Pinpointe USA, Inc., cannot market or promote the device to perform that function in the U.S. Pinpointe is seeking FDA approval to market the device to treat onychomycosis and has submitted studies to the FDA to support that use.
Another laser device, the Noveonlaser manufactured by Nomir Medical Technologies has received clearance from FDA for use during contact and non-contact surgical procedures of the skin, subcutaneous tissues and nasal passages in dermatology, plastic surgery, podiatry, and otolaryngology. However, like the Pinpointe laser, the Noveon laser has not been specifically approved for use in combating nail fungus.
How Do Lasers Cure Toenail Fungus?
The two laser devices both work by shining specific wavelengths of near infrared light through the nail plate of the toe or finger. The light from the laser eradicates the fungus, yeast or mold that are under the nail plate and which are causing the infection. The laser light has no effect on the surrounding healthy tissue. There is no pain but some patients experience temporary warmth in the nail during treatment.
Are Laser Treatments Effective?
PinPointe reported that in a clinical trial, 88% of the treated patients grew out a normal looking nail after a single laser treatment. Nomir has stated publicly that in one study its Noveon laser therapy treatments resulted in 87% clinical improvement. Both of those results are significantly higher than were found in clinical studies of terbinafine, the most effective pharmaceutical drug for onychomycosis.
The results reported by the laser device manufacturers appear quite promising, these results are based on very small study sizes and the manufacturers' studies may not meet the rigorous standards of the studies conducted on the pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, since the use of the laser devices in treating nail fungus is a very new technology, there is no data on the long term effectiveness of the treatment or the reoccurrence of the nail fungus following the completion of the laser treatment.
In conclusion, the initial reports seem to point to laser therapy as the most effective available treatment of onychomycosis, but much more data needs to be acquired before it can be established that the laser devices offer a viable alternative to the current remedies for toenail fungus.
Marshall DeSoto is a freelance writer. He has written on laser treatments for toenail fungus, home remedies for toenail fungus and similar topics of interest to people who suffer from this ugly and painful condition.
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While the years past, laser was mostly used in surgical treatment for eye diseases. It has now been extended to the treatment for nail fungus, and for surgical operation in other parts of the body. Forces of Nature Nail Fungus Control Reviews
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