Toenails and fingernails can be infected by nail fungus, also know as Onychomycosis. The toe and finger nails play important roles of protecting our bodies from harmful substances. The protective barriers that protect our finger and toe nails can sometimes be invaded by nail fungus.
More than 35 million Americans get nail fungus; according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Because fungus grows best in dark, moist places, just beneath the nail is perfect place for it to grow. This is the reason it can be so challenging to treat nail fungus.
Nail fungus oftentimes find its home in toenails because of the warm, dark, moist environment of socks and shoes. The fingernails are six to seven times less likely than the toenails to be invaded by nail fungus.
Nail fungus usually cause redness and irritation around the sides of the nail. The first parts of the nail to become infected are usually the base and around the sides. The nail bed and actually nail begin to show signs of infection when the fungus spreads. The area around the cuticles often experience some uneasiness, pain and itching.
The cuticles may begin to disconnect or bleed. Different color changes may take place in the nail, from a greenish-yellow, dark yellow-brown, to being becoming spotted white. The thickness of nail increases and forms unusual indentations and little holes.
Catching it before it starts is the best treatment. Cut your nails straight across. Soften your nails if they’re too difficult to cut by letting them sit in a gallon of salt salt water (use one tsp per gal). Make sure your feet get enough air and stays dry. Take caution when selecting a manicurist, and be mindful about using fake nails. Be sure to ask questions about their sterilization process.
Be sure to keep your shoes on and not share shoes because nail fungus can spread from person to person, especially from bare feet and damp or moist air. This can take place in a number of places, including, bathrooms, shower rooms and locker facilities. Fungus can sometimes be lurking on nail files too. Be careful when using public facilities like showers. Make you wear flip flop or special shower shoes. It’s also a good idea to refrain from using other people’s emery boards or nail files.
Some nail polishes and artificial nails tend to hold moisture, the breeding ground of fungus. Use light colored nail polish, which helps allow more light to get to the nail. In addition, refrain from synthetic nails.
Treatments such as topical creams are typically used for less severe infections. Check out your area drug store for foot care fungal creams or treatments. The creams you find will include, Lamisil, Monistat, Tinactin, Lotrimin and Nizoral. If topical treatments don’t produce any results, your physician may deem an oral treatment more effective.
Nails can disclose a significant amount of information about what’s taking place inside the body. Whether the body is in excellent, good, fair or poor health can often be determined just by looking at the nails. A diet high in protein can aid the nails growth and strength.
Get in touch with you health care provider if you begin experiencing symptoms and seeing signs of nail fungus. If you are taking other medications, birth control, or are pregnant, make sure you tell your health care provider about any side effects you may experience.
Once nail fungus is already present, it is clearly too late to prevent the infection. In addition, house slippers may increase warmth on the feet and should be avoided if possible. Zeta Clear Nail Fungus Once the fungus enters the nail, it will spread fast.
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