Nail Health Care Information

A fungus or a type of yeast causes nails fungal infection. This infection makes the nail thick and crumbly. Nail fungus normally affects the toenails. It can even disfigure the nails and discolor them. If left uncontrolled nail fungus can make the nail die. Let us see what it is and how to stop it.

Nail Fungus- What causes it and how it spreads?

Nail fungus is caused by a fungus that is found in common places such as locker rooms, pool side etc. If you walk barefoot in such places you can contact the infection. Any place that is frequented by many people and where many people walk barefoot is the place from where you can get nail fungal infection. Cleanliness has no role in causing nail fungus.

Nail Fungus- Symptoms-

In fungal infection of the nail, nail gets discolored. Debris begins forming below the nail and nail becomes thick. This is the sign that your nail is affected. To learn more, please click here- Nail Fungus

Nail Fungus- Prevention-

Prevent nail fungus by wearing footwear in common places. If you frequently catch fungal infections, you should apply anti fungal powder after you visit any common place to prevent the infection. Keep your toes dry and wash them regularly.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

C.D.Mohatta writes articles on skin problems, skin treatments and skin care. For more information about how to have good skin that looks young and blemish free, please visit- http://www.doctorgoodskin.com/. You will also find solutions to wrinkles, scars, facial rejuvenation, latest laser treatments, skin blemishes and spots, hair care and hair loss and about keeping healthy nails. This site is dedicated to keep you healthy and make you look good. For keeping yourself young and healthy at all the ages find out more about the skin problems and how to cure them.

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Black fungus under fingernails is about the last thing that anyone would want, yet fungal nail infection is not at all uncommon. Fungal fingernail infection happens when fungal spores get in under the fingernails and start to grow there. Before long fungal hyphae (slender branching stalks of fungal growth) are wending their way back from the tip of the nail toward the cuticle, flourishing in the warm moist environment of the nail bed and deriving nourishment from the finger nail itself. Not all fungi produce a black color however: a yellow or brown color is even more typical.

A subtle yellowish tinge to the nail is often the first sign of fungal nail infection and it usually starts on one or more toenails. Stronger colors, such as dark brown or black, develop over time as the fungus matures and begins producing spores. Furthermore, there is great variation in what nail fungus looks like, and some infections simply have a white or cream color. Black fungus under fingernails is not really a typical fingernail infection.

What nail fungus looks like depends on a variety of factors: what type of fungus is growing in the nail, how far advanced the infection is, which parts of the nail are affected, and whether there have been any attempts at treatment. Black fungus under fingernails would usually be a fairly advanced infection. Other symptoms in advanced infection include nails that are thick and deformed, crumbling or flaking nails that wear away quickly, painful toes and fingertips, peeling skin around the affected nails.

If you have black fungus under fingernails, and your toenails are not infected, you may have caught it when your hands came in contact with fungal elements in the soil, or in decaying vegetation. It is always a good idea to wear gardening gloves when you are working in the garden, and to clean your nails thoroughly if dirt lodges under them. Be wary, too, of any little cuts and scratches you get on your hands while you are working outside: these make it easier for any harmful organism, including fungi to invade your nails and skin. Places to pick up a nail fungus include contact with someone else’s nail infection, and damp public places such as pools and public showers stalls. Manicures and pedicures in nail spas have also been known to spread fungus infections. Take care of your nails and keep in mind what nail fungus looks like, so you can recognize it quickly and get treatment before it gets too bad.

R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to Black Fungus Under Fingernails, a blog dedicated to the treatment of fingernail and toenail fungus.

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Fungus infections cause less than five percent of deformed nails. Drying of skin and skin conditions such as psoriasis are more common causes.

The part of nails that you see is dead. Living nails are located underneath the skin at their base. It takes four and a half months for the nail to grow from the nail plate to its end where you cut it off. During this time, the nail dries out and the ends can crack and fray. So the most common cause of deformed nails is drying with aging, best treated by coating the nails with nail polish three times a week. The polish delays sublimation of water and helps to prevent drying.

Most deformed nails are caused by skin conditions such as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. If you have thickened toenails, check with your doctor, a podiatrist or dermatologist who will clip off a piece of the nail and place it in a special bottle to culture it for a fungus.

Since a fungus infection in the nail starts in the plate underneath the skin and no creams can get into the nail plate, pills are the most effective treatment for toenail fungus infections. A special laquer called Penlac can cure some fungus nails when applied for several weeks. Fungus infections can be cured by 2 100 mg itraconazole pills each morning every other week for 4 to 5 months, or by another drug called terbinafine. If no fungus is present, fungus pills will not help. If no fungus is present, most effective treatment is to go to a medical supply store and buy surgical quality nail clippers. They are strong enough to cut thickened toenails without tearing them.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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