Toenail Fungus Disease

Many suffer from the discomfort and embarrassment of toenail fungus disease, which can start in a small area and spread to become a much larger infection. Toenail fungus can be painful and difficult to treat.

Features

• Toenail fungus infections occur when fungi attacks the nail. The infection begins as a yellow or white spot under the nail and can spread to cause the nail to become discolored, thick and rigid and to crumble at the edges.

Diagnosis

• If you are experiencing the symptoms described above, your nail probably is infected. A doctor can confirm this by taking a sampling of the nail and sending it to a lab for a culture.

Treatment

• There are many over-the-counter creams that claim to treat nail fungus, but these tend to be unsuccessful because the infection needs to be cured from the inside. A doctor can prescribe oral medication, but this can interfere with other medicines and cause possible liver damage. The fungus will not clear until a new, uninfected nail has grown in; for this reason, doctors often will remove the nail.

Prevention/Solution

• Toenail fungus disease comes from bacteria that reside in warm, moist areas such as showers at the gym or inside tight shoes. Be sure to keep your feet clean and dry, wear flip-flops in public showers and use powder in your shoes to absorb moisture if your feet perspire a lot.

Warning

• Fungal infections often reappear even after they have been successfully treated, so continue to take all precautions to keep your toenails healthy.