Advice on Foot Care

Ick! This is the normal reaction to the fungal toenail picture. Most people don’t want their toenails to look like this. This picture shows a more severe toenail fungus with discoloration, thickness, flaking, peeling and an abnormal shape.

A dermatophyte is a type of fungus which affects skin, hair and nails. You may be familiar with Digger the Dermatophyte from the horrifying commercial where Digger climbs under a toenail and makes a home with his buddies. But, Digger and the dermatophytes are not the only ones making homes, non-dermatophytes and yeast also can infect the toenails. The fungus causes the nails to first become slightly yellow or white and spotchy. Then they typically thicken, sometimes becoming very brittle. The shape begins to change and the discoloring can darken to deep brown. As the fungus worsens, the nails become thicker, more yellow or brown, more brittle (or sometimes much harder) and abnormally shaped.

You are not alone

About 6-9 million Americans are affected by toenail fungus and some reports estimate that almost 40 million people in the U.S. have toenail fungus. That is a lot of fungus! Men are twice as likely to develop fungus than women, athletes, seniors and the elderly are more at risk, those who have poor circulation or sweaty feet are more at risk, those with a compromised immune system are more at risk and those with poor hygeine and chronic foot fungus (athlete’s foot) are more likely to develop toenail fungus.

In the 1800s, fungal toenails were very rare. The increased prevalence is linked to the increased exposure to fungus through the use of the use of hot tubs, saunas, showering facilities in gyms and public pool areas. There is an increase in occlusive footwear, an increase in sporting activities, an increase in diabetes and increase in the age of the U.S. population.

Treatments

There is no easy way to treat toenail fungus. Once it works it’s way into the nails, it becomes extremely difficult to get out. There are many remedies, including oral anti-fungal medications and over the counter topical medications. Oral anti-fungal medications are the most effective, but they are also expensive and have side effects. Prescription topical medications are less effective and still expensive, but side effects are minimal. Over the counter treatments can be almost as effective as prescription topicals, but require daily use for 6-12 months. More information on fungal nail treatments.

Prevention is key

1. Place an anti-fungal spray or powder in your shoes every day or every other day.
2. Rotate your shoes often and keep them in a cool dry place.
3. Change insoles / inserts often. Pull them out of your shoes to dry at night.
4. Use an antiperspirant spray on your feet if they sweat excessively. The same antiperspirant you normally use will work.
5. Bleach out the shower on a weekly basis. Bleach works better than antimicrobial cleaners. A more environmentally friendly alternative (although not as effective) is hydrogen peroxide.
6. Wash your shower mat or rug in hot water once a week. Easily forgotten, the shower mat can be a great environment for fungus.
7. If you belong to a gym or health club, wear sandals in the locker room. Don’t walk around barefoot.
8. Wear properly fitting shoes. Sounds simple, but many people cram their feet into ill-fitting shoes every day and this can lead to jamming at the toes. Jamming at the toes leads to microtrauma at the nails and increases the chance for fungal infection.
9. Avoid toenail polish. Toenail polish can increase your chance of developing a fungal infection. If you can’t bear to go without polish, keep them painted for only a few days and then remove all polish for don’t repaint for a week.
10. Cut your toenails straight across. Cutting too short can cause breaks in the skin, which increases the chance for a fungal infection. Yes, you can round the edges, but don’t cut down the sides of the nails.

Fungal Toenail Picture Copyright Data Trace Publishing

Trackback URI | Comments RSS