Saturday, November 29, 2008

Nail Ringworm - The Facts

By Jennifer King

Toe nail fungi is an infectious disease nobody needs to put up with. Although it's not a dangerous infection, it can become very painful if you leave it to eat away at your toe nails. You would therefore try and avoid ever becoming infected. The first real step to dodging a toe nail fungal infection is to learn the top facts about it.

#1- You can catch them

Toe nail fungi don't just jump on your toe out of the blue. People who get infected| catch toe nail fungi from a source. This is slightly different catching a viral infection or a cold. Specific conditions must be in place for toe nail fungi to develop and crete the infection. Fungi generally live in warm, moist areas. You can therefore get infected in areas with water and a suitable temperature like shower stalls and pool sides. You could however, also become infected if you borrow nail clippers and files used by an infected person.

Toe nail fungi enter close to your toe nail. It is possible that you will have a cut near or around your toe nail. Once fungi have entered via the tiny opening, it will remain in between the nail and the nail bed.

#2- They love nails.

Keep your toe nails clean and trimmed as much as you can. Nail fungi just enjoy living under your nails. This is mainly because your toe nails offer them the living conditions that they enjoy the most. The nails in your shoes or trainers for 12 hours a day are warm and moist so the fungus actually has a perfect home.

It is tempting to be under the impression that toe nail fungus will just go away. This is especially since the initial symptoms of a nail infection aren't very distressing. Small white dots are probably all you can expect in the beginning. If you don't attempt to cure yourself though, the fungi can expand under your nail. Your toe nail can turn to an ugly brown or black, and may become ragged and brittle. This is when it may become difficult to treat nail fungi with just topical applications. You may actually need to have your toe nail removed entirely.

#3- Fingernails are vulnerable to fungal infections as well.

Finger nails can get infected also. Some may not be wise to the fact that the nails on their fingers can also get fungal infections. The reason why fungal infections of the toe nails are more more commonly mentioned is because they are more common than fungal infections of the fingernails.

Footwear - These are to blame for the common episodes of toe nail fungal infections. With a high percentage of people the toes are usually enclosed in non-porous shoes and socks. This condition alone can already make an initial, moderate infection worse. This is simply for the reason that closed shoes promote moisture retention.

#4- Nail infections are not simple things to get rid of.

Infections of the toe nails are stubborn. This is for the reason that the nails, which are there to protect our toes, also protect nail fungi. This makes it difficult for topical applications to get in. This is why topical applications need to be used regularly, consistently and for a long time before any improvement can be seen on toe nail fungal infections. - 16650

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