Discolored Nails and Toenail Pain - Toenail Fungus Treatment and Prevention

It is not hard to detect toenail fungus at its onset because the particular infection comes with very noticeable symptoms. The first thing that you will notice after acquiring toenail fungus is the appearance of white spots under the tip of your toenails. The infection then spreads gradually throughout the whole nail area until it covers the entire toenail.

In the latter stages of the disease, distortion of the toenails may also occur and the nails may also become brittle. As a result of the distortion of the nails, the surrounding area may become irritated and the patient may feel some toenail pain and discomfort especially when moving the toenails or during activities such as walking or running. The nails will also thicken as a result of the over production of keratin to replace the ones eaten by the fungus responsible for the infection. Though the symptoms of toenail fungus are quite unmistakable, it is still advisable to go to a doctor once you notice these changes in your toenails to get a proper diagnosis.

Toenail fungus which is known scientifically as onychomycosis is caused by a type of fungus known as dermatophytes. This type of fungus thrive in warm and damp areas. Public places that are constantly wet such as public bathrooms and swimming pools are believed to be one of the most common places where dermatophytes are caught. This is the reason why it is not advisable to walk barefoot while in these places.

It is important that onychomycosis be treated immediately once its symptoms appear. This is is because the infection is very hard to treat once it reaches its advanced stages. During the initial stages of toenail fungus, the disease is still responsive to common home remedies that are effective in eliminating fungi. These home remedies include vinegar, tea tree oil, Listerine and Epsom salt. Consult your doctor first before you try to use any kind of medications to treat your toenail fungus.

Some people don't take toenail fungus seriously and considers it as just a common fungal infection that can be easily treated. When left untreated, toenail fungus can lead to more serious complications and could result to permanent damage to the toenails. This is the reason why you should not ignore onychomycosis symptoms when you notice them. So if you notice a slight discoloration and distortion of your nails and if you begin to feel some toenail pain, immediately consult a doctor.

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Make sure you do your homework before treating fungus because without the right method the stuff can be quite tricky. It took about two months for me effectively start treating my nails and years of trial and error to find the cure. I ended up using a toenail fungus treatment listed on that site and I couldn't have been happier with the results.

For Toenail Fungus, Prevention Is The Best Cure

Toenail fungus affects millions of individuals nowadays. If you are one of these individuals who is already suffering from toenail fungus, you must seek a toenail fungus treatment immediately – and following these tips will help prevent you from contracting it again in the future.

However, if you do not currently suffer from toenail fungus – and want to keep it that way – we have tried to put together the best preventative tips. Keep reading below for more information on how to help prevent toenail fungus:

Toenail fungus grows in warm, moist areas, which include public areas such as spas, swimming pools or locker rooms – it can even live in puddles of water for short periods of time. For this reason, it is always best to wear sandals or some sort of water shoe when out in public, wet areas.When shopping for socks, always buy pure 100% cotton, wool, or silk socks. These fabrics will absorb moisture from your feet and provide good ventilation. After working out or a long day at work, it is a recommended that you take them off and dry your feet before putting on a fresh pair of clean socks.Wear shoes that allow plenty of air and moisture exchange. When shopping for shoes, look for shoes with ventilation areas, natural materials, and remember to buy shoes that fit properly – uncomfortable and small shoes will cause nail trauma, which can lead to toenail fungus.Avoid sharing towels, shoes, or other personal items with other people – if they are infected with toenail fungus, then you increase your risk of getting the same ailment.Keep proper foot hygiene habits. Wash your feet daily and make sure to thoroughly dry them afterwards – paying special attention to the area between the toes. Toenail fungus cannot survive in dry environments.

We hope these toenail fungus prevention tips will come in helpful! And remember, if you already suffer from nail fungus, seek a toenail fungus therapy immediately.

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10 Tips For Toenail Fungus Prevention and Removal

1. Get your feet out of sweaty shoes and socks whenever you can. Fungus loves to grow in warm moist places. Like inside you sweat socks after exercising.

Interesting fact: About 50% the population will have had toenail fungus by the age of 70. Toenail fungus is much more common than fingernail fungus. Once you recognize that you have a nail fungus, it is very important to start treatment immediately before the fungus gets worse and spreads.

2. Use Foot powder to help keep your toes and feet dry while you are exercising. This will help absorb some of the moisture.

Interesting fact: Toenail fungus is not the product of poor personal hygiene.

3. Always wear flip-flops in places like public showers, locker rooms, and pools (walking on your tippy-toes across the bathroom floor won't protect your feet).

Interesting Fact: Nails are made of a protein called keratin (dead cells), which is also found in human hair. Toenail fungus is attracted to keratin and likes to feed on it.

4. Never share your toenail clippers with anyone. This is a big NO NO. Fungus will reside on the ends of your clippers allowing it to be transferred from one person to another.

Interesting fact: Injuring a toenail allows for the fungus to get underneath the nail and thus the nail becomes more susceptible.

5. Wear socks that allow the feet to breathe, such as those made from natural fibers such as cotton. If you have extremely sweaty feet, give them ample time to dry out during the day, if possible.

Interesting fact: Men are twice as likely to have a toenail fungal infection than women.

6. Do not wear toenail polish if you have a toenail infected by fungus. There is some debate on this one whether or not it really matters. When in doubt just don't do it.

Interesting fact: The medical term for toenail fungus is Onychmoycosis.

7. Always keep your nails trimmed short so that you minimize the risk of prying the nail upward and causing injury to the nail bed which in turn allows the fungus to grow underneath the nail.

Interesting fact: It can take 18 months for a nail to be replaced completely by a new one.

8. Stop Smoking! Faster recovery period. Yet one more reason to stop.

Interesting fact: Nail Fungus is NOT the same as Athlete's Foot but can be caused by the same fungus.

9. If your toenail has become inflamed or you are experiencing pain, seek medical advice as soon as you are able to do so.

10. Do not delay in the treatment of your toenail fungus. As the toenail fungus continues to grow it is much harder to get rid of. If you suspect you have toenail fungus, start treatment today.

Suzanne Whitaker is an expert in the area of toenail fungus prevention and removal. Why? Because she suffered for several years with this embarrassing and disfiguring toenail fungus disease before finding a unique product that actually worked for her. See Suzanne's personal account and how she overcame toenail fungus here: [http://mytoenailcure.xeview.com]

Toenail Fungus Causes, Prevention, and Treatment Options

Toenail fungus causes are no laughing matter and nothing to be taken lightly! The fact is that about 12% of the population in developed countries is afflicted with some degree of toenail fungal infection, and 25% of all adults over the age of 40 will be infected with nail fungus at some point. It gets worse with age, with people over 60 having a 50% chance of getting a fungal infection on their toenails. So what causes the toenail fungus that affects so many people? And how can toenail fungus causes be prevented and eradicated?

A fungal toenail infection might begin merely as a white or yellow spot beneath one of your nails. This means that the fungus has begun to grow and colonize. In time, the fungal infection on your nails develops, and the appearance of your feet will become unsightly, with scaly skin and hideous-looking yellow nails that are cracked and brittle. While regarded as an embarrassing aesthetic problem that can harm one's self-confidence, it is also possible for the infection to compromise the sufferer's immune system, making him or her more susceptible to disease or less capable of recovering from an illness.

Toenail Fungus Causes

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and if you understand beforehand the cause of toenail fungus then you can take measures to prevent yourself from becoming infected. The basic cause of nail fungus is the over-exposure of your feet to a wet or humid environment. Wearing sweaty socks a lot is a prime cause of toenail fungus, for instance. However, it is also possible to become infected by someone else. You would be most susceptible to this happening if you were to go swimming in a pool that is open to other people, get a shower in a publicly available place such as the YMCA, or use a public sauna. It would also be possible for you to get a toenail fungus infection from someone else whom you live with and share the bathroom with, but presumably you would already know that they are infected, whereas you may have no idea about someone who is in a public setting.

While this exposure to sweat and humidity is the basic cause of the fungal infection, and while you can get infected by others, keep in mind, too, that some other factors do increase your risk of getting a toenail fungus. Being an athlete is one of those risk factors, for your feet are sweating constantly, and if you get athlete's foot your odds of contracting a toenail fungus go up significantly. If you already have the fungus on one toe, having it spread to your other nails becomes much, much more likely. And, as alluded to above, once you are a senior citizen your risk factors for this ugly fungal infection go up significantly.

How to Protect Yourself against the Causes of Toenail Fungus

With the above toenail fungus causes in mind, we can look at some preventive measures to take so that you lower your risk of being a victim of this hideous infection.

Wear rubber sandals whenever you use public facilities such as locker rooms, gymnasiums, or showers. Wear these sandals on your feet when you are out of the water at a public pool, too. After every time you immerse your feet in water such as when you get a shower or go swimming, or get them wet from things like outdoor rain puddles, dry them off very thoroughly. Never go around in wet socks. Keep your toenails well groomed and short so that the fungal environment is little present. A reputable pedicure salon can help you with this. If you are physically active a lot, use preventive fungal sprays on your socks and shoes, and change socks frequently. Do not pick your toenail skin or hangnails, for this could break the skin and let in fungal elements. Eat a well-balanced and healthy diet. Loss of physical health is a major reason why senior citizens are more susceptible to toenail infections than younger people are.

If you see any signs of a toenail fungal infection starting, go to your doctor immediately. Once you are already infected and the fungus starts growing and spreading, the process of treating your toenail fungal infection is long and arduous, taking months and perhaps years to complete. To make matters even more complicated, there is no certainty about any of the treatment methods. The home-based remedies, such as applying Lavender oil, are proven to have very, very little chance of success. Commercially available topical medications may work, but they may not. The same uncertainty goes for laser treatment. And finally, the pharmaceuticals that many infected people must ultimately turn to come with the usual assortment of unwanted side effects.

Knowing toenail fungus causes and then doing all that you can to protect yourself against exposure to the cause of toenail fungus infections is really the best thing you can do about it. If you have already been affected, then you should consider very carefully which treatments have the best odds of success for you.

Heather Stewart is the founder of Toenail Fungus Treatment Review, an independent organization devoted to empower consumers with the most accurate information on toenail fungus treatment options. To weigh the pros and cons of each treatment and find the most suitable cure for you, read her review at
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Toenail Fungus Home Remedies and Prevention

Fungal Infections are common in both toenails and fingernails but are found more often on the toes. These infections are harmful because as they grow they begin to feed on the keratin that makes up the surface of the toenails. In toenail fungus infections, the toenails that are most often likely to be effected are the big and little toe. These two toes are the most susceptible. Toenail fungal infections cause disfiguration and discoloration of the nails. In some cases toenail fungus can be hereditary. There are natural cures for toenail fungus.

Most often, sufferers run to home remedies for toenail fungus, for both treatment and cure. Home remedies for toenail fungus eliminates the fungus creating the infection and does not damage the actual toenail unlike prescribed medications. Bleach and Peroxide appear to be the tried and true method of home remedies that helps to quickly kill the fungus, stop it from spreading and in turn treating and/or curing the infection.

Other at home remedies to treat toenail fungus:

Tea Tree oil. This potent natural antiseptic will help eliminate and kill the fungus. Dilute the tea tree oil with olive oil and apply to the affected toe nail. Be sure to leave equal parts of your mixture on the nail for 10-15 minutes before bathing or rubbing off to be sure the solution has absorbed into the nail. Continue the use of this natural home remedy for toenail fungus for several weeks after the fungus has cleared to keep it away.

Listerine Mouthwash. This very powerful antiseptic contains several compounds like eucalyptol and salicylate thymol, which creates a strong at home remedy for toenail fungus. This remedy requires you to mix equal parts of mouthwash and a strong natural acid ( which helps neutralize and break down the fungus ) like apple cider vinegar or undiluted lemon juice. Due this once a day for a course of 1 week where you will then see noticeable differences. When the fungus is gone continue on for a couple weeks to ensure all strands are gone. If you are susceptible to fungus infections, use this remedy once a week for maintenance.

Vicks Vapor Rub. For mild to moderate toenail fungus, some, swear by this all natural remedy to curing their toenail fungus. Using a Q-Tip, apply the vapor rub, rubbing it into the toenail, cover with a band-aid or other form of gauze. Leave on overnight. Remove bandaging in the morning and wash the toenail. Some have seen drastic improvement in as little as one day.

Decolorized Iodine - Otherwise known as clear iodine or non staining iodine. Apply liberally, massaging into the toenail, up to two times a day for several weeks even after the fungus has remedied itself to be sure all fungus and pathogens are gone. This is great for maintenance as well if you are prone to fungal infections.

Toenail fungus, as ugly and unattractive as it may be, is curable. As your fungus starts to clear you may see flaking of the toenail. In many cases the left over fungus that has grown on top of the nail can be fluffed off with a nail file or nail buffer. Always disinfect these products with bleach or alcohol after each use to avoid reinfection of your nails with fungus. Begin NOW to prevent toenail fungus in the future. Allow your feet and nails to breath especially when it comes to toe nail polish. Never reuse the same socks, always wear clean socks. At signs of moisture on socks, remove. Keep toenails clean, cut short and filed. Spray fungicides in shoes and use foot powders to prevent moisture.

As with any new or at home remedy or regiment, always discuss with your Doctor prior. Be sure to discuss any allergies or medications you are taking, especially blood thinners. This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure, only a licensed physician can do so.

Charles Mallard invites you to visit our website for home remedies and natural cures as we constantly update the site with new articles and reviews on new products and solutions for common ailments. Visit our website for more on toenail fungus and home remedies. You can submit your questions and add your comments to share your experiences with home remedies that have worked for you. Hope to hear from you soon. TheHomeRemediesReview.com.