Toenail Fungus–Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

Toenail fungus can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or previous diseases. It’s a more common issue than many of us would think, that’s why we shouldn’t be shy about it. Toenail fungus can easily be cured, but the method of therapy is important. What methods are the most effective? Here are some facts about nail fungus, symptoms, causes, and treatments.

What causes toenail fungus?

When talking about the causes of toenail fungus and the formation of plaque lesions, we must pay attention to a few important aspects. Key is determining the cause for each individual patient. This takes place through a proper interview and diagnosis. This sets the method of therapy that’s best for each case. When it comes to podiatry, many specialists choose a holistic approach to the analysis and treatment of toenail fungus.

Toenail fungus can be a result of many irregularities in care, the way you walk, chronic diseases and their consequences, reduced immunity, etc. It can be caused, among others, by:

• chronic and dermatological diseases (psoriasis, vascular disorders, diabetes, cancer) or rather their treatment, as it disrupts the proper functioning of the body,
• improper hygiene of the skin and nails,
• wearing wrong footwear,
• reduced immunity that causes the body to be more susceptible to infections,
• Going frequently to places full of pathogens

Development of toenail fungus

Most often toenail fungus begins with the nail plate detaching at the base of the nail. This empty space under the nail is an excellent environment for the development of all bacteria, microorganisms, and fungi. It remains moist providing these unwanted visitors with ideal conditions for development–warmth, protection of the plate, the aforementioned moisture, and food in the form of nail scraps and dead skin. We know, this doesn’t sound pleasant!

At the next stage, the toenail tile starts deteriorating. It starts splitting and changing its color, from yellow, through green, to brown and white. It further separates from the base and crumbles. In the case of large neglect, the plate disappears completely and the nail growth sites are taken up. Unfortunately, this finally results in permanent dystrophy.

If left untreated, toenail fungus can spread over more nail plates, not only on the feet. The hands are also in danger due to the fact that the feet are cared for with our hands. You are in direct contact with the part of the body affected by the disease. That’s why maintaining proper hygiene is so important.

Additional symptoms of toenail fungus include bad smell, itching, and reddening of the skin around the infection.

Toenail fungus treatment

Toenail fungus is a nail disease that requires a special treatment and patience in therapy from both the patient and the podiatrist or doctor. Cooperation is key, because the treatment of nail fungus is very often a long process. You need to listen to the specialist and take to heart their therapy recommendations. Deviation from the therapy may cause the lack of results and the relapse of the disease development.

So how to cure toenail fungus? First, we recommend visiting a specialist. This is a delicate matter and without proper knowledge, we can end up further harming ourselves.

It is best to visit a specialist first, so that they can collect material for examination. The test results will accurately describe the type of pathology and them choose medication to which the pathogen is not resistant. Choosing a targeted antibiotic will save the patient from taking the “general” antibiotic. This kind would usually devastate the entire body, and consequently, not affect the distal parts of the body or the nail plates.

During the course of antibiotic therapy, we should visit the podiatrist’s office in order to determine the appropriate care methods. The podiatrist will clean the affected area, recommend an at-home routine, and monitor the healing condition of the plate. In addition, you’ll be instructed what type of footwear and materials will be best to wear during the treatment.

Toenail fungus is an unpleasant issue, but that’s one more reason you should seek professional help as soon as you notice it! Don’t be shy and don’t wait, as it will only get worse. Get treatment and have healthy nails once again!