What causes fungal nail infections on feet? Best fungal nail treatment for severe cases

Fungal nail infections are common conditions that affect toenails or fingernails. It is caused by a fungus and can affect people of any age, but is more common in adults. Symptoms may include discoloration, thickening, brittleness, deformation, and separation of the nail from the nail bed.

Fungal nail infection

Many people receive nails at times in their lives. It's bad, but it can be comfortable and difficult to treat.

The infection develops slowly, causing discoloration, thickening, and deformation of the nail.

Toenails can be affected more often than fingernails. The medical name for nail fungus is onychomycosis.

Signs and symptoms of a fungal nail infection

Fungal nail infections may not cause any noticeable symptoms at first.

As the condition progresses, the infection can cause:

• Changes in the color of the nail - it can become white, black, yellow, or green

• Thickening and deformation of the nail – it can take on an unusual shape or texture and is difficult to trim

• Pain or discomfort – especially when using or pressing on the affected toe or nail 

• Brittle or brittle nails – pieces may break off and fall off completely

Sometimes the adjacent skin can also become:

• infected

• itchy

• cracked

• red

• swollen

What causes fungal nail infections on feet?

Most nail infections are caused by the fungus responsible for nail fungus.

These fungi are usually harmless to your skin, but sometimes they can multiply and cause an infection. Mushrooms are like light, dark, wet places, like your feet.

You are more likely to get nail fungus if you:

• don't keep your feet clean and dry

• wear shoes that keep your feet warm and sweaty 

• walk barefoot in places where fungal infections can easily spread, such as human showers, locker rooms, and gyms. 

• Don't waste your efforts

• Have a weakened immune system

• Have certain other medical conditions, such as diabetes, psoriasis, or peripheral artery disease

Fungal nail infections can spread to other people, so if you have an infection, you need to do something to prevent it.

Treating a fungal nail infection

Fungal nail infections are unlikely to improve without treatment. But if it doesn't bother you, you may decide it's not worth treating because of it:

• may take a long time

• may cause side effects

• doesn't always work

Even mild cases of nail fungus infection may not require treatment. It's also unlikely to cause further problems, so you may not feel it's worth getting treatment.

For more severe or troublesome fungal nail infections, antifungal medications may be recommended.

Antifungal medication

Antifungals come in the form of tablets or special paints that are applied directly to the nails.

Before starting treatment, you may need to take a small sample from the infected nail and send it for testing to confirm that you have a fungal infection.

If the treatment is effective, you should see new, healthy nails growing from the base of the nail within a few months. Old infected nails should start to grow back and can be trimmed gradually. 

Antifungal treatments are thought to be effective in treating about 60% to 80% of nail fungus infections. It can take 6 to 18 months for the affected nail to return to normal, and in some cases, the nail may no longer look like it did before the infection. 

Info: https://www.nhsinform.scot/

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