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[F339]First Visit To Doctor

by Wong Darren, Won

Symptoms of nail fungus infection include the following:

a. Nail discoloration
b. Brittle or frail nails
c. Thickened nail growth
d. Irregular growth of nails
e. Painful affected toe

A Visit to a Doctor

At the early signs of nail fungus, a visit to a doctor will help a lot. This allows the doctor to properly diagnose the condition and rule out other problems. If you are apprehensive to consult a doctor, giving you an idea of how it is going to be like may convince you to go:

Personal Background – The doctor will ask you questions related to the nature of your work, hobbies, sports and overall lifestyle. He might also ask about your diet, vices, and personal hygiene. Answers to these questions will give him an idea where you might have been exposed to conditions that may cause nail fungus.

Medical History - This part of the interview will deal with your previous health problems. He will ask if you are going under a treatment for similar problems like athlete's foot. He will also probe if you have diabetes, HIV or blood circulation issues that may make you more susceptible to nail fungus. You will also be asked about the quality of footwear you regularly use, or if you have been into nail extensions or nail polish which may have triggered the development of the fungi.

Family History – The doctor will need to establish if the same condition or similar conditions have occurred in your family. A positive history of psoriasis in the family may make one more prone to nail fungus. The doctor will use this information to rule out or compare the symptoms of the different disease entities your family might have encountered.

Ocular Inspection - The doctor will thoroughly inspect the nails and nail beds of your fingers and toes. He will take note of any discolorations, malformations or irregular debris accumulation around or beneath the nails. He will take note of cracks, brittleness and thickness of your nails.

Diagnosis - A sample of the nail or the tissue beneath it may be necessary to properly confirm the presence of nail fungus. The piece of nail or tissue will be submitted to the laboratory for culturing or for observation under a microscope. Presence of microorganisms will confirm you have nail fungus.

Treatment - The doctor will prescribe medicines you have to take religiously for several weeks so you can get rid of nail fungus. Aside from oral medications, some topical ointment or cream may also be suggested.

As you can see, going to the doctor is far from being scary or painful. What will be painful is having you fungus-infected nail to be removed surgically, if it is not treated early on. Follow-up visits may also be necessary to properly monitor the progress of the treatment of the nail fungus.

Learn more about nail fungus from different websites dedicated to the subject. Professional help and medicines can also be found online.

One of the first dog training protocol you will want to initiate when you get a new puppy is to teach him to inhibit the force of his play-bites. It is not necessary to reprimand the pup, and certainly physical punishments are not called for. But it is essential to let your puppy know that bites can hurt. A simple "Ouch!" is usually sufficient. When the puppy backs off, take a short time-out to "lick your wounds," instruct your pup to come, sit, and lie down to apologize and make up. Then resume playing.

If your puppy does not respond to your yelp by easing up or backing off, an effective technique is to call the puppy a "Bully!" and then leave the room and shut the door. Allow the pup a minute or two time-out to reflect on the association between his painful bite and the immediate departure of his favorite human chew-toy. Then return to make up. It is important to show that you still love your puppy, only that his painful bites are objectionable. Have your pup come and sit and then resume playing once more.

It is much better for you to walk away from the pup than to physically restrain him or remove him to his confinement area at a time when he is biting too hard. So make a habit of playing with your puppy in his long-term confinement area. This technique is remarkably effective with lead-headed dogs, since it is precisely the way puppies learn to inhibit the force of their bites when playing with each other. If one puppy bites another too hard, the dog who gets bitten yelps and playing is postponed while he licks his wounds. The biter soon learns that hard bites interrupt an otherwise enjoyable play session. He learns to bite more softly once play resumes.

The next step is to eliminate bite pressure entirely, even though the "bites" no longer hurt. While your puppy is chewing his human chew-toy, wait for a bite that is harder than the rest and respond as if it really hurt, even though it didn't: "Ouch - Gennntly! That really hurt me, you bully!" Your puppy begins to think, "Good heavens! These humans are soooooo sensitive. I'll have to be really careful when mouthing their delicate skin." And that's precisely what you want your pup to think: that he needs to be extremely careful and gentle when playing with people.

Your pup should learn not to hurt people well before he is three months old. Ideally, by the time he is four and a half months old (before he develops strong jaws and adult canine teeth) he should no longer be exerting any pressure when mouthing.

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About Author

Both Wong Darren & Keith Lee are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Wong Darren has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Hair Care and Acne Treatment. Darren is an online medical researcher and webmaster of . He also wrote the following useful article: ". Wong Darren's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.

Keith Lee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Credit Cards and Bankruptcy Law. Keith LeeA Dog Trainer, a Motivational Speaker and a Life Coach for the past 10 years.Get his free eBook 'A Guide To Dog Training' at