What is a fungal nail infection?

Nail fungal infection (also known as onychomycosis) is the most common nail disorder, making up about 50% of nail abnormalities. Both fingernails and toenails are susceptible to the infection, which usually manifests as discoloration and thickening of the nail and crumbling edges. If you are healthy, a fungal nail infection probably won't cause serious problems, but it is unsightly and may hurt or damage you nail bed if it progresses untreated. It may lead to more serious problems you have diabetes, poor circulation or a weak immune system.

What causes a fungal nail infection?

Nail fungal infections are caused by microscopic organisms called fungi that do not require sunlight to survive. Most commonly, a group of fungi called dermatophytes (such as Candida) is responsible for nail fungal infections. However, some yeasts and molds also cause these infections. Most are caused by the same type of fungus that causes athlete's foot.

Fungus grows best in warm, moist places (like Florida), and can spread from person to person. You can get a fungal nail infection from walking barefoot in public showers or pools, by sharing personal items, such as towels and nail clippers or from nail salons that don’t follow strict sanitization protocol. If you have athlete's foot, the fungus can spread from your skin to your nails.

Fungus nails typically turn yellow or white, thicken and may crumble and split. If the infection progresses, it can be uncomfortable or even painful to wear shoes or walk. The infection may easily spread to other nails and, over time, can cause permanent damage to your nail or nail bed.

Treatment

Fungal nail infections are difficult to treat. Many treatments are not effective and oral anti-fungal medication may even be harmful to your liver. Treatment may take many months before improvement is noticed, and the nails may never completely return to their normal appearance, even if the fungus is killed, due to damage done to the nail root. Active onychomycosis should be under the care of a podiatrist. The best "cure" for nail fungus is to not get it in the first place—prevention.

Help Protect Against Nail Fungus

—Wear shoegear that "breathe"
—Wear cotton socks
—Keep feet clean and dry
—Avoid nail salons that don't properly disinfect instruments
—If you use nail polish, consider NOURISH*, enriched with natural ingredients with known antifungal properties.


*NOURISH is not an FDA-approved treatment for onychomycosis.