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Toenail fungus is often times mistaken for toe area fungus. Regardless, the fungus forming around your nail can have a negative impact on your positive self-image as well as your personal health.
Common Causes of Nail-Bed Fungus
How does a toe area fungus form? It may begin with easily ignored white or yellow spots under the tip of the nail. When the infection deepens, however, it can even lead to nail discoloration, as well as making it thicker, painful, and crumbly at the edges.
Public Places
Nail-bed fungus is also called onychomycosis. It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender and hygiene and is spread by direct contact with skin or with infected surfaces. Common places you may be exposed to fungus are at nail salons, as well as showers at hotels, pools, nail salons, and gyms where you go barefoot. Housemates and family members with a fungal infection may also spread their condition.
A Skin Fungus First
Before taking action and finding the best nail fungus treatment for you, it is important to note that toenail fungus and skin fungus, such as athlete’s foot, often manifest together. For the best results, both should be treated at the same time to prevent an ongoing infection. You can recognize athlete’s foot by the dry, scaling, peeling skin on the bottom of the feet. Your feet may also itch, or exude a noticeable odor.
Treatment of Nail-Bed Fungus
Readily available over-the-counter treatments work well for most nail-bed infections, especially early cases. An advanced toenail fungus infection may require a podiatrist’s intervention. To counteract a serious infection, medical professionals may utilize prescription topical medications, oral medications, and even laser therapy. Some cases best respond to combination therapy.
Medical Advice
If common remedies do not offer relief within three to four months of consistent use, or if the discomfort worsens, contact your doctor. Extreme infections may require the temporary surgical removal of the nail. A replacement nail will usually grow. As the new nail regrows, it is good practice to treat it with an antifungal cream to prevent reinfection.
Topical nail-bed fungus treatments are a safe option that almost anyone can use. They work best when the infection is treated in its earliest stages. However, these medications do not heal the nail itself, only the fungus growing on the nail bed and surrounding area. Only oral medications, which come with many contraindications and may not be safe for everyone, can treat the nail itself.
Prevention of the Recurrence of Toe Area Nail Fungus
You can help prevent the return of toenail fungus by adopting some basic habits. Replace old shoes and socks regularly. Wear clean socks each day, and consider using a medicated shoe spray after every use. Wearing shower shoes in hotels, gyms, public pools, and showers is also very important to prevent reinfection. Going to a nail salon that uses plastic liners in the whirlpool, bringing your own tools and disposing of files, buffers is also highly recommended.
Over-the-counter toenail fungus treatments can cure existing infections, but only products which include 1% Tolnaftate can prevent a recurrence of the condition. Tolnaftate is the only ingredient approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of fungal infections. Treating toe nail area fungus is only part of the solution. Preventing further outbreaks using a product with 1% Tolnaftate will keep you looking and feeling your best.
