How Do You Get Nail Fungus

Types Of Fungal Nail Infections

There are four main kinds of fungal nail infection. Each looks slightly different:

• Distal or lateral subungual onychomycosis. This is the most common kind. It results from a fungus called a dermatophyte. You can get it in your fingernails or toenails. It starts in the nail bed, underneath the nail. Youâll see a yellowish colored area that spreads from the edges of the nail to the center, and places where it comes apart from the nail bed.
• White superficial onychomycosis. This is less common and only affects the nail surface, mainly on your toenails. It starts as white spots, which become powdery and cause the nail to crumble.
• Proximal subungual onychomycosis. This appears first as white spots in the center of the nail bed at the cuticle. They move outward as the finger or toenail grows. Itâs rare and usually affects people who have immune system problems, like HIV infection.
• Candidal onychomycosis. Yeast causes this infection that usually affects your fingernails. The area around the nails is often swollen and inflamed, and the nails may come off entirely. It tends to happen to nails that have been damaged by an injury or another infection.

Complications: What If The Infection Is Left Untreated

If the nail fungus spreads deeper into the nail bed, it will cause the nail to thicken and turn green, yellow, brown, or black. As the infection progresses, the infected nail becomes brittle and pieces of it will start to break off from the toe or finger completely. Should the condition be left untreated, it can spread to other nails or cause skin around the infected nail to become inflamed. In more advanced stages, a foul smell may develop and white or yellow patches may be seen on the exposed nail bed. Over time, severe fungal nail infections can cause permanent damage to the nail root or nail bed.

It can be quite embarrassing to have this condition since this is an infection thats hard to hide. People with Onychomycosis may also find it difficult or painful to wear shoes, walk, or stand for long periods of time if their toenails have been infected severely.

Why Does The Onychomycosis Fungus Attack Toenails And Fingernails

Even though fungal infections are not only limited to nail areas, there are other type of fungal infections as well, for example, fungal paronychia which is the inflammation of the tissue folds surrounding the nail. However, the most common areas for fungi to cause infection is still around fingernails and toenails, toenail holding the highest probability for infections, the reason behind this is easily understandable. The area surrounding our nails is prone to accumulate most of the dirt and bacteria that are not even visible to the naked eye. While we use our hands to touch everything throughout the day, from tying our shoe laces in the morning to holding doors and handles in the bus for support, then using the same hands to eat food, we don’t even realize how many germs we consume in our body. Besides that, fungal infections are so easily transmittable from one person to another, while borrowing gloves from somebody else or getting a manicure/pedicure at the salon; you might think you are getting your nails cleaned which is not the case always. So, it is advised to ask for clean healthy tools every time you visit a salon, that will sound annoying and nosy but it is worth preserving your health.

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How Did I Get Toenail Fungus

How did I get toenail fungus? This is the question that I first asked my doctor when he diagnosed me with the infection. When someone becomes infected with nail fungus, lots of questions come up. One of the more prominent ones is how did I get it? There are lots of different ways to become infected with toenail fungus. It can often be difficult to find out exactly how you became infected. But doing a little research could help you figure out how nail fungus might have infected you.

There Is A Wide Range Of Options With Varying Success Rates

Other than keeping your toenails trimmed and perhaps painted, you may not pay much attention to them unless a problem develops. Healthy toenails are pink, shiny and smooth, but a fungal infection can cause them to become discolored, thick, brittle and even painful.

Toenail fungal infection, known as onychomycosis, is a common but challenging condition; toenail fungus treatments include a wide range of options with varying success rates.

Causes of toenail fungus

Fungal nail infections are usually caused by fungi called dermatophytes that infect the skin beneath the nail; yeast is another common culprit. Toenails are especially vulnerable to infection when your bare feet contact damp surfaces such as showers, swimming pools and locker rooms. If you have athletes foot, the infection can spread to the nails.

Wearing closed shoes such as athletic shoes for extended periods also can contribute to infection if your shoes and/or socks are damp from perspiration or heat.;Moreover, if your shoes fit snugly enough to put pressure on your toes, they can damage the nail bed, making it more susceptible to infection.

People with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or circulatory problems, also may be more prone to toenail infections.

Symptoms of toenail fungus

Toenail fungus symptoms can develop slowly over time and may go unnoticed at first. Symptoms can include:

Toenail fungus treatments

• Tolnaftate
• Terbinafine

When to see a doctor for toenail fungus

Preventing toenail fungus

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Is It Toenail Fungus Or Something Else

Odd-looking toenail? It may be a fungal infection, but there’s a good chance that another condition could be to blame.

If you notice an odd spot on your toenail, you might assume its a fungal infection. However, theres a good chance that its not.

Spots or discolorations on or under a toenail could be bruises resulting from trauma to the nail, blood blisters, warts, or even subungual melanoma, a type of skin cancer, says;Ami Sheth,;a doctor;of podiatric medicine in Los Gatos, California, and a spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Since nail irregularities can be caused by diseases besides these as well, its best to get it looked at, says Dr. Sheth.

Richard Goad,;a doctor;of;podiatric;medicine at Baylor Scott & White Health in Waco, Texas, concurs. Sometimes the nail will be the first place to show another underlying problem, Dr. Goad says.

So is it a fungus, a false alarm, or another condition entirely?

Signs And Symptoms Of A Fungal Nail Infection

A fungal nail infection may not cause any obvious symptoms at first.

As it progresses, the infection can cause:

• discolouration of the nail it may turn;white, black, yellow or green
• thickening and distortion of the nail it may become an unusual shape or texture and be;difficult to trim
• pain or discomfort particularly when using or placing pressure on the affected toe or finger
• brittle or crumbly nails pieces may break off and come away completely

Sometimes the skin nearby may also become infected and be itchy and cracked or red and swollen.

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Additional reporting for this story by Jennifer Nied

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Facts You Should Know About Fungal Nails

Many changes in fingernails or toenails may cause people to think they have a fungal infection of the nails, medically known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium.

Fungal infection of the nails sometimes makes the condition sound contagious or related to poor hygiene. In fact, up to 10% of all adults in Western countries have fungal infection of the nails. This percentage increases to 20% of adults who are age 60 or older. Toenail fungus is much more common than fingernail fungus.

In reality, abnormal-looking nails may be caused by a number of conditions including, but not limited to, fungal infection. There are many other reasons why your nails may look different.

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Stop This Skin Infection In Its Tracks With These Over

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Verywell / Sabrina Jiang

Toenail fungus is a common fungal condition that often starts after a rash on the foot spreads to the nails. When mild, it looks like white and yellow spots growing under the nail beds. But if left untreated, the fungus can grow severely by hardening the nails and spreading to other toes.

The fungus often begins in the form of athlete’s foot between the toes or on the soles of the feet. At this stage, the fungal infection is easier to treat with over-the-counter medication. But Shari Lipner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, told Verywell Health toenail fungus can be difficult to treat because of how slow the nails grow. The more severe the toenail fungus, the thicker the nail, and the more nails involved makes it that much harder to treat the nails even with effective therapies, she says.;

Diagnosing the fungal infection early is key to make treatments effective. Dr. Lipner recommends visiting a board-certified dermatologist to properly treat the infection if it grows to be too severe.;

Here are a few of the best over-the-counter toenail fungus treatments on the market.

What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Toenail Fungus

The most effective toenail fungus treatment for you will largely depend on your symptoms and situation. Your provider will consider several factors before recommending a treatment plan thats customized to you.

Overall, oral antifungal medications may offer the most treatment potential. Pairing oral drugs with topical antifungal medication may make treatment more effective.

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When To Refer To Podiatry

Before initiating topical or oral therapy, patients should ideally be referred to a podiatrist for nail trimming and debridement. This assists with removing as much fungus as possible and improves topical drug penetration. Debridement alone cannot be recommended for the treatment of OM; patients using a combination of debridement and topical nail lacquer have shown a significant improvement in mycological cure compared with debridement only. Patients with nail trauma owing to footwear, dystrophic toenails affecting other toes or who describe discomfort when walking owing to thickened toenails should also be referred.

When there is treatment failure with topical, oral and combination therapies, a podiatrist may be able to carry out a chemical or surgical nail avulsion .

If there is doubt over the original diagnosis, or where no improvement has been seen with treatment, pharmacists should refer patients to a podiatrist or their GP.

Supported by RB

RB provided financial support in the production of this content.

The authors were paid by The Pharmaceutical Journal to write this article and full editorial control was maintained by the journal at all times.

How Do Dermatologists Treat A Fungal Nail Infection

Treatment usually begins with your dermatologist trimming your infected nail, cutting back each infected nail to the place where it attaches to your finger or toe. Your dermatologist may also scrape away debris under the nail. This helps get rid of some fungus.

To completely get rid of the infection, most people also need one or more of the following treatments:

Medicine you apply to the nail: If you have a mild infection, a medicine that you apply to your nails may get rid of the infection. This treatment helps keep new fungus out while the nails grow. Fingernails typically grow out in four to six months. Toenails take longer, usually takes 12 to 18 months.

Probably the most difficult part of this treatment is remembering to use it as often as prescribed. Some treatments must be applied every day. Others you apply once a week. To get the best results, its essential that you apply these medicines exactly as directed.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following medicines that you apply to the nail to treat nail fungus:

• Amorolfine

• Efinaconazole

• Tavaborole

Side effects from these medicines are generally mild. Possible side effects include redness and swelling, an ingrown toenail, and stinging or burning when you apply the medicine. In clinical trials, none of these side effects caused patients to stop using the treatment.

The FDA has approved the following systemic medicines to treat nail fungus:

• Fluconazole

• Itraconazole

• Terbinafine

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How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Nail Fungus

To find out if a patient has nail fungus, a dermatologist examines your nails and nearby skin. Its important to check the skin because the fungus can spread. You may already have a skin infection caused by fungus like athletes foot.

To get rid of the infection, you will need to treat all infected areas.

Before giving you the diagnosis, your dermatologist may also take some samples. Collecting a bit of debris from beneath a nail, trimming off part your nail, or scraping off a bit of skin can be very helpful. In a lab, these samples can be examined under a microscope to find out whats causing the problem.

Are you hiding an infected nail with nail polish?

Be sure to ask your dermatologist if you can wear nail polish while treating nail fungus.

Nail Anatomy And Onychomycosis Infection

Figure 1 shows the composition of the nail, including the nail plate , nail bed and nail matrix.

Figure 1: Nail anatomy and physiology

The nail plate and nail bed are joined by layers of hard, translucent, keratinised cells. The nail bed and nail matrix are vascular components of the nail, with nail cells located within the nail matrix where the nail plate is formed. The thickness of the nail plate determines the length of the matrix

• Apply cosmetic nail varnishes or artificial nails;
• Walk without footwear in public areas ;
• Cut nails too short.;

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How Do You Get Nail Fungus

Most people will just ignore the slight whitening of the tip of their toenails. Nobody sees it any way except you when you are in your slippers in the house. Once you go out, youll be wearing shoes and theyre gone from your sight and anybody elses. You may try to hide it. You may try to ignore it. But, you cant stop wondering; how do you get nail fungus?

Home Remedies For Toenail Fungus

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Toenail fungus, also known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium, is a common nail condition affecting millions of people in the United States. Fungal nail infections can develop on the nail from various organisms such as molds, yeasts, and fungi. This usually occurs after these organisms come into contact with a cracked nail or skin surrounding the nail as the opening provides a portal of entry for these organisms.;

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How Do You Cure Fingernail Fungus

How do you cure fingernail fungus?

Will fingernail fungus go away on its own?;But nail fungus doesnt go away by itself. And if you dont treat it, theres a chance it could get worse. It could spread to other nails or through your body. It could cause pain when you walk.

How do you treat fingernail fungus?;Often, you can take care of a fungal nail infection at home: Try over-the-counter antifungal nail creams and ointments. Several products are available. If you notice white markings on the surfaces of the nails, file them off, soak your nails in water, dry them, and apply the medicated cream or lotion.

What kills fingernail fungus fast?;Hydrogen peroxide can kill fungus that grows on toenails. You can directly wipe hydrogen peroxide on your infected toes or toenails with a clean cloth or cotton swab. Hydrogen peroxide can also be used in a foot soak.

Top 12 Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Nail Fungus Naturally

Commonly known to the layman as fungal nail infection, Onychomycosis is an infection that occurs when fungus forms beneath the nails. The condition can develop as a result of poor foot hygiene, continuous exposure to moist environments, wearing unbreathable synthetic socks, accumulation of sweat in shoes, imbalanced pH levels of the skin, a compromised immune system, and conditions like diabetes that constricts blood flow.Upon infection, Onychomycosis will cause the nail to thicken, discolor, and eventually crumble into pieces. If left untreated, the condition can become painful. As the infection progresses, areas around the infected toenails or fingernails may swell and begin to give off a foul smell too.

Contents

• 8 Complications: What If The Infection Is Left Untreated?

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Fungus Of The Skin Or Nails

Fungus can infect the skin as well as the fingernails and toenails. Fungal infections can be caused by yeast or by dermatophytes . Fungal infection of the nails, called onychomycosis, may be caused by yeast or dermatophytes. Common skin fungus conditions caused by dermatophytes are known as athlete’s foot, jock itch, and ringworm.

Skin Fungus: Yeast is present on everyone’s skin in small amounts and is more likely to grow in warm, moist conditions, such as during the high temperatures and high humidity in summer months or in sunny tropical areas. People with oily skin may develop an overgrowth of yeast more often than those with drier skin. The fungal skin infections caused by dermatophytes also tend to arise in moist skin areas, such as the foot or the groin.

Nail Fungus: Fungal nail infections are rare in children and tend to occur more frequently in older adults. These infections are caused most commonly by dermatophytes, but can be caused by molds or yeasts. Nail fungus is more common on the toenails because of being confined in shoes, a dark, moist, warm environment. Also, toes have decreased blood circulation as compared to fingers, which makes detecting and clearing a toenail fungus infection more difficult.