Nail fungus is caused by very small organisms infecting one’s finger and toe nails. Generally, nails are very sturdy and can easily defend themselves against any kind of infections. They guard you like a strong fence blocking out all sorts of fungi and infections. However, in the case that a fungus gets through and is able to infect the nails, the resistant power of the nails works against the infected individual and it gets very hard to handle the infection.
The nail turns out to be a very secure site for the fungus to develop and grow causing the infection to spread further, which is why it’s really difficult to get to the infected area and cure the infection. Nail fungus requires warm and moist environments to grow and spread. Therefore the possibility of nail fungus infecting the toenails is quiet high because the ideal conditions for nail fungus to grow, which are warm and moist surroundings, are provided by the use of shoes and socks.
Nail fungus is very much different from the athlete’s foot also known as tinea pedis, which mainly infects the skin of the feet, but some times they are found to exist together and can be induced by the same sort of fungus.
In the initial stages of infection, a whitish or a yellowish spot can be seen around the tip of your toe or finger nail. Your nail gets discolored, becomes thick and degenerate around the edges as the infection spreads further leading to an ugly and possibly agonizing problem. The fungus infection may also begin form the base and spread to the edges of the nail causing a red spot and one feels itchy. As the infection spreads through out the nail, the color of the nail changes to yellow-green or yellow-brown and white spots may also appear in some cases. The nail thickens causing pain.
Nail fungus can be infectious and flourish especially in places such as shower booths, locker rooms and baths. It may also spread through use of nail filers and cutters. The fungus can also be passed on from one nail to another.
What you can do to reduce the possibility of getting a nail fungus infection:
One should wash and clean hands on a regular basis. This will prevent one from getting infected. Also washing one’s feet and drying them out regularly along with wearing clean and dry socks and shoes will assist in keeping off the nail fungus.
It is very hard to cure a infection caused by nail fungus and there are good chances of it reoccurring. But many medications are available in the market that can help you to clear up the infection.
One should wash and clean hands on a regular basis. This will prevent one from getting the infection. Also washing one’s feet and drying them out regularly along with wearing clean and dry socks and shoes will assist in keeping off the nail fungus.
You might think that with an artificial nail fungus would not be a problem, but in reality, fungal nail infection can be even more of a worry when you apply false nails on top of natural nails. This is because fungi grow well in damp airless places, like inside shoes, and on warm sweaty feet, and false nails do restrict the flow of air around the nail. Fungal infections of the fingernails are much less common than toenail infections, so the issue is not a big one, but bear in mind that a natural fingernail covered with a sheet of acrylic, fiberglass, or other synthetic material does not get as much exposure to air.
A fingernail discolored and distorted by fungal growth is not a pretty thing, and when your fingernails look like this it’s tempting to cover up the damage so that other people won’t see it. However, when you apply an artificial nail fungus does not go away, it just gets put out of sight. Untreated, and possibly even more comfortable, it will continue to grow and to destroy the natural nail. It may spread to other fingernails, and toenails, or to the skin around the nails. Eventually, natural nails may disintegrate so badly that it’s no longer possible to apply a false nail, and by this time the appearance of the nail will be very much worse. You need to deal with your fungal infection, not hide it.
One more artificial nail fungus connection comes as a result of the booming nail industry: many women are now visiting professionals to have their false nails applied. They are enjoying nail spas, and getting manicures and pedicures in greater numbers than ever before. Unfortunately, this gives the fungi that invade human nails a chance to spread. Some of the women that visit your nail-care professional already have fungus growing in their finger- and toenails. While they are receiving services, fungal spores contaminate the equipment in the facility, and if the facility doesn’t follow strict rules for cleaning and disinfecting, these spores will still be around when the next customer arrives. Then, with each artificial nail fungus gets a free ride onto a natural nail and another chance to flourish in a comfortable environment. This is not a theory: fungi and other infectious organisms have been spread by nail-care procedures.
If you use artificial nails fungus may become an issue for you. To avoid it, choose a nail-care professional carefully and ask about disinfection procedures, follow recommendations for the care of your false nails, and deal with any symptoms of fungal infection promptly.
Getting a manicure or a pedicure these days is easy considering the thousands of nail salons and beauty parlors that offer these services. But did you know that these procedures can be dangerous at the wrong hands?
Dr. Richard Scher of the American Academy of Dermatology said that you can contract a host of diseases from your friendly manicurist if you’re not careful. This usually comes from dirty instruments and overzealous cleaning.
“Millions of women visit manicurists to have their nails professionally manicured every year. Unfortunately, occasionally the result of having manicures is developing nail fungus or bacterial infections which can not only look bad but may also feel even worse. Although HIV or AIDS can be transmitted through broken skin that occurs during a visit to a nail salon, this is extremely rare,” explained Tracee Cornforth in “10 Tips for healthy manicures.”
Manicures have certainly gone a long way since they were first used in Egypt in 3,000 B.C. In those days, men and women of high social standing used henna to stain their nails red-orange. The darker the color of the nails, the more important the person was.
Today, it is estimated that American women (and men) spend over $6 billion yearly on nail care products and services. A big portion of that amount goes to manicurists who “treat” nails.
On the plus side, a weekly manicure can make your nails look better, cleaner, and prevent nail-biting which can be a sign of chronic tension or anxiety.
The risk from manicures comes mainly from dirty tools. Some manicurists simply “sanitize” their instruments with a nail polish remover or alcohol. Scher said this is not enough to protect the customer from various diseases.
“Only a heat-pressurized sterilizer offers complete protection. And although the hazards are hardly life-threatening (there are no known reported cases yet of blood-borne diseases like AIDS or hepatitis being transmitted), you can get warts and other infections if tools aren’t properly sterilized,” said Dana Sullivan in Health magazine.
One common nail problem you can get from a bad manicure is onychomycosis or ringworm of the nails, a stubborn nail infection that’s difficult to treat. This can discolor your nails and make them dull, brittle, and flaky. The cuticle becomes red, tender, and swollen, and pus may ooze from your infected nails.
To minimize your risk of acquiring onychomycosis and other nail problems, go to a reputable parlor or salon. Make sure the place is clean and well-lighted. Bring your own tools if possible and keep them clean. If you’re not using your own manicure kit, see to it that all instruments are cleaned and disinfected before and after they are used. Manicurists should wash their hands before and after each client.
If you develop an infection after the procedure, report the matter to your state cosmetology board. Prescription antifungal medications may ease your suffering but not all of them work and some have serious side effects. A better alternative is Somasin AFS. This natural fungus-fighter stops stubborn nail infections in just seven days. Check out http://www.somasin.com for details.
What’s the connection between fungus spores and nail fungus? Fungi that are actively growing will eventually produce spores – tiny reproductive stages that break away from the plant and spread to new places on air currents, in water, and on living things that move about. Most people have seen fungal spores: perhaps you’ve seen a green dusty powder inside the bag of a loaf of bread that’s gone moldy, or noticed that portobello mushrooms leave a black coating on your cutting board. These substances are actually large numbers of spores (a single spore is microscopic so you can’t see it – by the time they become visible there are millions.)
It’s important to understand that most fungi produce spores of one find or another – infectious fungal spores, that is, those that can cause infection in people, only come from a few species. Portobello mushroom spores, and those of most other environmental species will not hurt you (though it’s probably not a good idea to casually inhale spores of any fungus, for various reasons). There is only a connection between fungus spores and nail fungus infection when the spores are from one of fungi that can grow in keratin, the protein that is common in nails, hair, and skin.
Infectious fungal spores are produced by fungi growing in infected toenails and fingernails. They are dispersed in the environment when bits of nail and skin flake off, on nail clippers and instruments used to trim and file nails, in nail clippings, in shoes and socks, in water, and when the afflicted person walks about with bare feet. When you realize that a small colony of fungus can produce millions of spores, it’s easier to understand how the infection can spread readily from one nail to another, on shared clothing and grooming instruments, and in public swimming areas. An infection produces fungus spores and nail fungus spreads.
Most cases of fungal nail infection are caused by a few species of dermatophytes – fungi that are adapted to utilize keratin as a nutrient source. They spread from person to person and from animal to person by means of fungus spores and nail fungus infection is not the only problem they cause: infections of the skin and hair are generally caused by the same species. A few environmental fungi, i.e. species that normally live in nature, deriving nutrients from decaying organic material, can also produce infectious fungal spores that can grow in nails, but not skin or hair. Fortunately, the species involved in any particular infection does not generally matter when it comes to treatment of onychomycosis.