More often than not people are completely oblivious to the fact that they have a toenail fungus infection, blissfully unaware some would argue. So what exactly are the symptoms for a toe fungus infection? Toenails suffer from discolouration (taking on a sickly yellow appearance), have became sensitive to touch especially when you try to cut them, and have became much thicker then it is safe to say that there is a toenail fungus infection.

Toenail fungus infection needn't be a major issue, there are treatments available that can treat it quite quickly, and safely. The following is a list and breakdown of five such treatments that are currently on the market.

The first line of defence is to apply an anti-fungal cream to the affected area(s) for a minimum of 6 months, this is a crucial first step, intended to ensure that the fungus does not return. Don't worry about making an appointment with your doctor and dealing with costly prescription charges, most of these creams are readily available from over the counter, and are quite reasonable in price. These anti fungal creams can be used to tackle mild to moderate infections, and are applied directly to the infected nail.

Before using these creams however, make sure to undertake some basic precautions. Make sure you carefully review and examine the ingredient list before purchase so as to ensure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients. Thoroughly clean your hands (as well as the foot which you care going to apply the cream to) with warm water as well as soap.

The next treatment is medication, which is taken orally and is available on prescription. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with such methods, whilst such tablets are extremely effective in dealing with the infection, they pose a number of health concerns. Liver, kidney and even heart function can all be majorly compromised, so such a decision should not be undertaken lightly, and discussed with a doctor. A doctor will be better able to fully disclose and discuss all of the potential side effects, as well as other issues such as the severity and probability of such side effects. If you still have reservations then you may want to simply make use of creams instead.

The third treatment is a non-surgical nail removal, rather than conducting an operation, a special cream is used to weaken and eventually dissolve the nail, in so doing any and all infected tissue will also dissolve as well. Once the nail and the infected tissue have safely removed, a topical anti fungal cream is then applied to the infected area to ensure that there s no nasty return of the infection. A major benefit to this form of treatment is that is relatively painless.

The fourth treatment is a surgical nail removal. This procedure is done if you have a severe or recurring nail fungus infection. Just like the process for non-surgical removal, an anti-fungal cream will also be applied directly once the infected nail is removed.

The final treatment is to apply soothing oils that are designed to trickle to the very roots of the fungal infection, and these oils help to soften your nails every time you apply the oil, and best of all they can be used as a preventative measure as well. So, when you apply the soothing oils every morning and every night, make sure to apply a small amount to non-infected nails to prevent the infection spreading there.