Nail fungus is an embarrassing situation that you may have in your toenails or fingernails. Having a fungus problem may take a little time to remedy as treatment options are limited and do not always work right away. Here is some information that you can use to help you understand nail fungus and some treatment options that you can use to try to make it go away.
What Is Nail Fungus?
Nail fungus is a fungus underneath the nail. It causes your nail to turn a yellowish or greenish color and is rough and bumpy looking. Your nails may get thicker and can be painful when you wear tight shoes or gloves.
How Can You Get Nail Fungus?
You can catch nail fungus in areas that are warm and moist. The fungus is found in areas like swimming pools, locker rooms and shower houses. It is most often contracted by people who are athletes. If you have athlete's foot it can spread to the nail area, causing nail fungus.
What Treatments Are Available?
You can take an over the counter topical fungal treatment to try and relieve the symptoms of the fungus. They may take months or even a year to work, however. Fungus can spread from nail to nail so it is important to treat all of your nails so that the fungus doesn't have a chance to move from areas already affected.
Taking an oral fungus pill is another alternative to try to get fungus to go away. These work better than creams and oils, but they still need a lot of time to work effectively. A doctor would prescribe oral fungus pills and monitor your results. Unfortunately, many times nail fungus will reappear even after treatment. You must work diligently after it goes away to make sure that it does not return.
How To Prevent Fungus From Reoccurring
After your fungus has been treated, you will want to do your best to keep it away. Here are some things that you can do to prevent nail fungus from coming back.
- Always dry your feet and hands thoroughly before you go to bed
- Wear socks to bed
- Wear breathable shoes, such as flip-flops or sandals
- If you get your shoes wet, do not put them back on until completely dry
- Do not share towels or nail clippers
- Wear flip-flops whenever you are in a shared shower area or pool area
Podiatrists like those at centers such as Foot First Podiatry Centers can prescribe the best treatment for your nail fungus.
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