Conventional methods and natural therapeutic options in the treatment of onychomycosis

Introduction and aim of the paper
Introduction and aim of the paper OM - onychomycosis is the most common nail plate disease in dermatological clinical practice. Onychomycosis becomes a chronic and troublesome condition with no effective treatment. Conventional treatment of onychomycosis includes topical and oral therapy. Oral antifungal agents, although quite effective, are hepatotoxic and cause drug interactions. This paper presents the most common types of OM and a review of the available treatments for onychomycosis of the toenails.

Methods of review
This paper constitutes a literature review of current expertise and recent scientific reports on conventional treatment methods and natural agents used in the course of onychomycosis. In search for information to be included in the article, current publications and English-language literature in the PubMed database were taken into consideration. Treatment options for OM include oral antifungals, topical therapies, surgical removal of the nail and laser therapy. Treatment of onychomycosis must be individualised based on the mycological examination, medication efficacy, the clinical picture, preferences and, most importantly, patient’s safety. The advantage of essential oils is that they show high antifungal activity against pathogens causing dermatophytosis and skin-related infections.

Summary
The limited range of conventional and effective antifungal agents and the possible occurrence of unpleasant side effects caused a demand for safer therapies, leading to an increased interest in topical therapies. Essential oils have the potential to become a source of new therapeutic compounds, and their use in topical preparations offers an interesting, effective and safe alternative in the treatment of OM.