How To Prevent Toenail Fungus
If youre prone to toenail fungus, practicing good foot hygiene is important. Keep your feet clean and dry as much as possible, changing socks when your feet have been sweating. Breathable, well-fitting footwear may also help, as can keeping your toenails nicely trimmed. Always wear shoes in public areas, such as gym locker rooms and saunas. To keep from spreading or catching toenail fungus, avoiding sharing nail clippers.
If you have questions about toenail fungus, reach out to our office in Dallas, Texas, or book an appointment with Dr. Rhinehart here on our website. Its never too early or late to address problems that affect your feet.
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Will Toenail Fungus Disappear On Its Own The Short Answer No
Your immune system cannot defeat and eliminate a fungal infection such as onychomycosis without help. Left untreated, toenail fungus can infect the nail bed and enter the bloodstream with, in the most severe cases, life-threatening results. Untreated toenail fungus often results in cracks in nails and skin, which may invite cellulitis, a dangerous bacterial skin infection characterized by redness, swelling, and pain in the lower leg. Serious infections may even require surgical nail removal in order to treat the fungal infection. Fungal spores are stubborn and resourceful. They stay viable by eating keratin, the plentiful stuff of your skin, hair, and nails.
The American Podiatric Medical Association and The American Academy of Dermatology offer good practical advice about treating toenail fungus, including information about any side effects and risk factors that may arise from secondary skin infection or the presence of other medications and health issues.
When Fungal Nails Attack Fight Back
After a great workout you just want to hop in the locker room shower, but then you realize youve forgotten your flip-flops. Suddenly the enemy appears. Its too late. You are surrounded. There is no chance of escape from the dreaded condition known as onychomycosis, a.k.a. fungal nails.
A fungal nail infection occurs when microscopic organisms attack your nail through a small opening like a cut. These fungi love to hang out in warm, moist places, so you are especially vulnerable to their advances when walking barefoot around public areas like swimming pools, locker rooms, and showers. Sweaty shoes are a fungi favorite as well. The worst part is, once you are infected, the fight against fungus may become an all-out war!
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Staying One Step Ahead Of Toenail Fungus
An established fungal infection is hard to eradicate, but you can stop its spread and improve your toenail’s appearance.
Toenail fungus isn’t a pressing health problem. Yet a fungal infection can ruin the appearance of your nails and cause pain as it lifts the nail away from the nail bed. And fungal infections are notoriously difficult to get rid of. “You may want to consider fungal toenail a condition to be managed rather than cured,” says Dr. James P. Ioli, chief of the podiatry service at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
What Is The Best Home Remedy For Toenail Fungus
Self-care and body awareness can be key in keeping toenail fungus at bay. Wash feet with warm soapy water and pat completely dry to reduce the spread or growth of fungus on the feet. Allow feet to breathe when possible. Protect your feet and wear breathable shoes and clean socks. Change socks regularly and wash in hot water if you are struggling with toenail fungus. Over-the-counter antifungal powders used for treating athlete’s foot can also be used for treating mild cases of toenail fungus.
Avoid nail polish and pedicures that use polish or nail plate coatings. Even though you may want to conceal the discolored or warped look of an infected toenail, allowing maximum air circulation to the nail and skin of the toes is best.
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What If It Does Happen Again
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, a fungal infection can return. The good news is, you likely know what to look for in your nails by now, and catching it early will most likely mean a much easier and shorter treatment time than your first go.
Our treatments, including Lunula laser therapy, are ready for you when needed. We will be perfectly happy if we never have to use them for you again, however.
If you ever have any questions or suspicions regarding a potential fungal nail infection, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Call our Princeton office at or our Roselle Park office at . You also can consult our free downloadable guide on fungal nails for some more tips!
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What Are The Most Effective Treatments For Toenail Fungus
The experts at Easton Dermatology Associates offer treatment customized to your exact situation, whether youve just noticed an irregularity with your toenail or youve been battling fungus for a while. Treatment options include:
- Prescription oral antifungal medications
- Topical nail cream
- Special antifungal nail polish that allows your nails to breathe
No matter what treatment you adopt, patience is key. It can take several months to clear up toenail fungus because even nails that grow at an average rate dont grow rapidly. We treat your fungus until its a thing of the past, and we also advise you on how to prevent a recurrence.
Its much easier to solve the problem when youre in the early stages of infection, before it becomes too advanced.
Do at either of our locations in Easton or Salisbury, Maryland, so we can start helping you eliminate embarrassing and persistent nail fungus problems ASAP. When next summer rolls around, you can be back in those oh-so-chic sandals!
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Are There Topical Prescriptions To Cure Toenail Fungus
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Nail Removal Home Remedies And Laser Treatment
In the most serious instances of toenail fungus infection, the toenail may be removed surgically or dissolved with acid. This can be done to just a portion of the nail in the hope that the remaining nail will grow back healthy. In cases where the entire toenail has to be removed, artificial nails and products using light-cured resins to form a temporary covering can be used to protect the underlying tissue until the nail grows back.
If you prefer to go the home-remedy route, such as applying tea tree oil or Vicks VapoRub to your nails, keep in mind that the effectiveness of these products for treating toenail fungus hasn’t been well studied, and they are not recommended by podiatrists.
Finally, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several laser devices for temporary increase in clear nails in patients with onychomycosis. But while laser treatments are vigorously marketed, clinical trials of lasers have reported mixed results, and the treatments may not be covered by health insurance. If you wish to try laser treatment of toenail fungus, speak to your doctor about what to expect from the treatment, and call your insurance carrier to find out whether the treatment will be covered.
Additional reporting by Susan Jara.
Treating Toenail Fungus Medically
How a toenail fungal infection is treated may depend on its severity.
In white superficial onychomycosis, for example, the white patches of fungus that form on the nails can sometimes simply be filed off and an over-the-counter antifungal topical medication can be applied to the nail to kill the fungus.
For infections affecting deeper layers of the nail, over-the-counter topical medications often don’t penetrate the nail deeply enough to kill all of the fungus and prevent the infection from recurring. Repeated applications of the medication or a prescription-strength drug may be necessary.
The symptoms of more severe infections include thickened, discolored toenails that may eventually become painful. In these situations, you should see a podiatrist who can devise a treatment plan that may include these actions:
Debridement The thickened portions of the nail can be debrided, or removed, to reduce pain and allow a topical treatment to penetrate more effectively.
Topical Medication Medications that are applied like nail polish or hand cream are sometimes used to treat nail infections. However, topical medication often fails because it doesn’t move deeply enough into the nail to reach the fungus or users forget to apply it daily for almost a year, as is required.
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Cure Toenail Pain From Fungus Infection
Know The Symptoms And Reasons You Shouldn’t Wait to Seek Effective Treatment
A painful, thick, yellow, green, brown or black toenail means you could have a toenail fungus infection. If you have a toenail fungal infection it won’t go away on its own. You can’t get rid of it with home remedies or over the counter topical treatments. Learn why, and how to cure it by reading more.
Toenail fungus is common and it can develop when dry, brittle nails develop cracks that allow fungus to enter the nail unit. A toenail fungus infection most often occurs when excessive moisture gets under your toenail and is trapped by your socks and shoes, allowing fungus to grow and thrive. Nail fungus can also be caused by yeast and mold.
Left untreated toenail fungus can become a foot fungus, spreading from your toenail, to the skin in between your toes, your arch and the heel of your foot.
Scratching it or picking at it can also spread it to your fingers, and then to other parts of your body. You can also spread it to other people if you are sharing a shower or tub.
How To Heal Toenail Fungus Naturally
Different types of treatments also take different times to work. If you use a treatment that contains Tea tree oil, for example, the treatment will work faster. The reason for this is that tea tree oil is a very powerful essential oil, and can kill fungus fast.
There are some excellent natural foot soaks available, such as Rocky Mountain Tea Tree Oil. These are excellent if nail fungus is in the early to middle stages, or if you want to prevent the condition from returning.
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Main Advice To Follow#
The main advice to follow is that most complications that come from a nail fungus infection normally start because it was ignored. This is very easy to do because it can be difficult to spot and even if you think that you have a toenail fungus infection it does not limit with your day-to-day activities to start.
Bear in mind if it gets more severe it could cause problems with you walking, it can also spread quite easily, and this is the last thing that you want if you want to try maintain your foot health and your well-being.
Take our advice and do not just wait for this to go away on its own – the first course of action should be visiting your doctor because they will normally be able to tell you exactly what to do, they will also refer you to a foot doctor and they are the person to see for all of the remedies.
The other reason to go straight to the doctor is that they will normally prescribe exactly the right medicine that you need and that means that you are not having to second-guess or try to use a lot of non-prescription remedies that will not work for you.
Can I Wear Nail Polish If I Have Toenail Fungus
You may feel tempted to cover up a discolored toenail with nail polish. If you are using a topical antifungal, you probably should not use polish. Some providers may tell you not to wear it in any case. Polish traps in moisture from the nailbed . Because fungi thrive in moist environments, wearing nail polish may make a fungal infection worse. However, the nail continues to grow with or without polish.
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When Your Toenail Fungus Is Not Going Away
Since the fungi have been living in your nail bed for a time before it started causing noticeable damage, it does take time for it to go away. When you start to treat it, make sure that you follow the directions for the product. It will take a while for the treatment to work, and longer for you to notice results. Dont let this discourage you, though, because you can get rid of it.
Many times, when people use a treatment, they put socks and shoes on afterward. The longer you can keep things off of your feet, the better. Even if your foot is completely dry after treatment, the skin under the nail is still wet or damp. If you put your nail in socks and shoes, the fungus will be able to grow again.
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Tips To Combat Foot Fungus
The best way to combat foot fungus is to reduce your exposure to it. There are simple things you can do to prevent from contracting foot and nail fungus.
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How Do You Get Rid Of Toenail Fungus In One Day
According to a 2016 review, thymol has antifungal and antibacterial properties. To treat toenail fungus, apply oregano oil to the affected nail twice daily with a cotton swab. Some people use oregano oil and tea tree oil together. Both products are potent and may cause irritation or allergic reaction.
Does Toenail Fungus Go Away On Its Own
Fungal Nail Infections can be easily ignored in its early stages. It goes unnoticed or neglected because someone might not consider it urgent. With day-to-day work and activities, one might not have time to get a minor discoloration on the toenail. As time goes by, the minor discoloration can get worse and cause the nail to thicken.
Toenail fungus does not heal on its own. It does not usually cause pain, making it easy to ignore. It may not seem like a big deal now because you can cover it up, but it may be a cause for concern when it gets worse.
If you leave toenail fungus untreated, the nail can grow thicker and harder. It can grow deformed and lose its shape. This will make it difficult to walk or cause pain while walking. It can also make wearing shoes uncomfortable and painful.
Because fungi spread easily, if you leave toenail fungus untreated, it can spread to the other parts of the body. It will begin spreading to the other parts of the foot and cause athletes foot. The athletes feet cause itchy, red, and scaly skin.
If you have diabetes or other diseases that compromise the immune system, the infection can get worse and harder to manage. The fungus can spread uncontrollably when the immune system is weak or compromised.
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Warning Signs Of Toenail Fungus
Toenail fungus is an unsightly and embarrassing infection that is contagious and often difficult to get rid of. And while some of you may have a mild case and barely even notice the fungal growth at all, others actually suffer from intense pain as their infection grows and spreads.
When patients visit our office looking to relieve pain caused by toenail fungus, they are usually finally doing something about the infection after months or even years! of ignoring the condition and allowing it to thrive.
Waiting to seek treatment they soon find is a huge mistake!
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Whenever you have an infection, you shouldnt wait to seek medical care the sooner you get the care you need, the quicker and more effective treatments will be.
Its like the old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. And this is true when it comes to toenail fungus looking for symptoms of this pesky condition before they become a problem will help you make the most of treatment opportunities and minimize complications.
The bottom line is that the more you allow fungus to grow and spread under your nail, the more difficult it will be to actually get rid of it. So staying aware of symptoms and catching them early can really make a huge difference for your recovery.
And of course, if you want to catch it early, you need to know what to exactly look for thats why we are here!