There are some discussions best left to private places, and admittedly toenail fungus is one of those topics. What may be surprising is there are many millions who contract this unpleasant fungal infection. If you ever develop any type of fungus growth on your body, then you really should see a physician or treat it with over the counter medication. Failing to get treatment for the toenail fungus will result in a lot more problems including nail loss. Yes, you can develop toenail fungus on the fingernails, too. The fungus involved in this condition has a friendlier habitat in toenails because of the limited light conditions and the moisture. Toenail fungus also must be treated because it is communicable not only to other people but can spread in your body.

The infected nail will acquire a different coloration to it in the beginning stages. There are people who may disregard this because it looks like somewhat dirty toenails. This discoloration is under the toenail, but it cannot be cleaned out. That is a notable thing to keep in mind concerning this condition. Really, regardless of how hard you persevere, you will not be able to restore your toenail's normal appearance. If you don't treat the nail, you are going to observe your infected nail eventually grow very dark in color. You can rapidly stop the infection with a medication you can purchase at the pharmacy, or possibly have your health care provider take care of the infection.

With the continued growth of this condition, the nail is going to right away begin to show other signs of trouble. You'll discover different kinds of symptoms as things become severe, and some people experience having serious nail thinning. But then again, you'll see that there are people who have their nails thicken from the infection. Other symptoms of more severe problems include flaking, cracking, and easily damaged nails. Of course sooner or later the entire nail will probably fall away, which is vwet undesirable for anyone. All the while, due to the presence and growth of fungus, you will notice a foul scent.

Toenail fungus can possibly advance to the point where it gets bad and causes serious discomfort. This type of fungus typically develops on the nail bed, and that is the reason the initial symptoms are underneath the nail. It is the keratin that the toenail fungus lives off of, and that is why the nail turns very weak. Generally speaking, toenail fungus thrives really well in damp places away from light. Some of the more common causes of it are terrible nail hygiene or even constantly wearing shoes that fit too tightly. Optimum growth conditions could happen as a consequence of a skin pH that is outside of what is typical.

The most effective way to deter the development of this fungus is by simple good hygiene. Since this is communicable, then you should take care in public areas that are wet such as swimming pools and locker rooms at gyms and wellness facilities. But you can easily and quickly take drugs by mouth or apply it locally to the infected nail.