Our feet are probably one of the most mistreated, neglected parts of our body. We often stick them into ill-fitting shoes or ones that are wrong for the activity at hand.
A fungus is a tiny organism thats difficult to see with the naked eye. Basically, toenail fungus doesnt look nice, but its not life-threatening.
Doctors say most people who seek treatment do so because they dont like looking at their infected feet.
The medical term for toenail fungus is onychomycosis. Its caused by the same types of fungus that cause athletes foot, a condition that makes feet dry and scaly. Toe fungus tends to run in families because people inherit a vulnerability to it.
About 20 percent of all people have toenail fungus and the chances of getting it increases with age. The fungus themselves are everywhere: locker rooms, hotel rooms, and other public places.
Prevention of injuries to the nail is very important. Once the nail is injured, the door of susceptibility swings open, allowing entry of the fungus. There are some very simple preventative measures that can be taken on a regular basis. Keep the feet dry. Keeping the feet dry will inhibit the ability of the fungus to thrive. You can do this in several ways. Frequent changes of socks, the use of powder, such as baby powder and rotating shoes so that they are worn only every other day, can help tremendously.
Treatment for nail fungus has advanced significantly over the past five years. Newer, safer and more effective medications are currently available. These medications are generally taken for three months. During that time, the medicine incorporates into the nail tissue. This prevents the fungus from continuing to grow into the nail. As the nail grows out normally, the diseased
nail is displaced and removed.
Nail fungus is thought to often result from a long lasting infection with fungus of the feet extending slowly into the nails. Because of this, doctors often recommend that patients with nail fungus continue to use antifungal creams on the feet daily after showering, even after the pills have eradicated the nail fungus.
The anti-fungal medications usually suppress the nail infection when taken as directed. Unfortunately, they cannot guarantee a permanent cure. At least 20 percent patients have a recurrence of the original nail infection at some time, making re-treatment with medication necessary.
Doctors usually recommend treating fungal nail infections only when such infections cause secondary problems including pain, recurring ingrown toenails, or secondary bacterial infections of the nails or skin.
If the nail infection does not cause any of these problems, then doctors often discourage treatment because of the potential side effects, the need to monitor the blood throughout therapy and the high recurrence rate. Patients with liver or heart disease generally should not take these medications.
About The Author
Lisa Davis is a contributing author and publisher to
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An online resource that provides you with information, articles of interest on latest treatments and breakthroughs in the treatment of nail fungus