Appearance is something that everybody definitely considers. The feel of looking good and neat brings loads of confidence in oneself. We spend a lot of time taking care of our skin, eyes, hair, but most of the time we forget our nails. Though nails are dead cells it requires equal care and attention as other parts of the body.
Fingernails and toenail- Growth of fungi
Improper care or completely ignoring nail care can infect them and allow fungus to flourish under your nail. It’s quite horrifying to think that there are fungi growing in or under your nail and infecting it badly. We normally do not get a fungal infection because fungus normally feeds only on dead and decaying material, and moreover our immune system fights most of the fungus that invades us. But nails are exception to this rule as already said they are made up of dead cells and fungus can comfortably live on these dead cells and infect them. It’s easy to catch a fungal infection in the toenails than your fingernails. A fungal infection in the fingernail or in the toenail is called as onychomycosis.
Fungal infection is common in toenails as most of the time your legs are closed in dark, sweaty, and warm environment where fungus can flourish, your toenails are the one that most often come in contact with warm, wet floors. And another main reason is that your toe gets less blood supply than your fingers, which makes it difficult for your body’s immune system to detect and fight the infection.
Causes
It’s very difficult to dig deep to know the exact cause of a fungal infection. Cleanliness has nothing to do with fungal infection. But few possible reasons for getting a fungal infection in the nails are:
- Hitting or very bad nail injury
- Trimming your nail too closely
- Wearing shoes or boots everyday makes your feet warm and sweaty. This is what is required for fungus to grow and infect your toenail
- Wearing tight shoes
- You can pick a toenail infection while walking bare-foot on damp and wet floor
- You can catch up with a fingernail infection if your hands are wet most often, example a professional house/utensil cleaner
- You are most likely to get an infection if you use the same towel or clothes of someone who has the infection already
- Frequently visiting public gyms, swimming pools or shower rooms may also cause infection
- Using unclean instruments during manicure and pedicure
Symptoms of fungal nail infection
An infected nail would become brittle, have rough surface and nicked edges, and change color to pale white or yellow. There may be a gap between nail and nail bed, with debris under it. The infected nail may be distorted in shape, either curled up or curled down. The nail may become thick, would lack luster and can also pain.
Diagnosis of fungal nail infection
If you suspect that you have a fungal nail infection visit your doctor, he might be able to diagnose it by carefully observing the appearance of the nail. To know the type of fungi that you are been infected with, your doctor may scrape a little portion of your infected nail and send it for lab testing.
Treating fungal nail infection
Treating nail infection are little difficult as the infection might relapse again and again. Infection of the fingernail can be treated more quickly than toenail infection. There are several oral antifungal medications available that helps in regrowth of new nail. You may have to follow the oral medicine for 6 to 12 weeks, which depends on the severity of your infection. Few of these oral medicines are not safe for people who are suffering from heart disease therefore inform your doctor about this before beginning the treatment so that he might choose the right treatment for you. In few, these medicines can also harm your liver. Topical medicines like cream and nail polish are also available but they alone are not successful in curing the fungal infection. In few people the doctor may remove the infected nail so that new uninfected nail can grow. Few home remedies that prove effective in curing a fungal nail infection are soaking nails in vinegar or mild dilute bleach, or hydrogen peroxide. Lack of choice is not the issue in treating fungal infection but choosing something that really works is the challenge.
Preventive methods
To avoid a serious fungal nail infection and to reduce the incidence of relapse follow few preventive methods as given below:
- Cut your nails regularly and trim any thick portion of the nail
- Cut your nails straight across to avoid growing beyond the tip of the finger
- Never use the same nail trimmer or cutter on infected nail and on healthy nail
- If visiting a salon for manicure and pedicure then take your own nail files and trimmers
- Do not apply nail polish and do not use artificial nails as they impede evaporation of moisture beneath the nail and allow fungal growth
- Wear water proof gloves if working in water for a long time
- Wear cotton gloves if working in dry environment
- Wear cotton socks and change them once they are wet due to sweat or water
- Wash your hands and legs and dry them properly
- Use a anti-fungal powder before wearing a socks to keep your feet dry and clean
- Wear comfortable shoes, avoid pointed shoes
- Wear shower shoes while walking near swimming pool and shower area
- Do not walk barefoot in public places
- Never trim or cut the skin around your nails
- Wash your hands after touching an infected nail
Nail it down!
“Prevention is better than cure”, it is better if you take steps to prevent fungal nail infection rather than juggling to cure it. Take all necessary steps to avoid being in warm, wet condition for a long time. Whatever treatment you choose for yourself it is important that you follow it until you are sure that the infection has completely cured.
