Toe Nail Fungus

0 Comments | Rating: 0 | |

When we are young, no horrors exist. It is only through living life that we discover things that we would rather remain ignorant of. Barefoot and wild could describe a lot of us as we grow up. It only takes one step on a rusty nail to change all that. At home and in our yard there is little to worry about walking barefoot, but an unsoled stroll through the shower room of a local gym can garner a unanimous consensus from your toes, "There is a fungus among us."

There is probably nothing more painfully frustrating than Athlete's foot and toe nail fungus. It has a life of it's own, literally! It is frightening to think of the symbiotic relationship there is between our toes and fungus. But to be truly symbiotic, the fungus would need to provide some kind of benefit to the toe; in this case, there is none. In order to find a nail fungus treatment to properly treat this problem, we need to know a little more about it.

Toe nail fungus or onychomycosis is a common fungal infection that affects the nails. The same tone nail fungus can also affect the fingernails, but it is the toenail that is affected the most. This happens when the fungi is able to get underneath the nails. It constitutes half of the nail problems and affects ten percent of adults. This fungal infection rarely affects children, but the rate increases as the person gets older. The fungus causes disfigurement and can destroy the toenails. Usually, the most affected toes are the big and the little one. Fungi that hides in warm, moist and dark surroundings in the shoes cause it. They reside and eat the hard part or the surface of the nail, which is the protein or keratin, as they multiply and grow.

Wearing tight closed shoes very often increases the possibility of having this infection. It is not also advisable to wear nail polish most of the time as it can also help develop toe nail fungal infection.

Unfortunately, Onychomychosis is a transmittable infection. This usually happens in public places like gyms, shower rooms and lockers. Any condition affecting the circulation of the blood can trigger the attack of this nail fungus. This infection affects toe nails as it is an ideal place for the fungi to grow and mutate. Often wearing of tight shoes can make the nails become weak and break. Even a little break in the nail can help the fungus attack. Wearing the same shoes everyday is not advisable and will hinder toenail fungus treatment. Shoes should be allowed to dry first before they can be worn again. Be careful not to cut the toe nails too close to the quick or it may cause cuts which invite fungus to enter and allow them to spread. The risk of getting toe nail fungal infections increases when the feet are left wet or damp for a long period.

Common symptoms of this nail infection are nails that are thick, brittle, chipped, flaky, and the color can be yellow, brown or black. The texture of the nails is rough and it is crumbly. It may even detach itself from the nail bed. No pain is usually felt with the disease, but there could be some pain with thick nails when walking while wearing closed shoes. There can also be a bad odor coming from under the nails.

People who have onychomycosis suffer from psychological stress because of the undesirable nail appearance, which significantly increases when it happens to the fingernails. Patients are often ashamed of how the nail looks and they neglect fashion trends like wearing any open footwear, instead they wear closed toe shoes all the time to hide their ugly nails. This action will make the problem even worse as the fungi are happy to live in this environmental condition.

To prevent yourself from being infected by nail fungus, always wear a well-fitting pair of shoes and clean socks. The feet should always be comfortable. Do not wear the same shoes everyday. Make sure that they are thoroughly dried out before wearing them again. Keep the nails trimmed properly, but make sure that they are not too short. When using public showers do not forget to wear sandals or shower shoes. Wash feet thoroughly and use foot powder everyday. Make sure the feet are dried properly before putting on the foot powder.

The best toenail fungus cure is good hygiene in preventing toenail fungus from occurring. Those who are already experiencing this fungal infection can still begin good hygiene habits. This does not only benefit the nails, but other parts of the body as well. Battling this problem takes consistent effort. The day you let up is the day that fungus takes more ground. Don't let it. Be sure to treat your feet everyday with toenail fungus home remedies and you can be fungus free in six to eight weeks.