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The reasoning is simple. People do not give ample care to their feet. There is a reason why it is stated to keep the feet clean at all the times. Fungi can grow in the nails – trust me, this is going to be very painful. Imagine fungi eating through your nail and finally through the cozy flesh beneath it! If do are suffering from the same, or if you do not want it to materialize on your body, please read the entire article. Many people are experiencing the condition these days.
Therefore, you are interested in knowing the cause of nail fungus infection. Well, here it is – unclean feet are a safe haven for these organisms. Keep your feet unclean, use unclean footwear/shoes/socks (you get the idea, right?) and you stand a good chance of being infected by these fungi. The fact is that people do not realize that they are undergoing infection, because they do not have the ample time to stoop down and look at their feet. It is only during the advanced stages of the infection that they frantically seek out treatment procedures. Well, I won't blame them – life is becoming too hectic!
The symptoms can be understood from the above passages – infection of the nail will cause chipping of the nail, along with discoloration of the nail. Allow me to suggest something – the next time you are in the bath, take special care to inspect the nails. Clean them properly – the fungi might be hidden, flush it out! Then, the symptom for infection of the underneath flesh is simply the pains associated with it. Pain – unbearable pain while walking, running and do all sorts of activities where the feet are put to good use. The next time you experience these symptoms, please check out those regions for inflammations and/or discolorations.
Well, the damage has been done for some of the readers. They might be interested in knowing the treatment or preventive measures. Keep the feet clean – this is the initial step to avoiding the condition. Even when you realize that your feet are infected with the same nail fungus, you should be doing the same – use mild to moderately hot soapy water solution. Immersing the feet in a bowl of warm soap water is recommended, likewise. The fungi can be destroyed by applying anti-septic solutions and creams. A dermatologist will be prescribing the same.
Most of the medical ailments affecting humans are caused by negligence. It is only during a later stage in their life that they will slowly realize the folly. Plenty of natural antiseptic products are available – that will cure the condition while easing the pain. Tea tree oil, lavender oil, lemon juice will aid in eliminating the condition. Freezing the region ad thus killing the fungi is another expensive alternative. Bear in mind that the condition will take its sweet own time to heal. In the meantime, change your footwear and all the associated accessories at a regular interval. A little care is all that is required to stay safe.
Our respective surroundings may be good to live in but the body is never safe from various diseases living round us. There are many different kinds of bacteria, good and bad that make use of our body as good host for breeding. Take tinea unguium for example, the name itself already sounds dreadful, right? Let us find out more about them.
Nail Fungus: An Overview
Nail fungus is an infection in the nails. When the bacteria called dermatophyte or tinea unguium penetrates the nails, then contamination occurs. These bacteria spawn from yeasts and molds that thrive in damp environments. They grow in places where there is very low supply of oxygen, or anaerobic in nature.
Also called onychomycosis, dermatophyte is also the cause of other common skin disorders such as ringworm, jock itch, psoriasis, and athlete's foot. When one is infected with onychomycosis on either finger or toenails, he experiences reddening and swelling, irritation and itching, and unpleasant odor around the infected area. The nails thicken and become frail until it totally detaches from the nail bed when the infection reaches the highest degree. There are various classifications that characterize onychomycosis:
- Distal Subungual Onychomycosis (infection of the nailbed);
- White Superficial Onychomycosis (formation of "white islands” on the outer layers of the nail bed);
- Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis (infection of the proximal nail fold);
- Candidal Onychomycosis (invasion of bacterium candida);
- Total Dystrophic Onychomycosis (destruction of nail plate).
Nail Fungus Causes & Prevention
The key factor that encourages nail fungal infection is improper hygiene. You can avoid acquiring the disease by keeping a clean body and surrounding. Let us look into a detailed list of causes and measures to evade onychomycosis.
- Careless use of public properties or walking around barefoot in open pools, communal washrooms, and gyms give the fungus easy access to your nails. Be reminded that dermatophytes are anaerobic.
- Lack of hygiene. The instruments you use on your nails aren't 100 per cent safe unless they are sanitized. Check with your professional manicurist or pedicurist if they are sterilized.
- Heavy perspiration. You feet has greater share of risk of acquiring nail fungal infection as they are frequently confined inside your shoes and tight socks. To keep them fungi-free, always give your feet enough rest before washing them, dry them well, and apply foot powder. Choose the right socks to wear, avoid pure cotton but go for those with spandex.
- If your hands are already infected, seek advice from a specialist. Otherwise, apply topical treatments available over the counter. Some of the most prescribed brands are Lamisil, Tinactin, Penlac, Dermisil, lacquer, or simply put Vicks VapoRub on the infected part.
Generally, it takes three or more months of therapy before the bacteria disappear and a new nail to grow. This, however, does not make you safer as the infection may recur if not taken care of.
Some Useful Facts
Nail fungal infection can hit anyone but among the most susceptible victims are adults ages 60 and above or persons with diabetes or leukemia because of having weak immune system and problems over blood circulation. The males have larger percentage of infection than females and children are the less likely prey. These tiny microorganisms depend on warm and damp environment, which make your toe nails an appropriate breeding ground.