Saturday, January 31, 2009

Nail Infections - How To Prevent

By Dave Bern

In many cases unless you know what you are looking for being able to diagnose that you have a nail infection can be quite difficult. The only outward sign that there is something wrong is that your nail may become discolored. It is during the early stages of a nail infection one will notice that the nail infected has turned a yellowish color.

If you decide to ignore the first warning signs that you possibly have a nail infection this could actually lead to the strength of the nail being compromised. As the infection develops the nail will discolor more the nail will begin to thicken and in some cases will eventually begin to break.

So if you want to prevent this problem occurring to your nails then there are certain things that one will need to do. Below we look at what these are.

1. If you want to prevent any kind of nail infection whether it to your feet or hands then you need to make sure that yours remain clean and tidy. Through regular maintenance of your nails you will prevent the chances of bacteria and fungi from growing underneath and which can lead to an infection.

2. If at any time you find yourself with an injury to your nail (foot or hand) then make sure that you treat it immediately. This again will help to prevent the buildup of bacteria in the injury and so prevent the chance of fungus being able to thrive.

3. When it comes to preventing nail infections on your feet you should make sure that they remain cool and dry at all times. Plus as with your hands the nails on your feet should be regularly maintained. The fungi which can cause a nail infection likes warm, damp areas to grow in and feet provide the perfect habitat for it. So as well as keeping your feet clean make sure the socks and shoes you wear are clean and well maintained as well. If you do find yourself suffering from a nail infection to your feet there are some good quality over the counter nail infection medications that can help to treat the condition before it comes any worse.

People who wear artificial nails should also be aware that they can be extremely prone to suffering from nail infections. Certainly you need to care for your artificial nails in the same way as you would your own if you want to prevent such infections from occurring.

You need to be careful just what bonding agents you use when wearing artificial nails as these can cause damage to the soft tissue of your real nails. There are chemicals in these bonding agents which can in fact cause the soft tissue to disintegrate and this could in turn lead to fungus being able to get in underneath the artificial nail and grow.

The only way to ensure that you do not get any artificial nail infections is through proper care of your nails once they have been fitted. However, if at any stage you suspect an infection or you have a problem with your nails then you should seek professional advice as soon as you possibly can. When it comes to artificial nails never attempt to try and repair the damage yourself as this could only cause the problem to worsen. - 16650

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