Studies have shown that toenail fungus infections can affect any part of the human body. These fungi are naturally present in and on the body alongside several bacteria. Still, when a fungus starts to overgrow, there comes the risk of you getting an infection.
For starters, onychomycosis, also known as tinea unguium, is a fungal infection that impacts either the fingernails or toenails and as a result of lifestyle changes and population aging, approximately 10% of people are affected. These fungal infections naturally grow over time, so any sudden change in the way your nail looks or feels may be too slight to note at first.
What Causes Toenail Fungus?
A fungal toenail infection results from the overgrowth of fungi in, under, or on a person’s toenail. Scientists confirm that fungi thrive in warm, moist climates, so this climate can cause them to overgrow in number naturally. Those same fungi that cause athlete’s foot, jock itch, and ringworm can spur toenail fungus infections.
Note that fungi already existing in or on your body can cause toenail fungus infections. Anyone who has come in contact with someone else who has a toenail fungus infection suffers the risk of contracting this infection as well. These fungal infections affect toenails more often than fingernails. This frequency is because your toes are usually in your shoes, and that is a warm, moist setting for the fungus to thrive in.
Whenever you get a manicure or pedicure at a nail salon, make sure you ask how the staff disinfects their instruments and how often they do this disinfection. Instruments, such as nail clippers and emery boards can transmit fungal infections from person to person if they’re not sterilized.
Who Gets Affected by Toenail Fungus Infections Mostly?
There are several unique causes of fungal toenail infections. Note that every cause has a medication of its own. Even as most of the causes of a fungal nail infection are preventable, some risk factors boost the odds of developing one. There is a greater risk of developing a fungal nail infection if you:
are over age 65
suffer from diabetes
have a weakened immune system
have a disease that causes poor circulation
wear closed-toe shoes, such as tennis shoes or boots
have a nail injury
wear artificial nails
have a skin injury around the nail
swim in a public swimming pool
have moist fingers or toes for an extended time
In addition, nail infections happen more often in men than in women. More so, toenail fungus infections are found in adults more frequently than in children. So, if you have family members who often get these types of fungal infections, you’re more prone to getting them as well. Meanwhile, older adults have an increased chance of getting fungal toenail infections because they have poorer circulation. Also, the nails mature more slowly and thicken as we get older.
By simply making a few basic lifestyle changes, you can easily stave off a fungal infection of the toenails. Start by taking good care of your nails and keeping them well-trimmed and clean. That is an excellent way to curb infections.
Likewise, do well to avoid injury to the skin around your nails. When you know, you’ll have wet hands for an extended period, it will help if you can put on rubber gloves.
The following are other ways to curb fungal infections of the toenails:
do not stay barefoot in public places
washing your hands after touching infected nails
lessen your use of artificial nails and nail polish
drying your feet well after showering, especially between your toes
getting manicures or pedicures from trustworthy salons
How Does a Toenail Fungus Infection Look?
Keep in mind that a toenail fungal infection of the nail may impact a part of the nail, the whole nail, or different nails.
Below are common signs of a fungal toenail infection:
A brittle or thickened nail
A deformed nail that may begin from the nail bed
Nail separation from the nail bed
Strange odor boxing out from the infected toenail
Discoloration (white, yellow, or brown in appearance)
The area around the nail is in pain.
Also, these are the kinds of toenail fungus out there:
Candida infection
Proximal subungual infection
Distal subungual infection
White superficial infection
What Can I Expect From The Treatment?
The treatment is not or little discomfort for most people. Some redness or swelling may appear afterward, but it will typically go away within a few hours. People can return to their normal routines immediately following the treatment.
You must realize that there is the possibility of other infections affecting the toenail and taking on the appearance of symptoms of fungal toenail infection. Therefore, the only way to ascertain a diagnosis is to see a trained and skilled practitioner. Our trained specialists will take a scraping of the nail and look under a microscope for signs of fungus presence.
There will be some cases where any of our doctors may send the sample to a lab for analysis and identification for further information.
What Are the Benefits of Toenail Fungus Treatment?
Nail fungus can be removed in a safe, effective, and complete manner.
There is no need for medication and the procedure is non-invasive.
Affordability
(15-30 minutes) time-saving
Natural nail growth is stimulated, resulting in a new, healthy nail.
In today’s technological world, using laser treatments, patients with chronic toenail fungus problems can have their problems finally resolved. With this treatment therapy, patients suffering from fungal infections have the opportunity to their toenails free of fungi. A laser’s beam generates heat, which then kills the organism that is causing the toenail to become infected.
When used to treat onychomycosis, the laser emits pulses of energy that produce heat. The laser is aimed at the nail bed so the heat penetrates through the nail to the fungus underneath.
For this type of treatment, FDA-approved Nd: YAG laser technology is used to raise the temperature in a certain area. The heat from the lasers causes the infected tissue to gasify and decompose, which destroys the fungus and the surrounding skin and nails. The heat from the lasers also serves as a sterilizer, which suppresses the growth of new fungi.
The laser doesn’t emit enough energy to destroy all the tissue—or all the infection—when used safely. Repeat treatments are usually required. Inhibiting the growth of fungi and destroying some of their microorganisms is successful, but since fungal infections can sometimes survive the treatment, it is unlikely that one treatment will eliminate the infection.
Patients are likely to fully heal from laser toenail fungus within 6 to 9 months of undergoing the treatment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Laser Toenail Fungus Therapy?
Most people can benefit from laser toenail fungus treatment. But It is not recommended that this treatment be performed on people with the following conditions:
Pregnancy
Presence of skin cancers
Numbness and loss of sensation in the feet are called peripheral neuropathy.
Poor circulation (peripheral vascular disease)
It Is Time to Treat Toenail Fungus
Most times, toenail fungus is deemed as a cosmetic issue. However, it may cause severe complications for some people if not attended to on time. With our Toenail Fungus Treatment at Unique Beauty Clinic, you can begin your journey towards total healing from toenail fungus treatment.
