Definition: Fungal infection of the nail.

Medical terminology: onychomycosis

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Have your nails become thick, crumbly, or discoloured?  Have your nails become very brittle and have white, black, yellow or green patches?  You might be experiencing a fungal infection of the nail. Onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nail) is the most common disease of the nails and may affect toenails or fingernails.

Causes of fungal nails:

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  • Fungi *most common causative pathogen
  • Molds (Aspergillus)
  • Yeasts (Candida)

[/list][reveal title=”How Do I Get Fungal Nails?” open=”false” color=”blue”]Nail infection is caused by contact with fungus. Unfortunately, fungus is found everywhere in our environment putting everybody at risk for fungal nails. There are some environments and conditions that increase your risk of nail infection.

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  • Swimming pools, gyms and shower rooms
  • Humid or moist environment
  • Minor skin or nail injury
  • Sweaty feet
  • Athlete’s foot
  • Diabetes
  • Psoriasis
  • Poor circulation
  • Weakened immune system

[/list][/reveal][reveal title=”Ways to lower chances of getting fungal nails” open=”false” color=”blue”]There are many ways to reduce the chances of getting fungal nails:

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  • Wear flip flops or water shoes in public places such as pools, water parks or locker rooms
  • Wear a clean pair of sockseveryday
  • If you tend to have sweaty feet, change socks frequently
  • Do not wear moist socks or wet shoes (this is a good environment for fungus or bacteria to grow)
  • Do not share socks or shoes with someone who has a fungal infection, it is contagious
  • If you live with someone who has a fungal infection, make sure they always wear something on their feet as it is contagious

[/list][/reveal][reveal title=”I Have Fungal Nails, What Should I Do?” open=”false” color=”blue”]First, you should book an appointment with David Allison to help assess the severity of your fungal nails, and to provide the correct treatment. Additional things you can do are:

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  • Keep nails trimmed short
  • Place shoes and socks in the sunlight, UV rays can kill fungus
  • Spray shoes with a disinfectant
  • Wash feet daily and make sure feet are kept dry
  • Wear clean socks daily

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