Nail Fungus Prevention

To help prevent nail fungus and reduce recurrent infections, practice good hand and foot hygiene by following these steps:

• Keep your nails short, dry and clean. Trim nails straight across and file down thickened areas. Thoroughly dry your hands and feet, including between your toes, after bathing.
• Wear appropriate socks. Synthetic socks that wick away moisture may keep your feet dryer than do cotton or wool socks (you can also wear synthetic socks underneath other socks). Change them often, especially if your feet sweat excessively. Take your shoes off occasionally during the day and after exercise. Alternate closed-toe shoes with open-toed shoes.
• Use an antifungal spray or powder. Spray or sprinkle your feet and the insides of your shoes.
• Wear rubber gloves. This protects your hands from overexposure to water. Between uses, turn the rubber gloves inside out to dry.
• Don't trim or pick at the skin around your nails. This may give germs access to your skin and nails.
• Don't go barefoot in public places. Wear shoes around public pools, showers and locker rooms.
• Choose a reputable manicure and pedicure salon. Make sure the salon sterilizes its instruments. Better yet, bring your own.
• Give up nail polish and artificial nails. Although it may be tempting to hide nail fungal infections under a coat of pretty pink polish, this can trap unwanted moisture and worsen the infection.
• Wash your hands after touching an infected nail. Nail fungus can spread from nail to nail.
  

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Nail Fungus Infections: A General Overview –Part 1

Are you thinking you might have an infection of the nails? It is possible. But don’t conclude until you are done reading these series on the general overview of nail fungus infections. In these series, you’ll learn what nail fungus infection is, what causes it, its cure and treatment and preventive measures. Nail fungus also referred to as Onychomycosis is caused by tiny fungus organisms that can be easily contracted anywhere. If you’ve got it, be rest assured that you are not the only person having this same dilemma as estimates have shown that over two million people in Canada have it while over 10 million people have it in the United States.

Nail fungus infections are really hard to spot earlier on. They only become obvious when they are fully established under the nails. Then they appear as a yellow spot which gradually spreads until it infects all parts of the nail and further spreads to all the other toe and finger nails. It is very easy for the fungus to survive in the nails because it is a very habitable environment for it to grow in. This is because most people wear covered and shoes that are not aerated. As they grow in warm moist dark environment, which sure provides the optimum breeding condition for them.

Please note that nail fungus infections are infectious and can spread from one person to the other. The ways you can contact them from other people is when you share the same bathrooms as in public shower stalls, locker rooms and bathrooms. These places are usually moist and people who have them can walk around barefooted. The fungus which gets deposited on the floor as they walk around gets picked up by those who did not have them previously just by walking across the floor. It is also contractible from nail files and emery boards. It is the reason it is not good hygiene practice to share your nail files with other people as you can never tell what they carry on their nails particularly when it isn’t obvious yet. It is also advisable that you not walk around in bare foot in public bathrooms, shower stalls and locker rooms. Get a flip flop that you can wear when you are going to places like that. However, if it is late and you are sure you have already contacted it, you might want to start treating immediately.For more information visit: Zetaclear

Nail Fungus Infections: A General Overview –Part 2

Nail fungus infections are caused by various factors. It is easier for the nail to get infected when an individual is injured and when the shoes are so tight to the extent that the hoes pinch the person. It is very easy to get and contract nail fungus and it common among those who have sweaty feet, share bathrooms, swimming pools, showers and locker rooms. Also people who do a lot of standing and are on their feet frequently as in the case of runners, athletes and dancers. If an individual also has a history of athlete’s foot, has manicure and pedicure in places and salons where they do not take care of their nail files. It is also common among those who are about sixty five years old and above and people who have diabetes and other forms of circulatory diseases.

It is easy to spot the incidence of nail fungus infection. This is noticeable in the color of the fingernail or toenail which becomes yellow, yellow –green or green. Followed by the nails getting flaky, smelly nails particularly the toe nails. The nails may also collect debris under them. This is also backed by the thickening of the toenails making the shoes tight, painful, and difficult to walk or stand. Therefore, an individual who has all these symptoms would do well to see a doctor as soon as possible as it is possible that when the infection is not attended to and treated well, it will result in a worsened condition of the infection.

If you’ve got all of these symptoms, then a diagnosis is in order and you need to see a doctor in the shortest time possible. If the doctor finds that you indeed have a nail fungus infection, then he’ll recommend what to do in the form of treatment options. There are varied treatment methods that you can opt for. First on the list is oral prescription. These are oral suspensions taken by the patient to cure the infection. In cases where the toenail is infected, this form of treatment lasts just twelve weeks. Because it is an oral suspension, it works by absorption through the bloodstream only to be deposited under the nails where it attacks the fungus.For more information visit: Zetaclear

Is it Possible to Get Artificial Nail Fungus From Nail Shops

Artificial nails have come to stay. It is rare to find a woman who doesn’t wear it these days. This naturally follows that they are used in covering their natural toes and to make them more beautiful. However, women have been known to use artificial nails to cover up nail fungus infection hence resulting in a coined word “artificial nail fungus”. Unfortunately, this doesn’t cure nor solve the problem. Instead, it worsens it. Let me explain. Nail fungus grows in a favorable environment in which there is a lot of moisture and it is dark. Now when you apply artificial nails to the already infected toe nails, it creates an environment that is both dark and has a lot of moisture. Since these fungi grow only in areas that are airless and on feet that are both damp and warm, the artificial nail thus inhibits the easy flow of air around the toenail.

Fungal nail infections are more common among the toe nails than among the finger nails. But please note that any finger nail that isn’t natural but attached to the real finger nail is a huge contributor to the spread of the fungal infection. It is understandable that when the nails look yellowed as a result of the infection, the natural inclination is to want to put it out of sight and hide because of the stares you get on the fingers or toenails. But know that when you hide the nails under artificial nails, you are creating a more enabling environment that will foster the faster growth and spread of the fungus. So, while it is covered, no one else of course sees the nails while it keeps getting destroyed and the condition worsens. If this gets to the extreme, you may not even be able to hide it any longer as the nail becomes so bad that it is virtually impossible to even apply the artificial nails. This is the reason it is better for you to nip the “monster” in the bud.

The spread of the fungus nail infection is even more common among the women than men because of the flourishing beauty industry. It is common fact that women these days visit nail shops where professional nail experts help apply the artificial nails they want. Now, it very easy for women to get their pedicures and manicures done for them at these shops and because of this, nail spas are very rampant and well patronized by women and even some men. However, these same shops which are a source of satisfaction to women can also be a source of sadness as they beautiful nails they go to sculpt their nails, can become infected by the nail fungus infection. This is possible because certain women who also visit these shops may have the nail fungus growing in their fingernails. For more information visit: Zetaclear

Nail Fungus Complications

Nail fungal infections can be painful and may cause permanent damage to your nails. They may also lead to other serious infections that can spread beyond your feet if you have a suppressed immune system due to medication, diabetes or other conditions.

Fungal infections of the nail pose the most serious health risk for people with diabetes and for those with weakened immune systems, such as people with leukemia or those who've had an organ transplant. If you have diabetes, your blood circulation and the nerve supply to your feet can become impaired. Therefore, any relatively minor injury to your feet — including a nail fungal infection — can lead to a more serious complication, requiring timely medical care. See your doctor immediately if you suspect nail fungus.For more information visit: Zetaclear

Nail Fungus Causes

Fungi are microscopic organisms that don't need sunlight to survive. Some fungi have beneficial uses, while others cause illness and infection. Nail fungal infections are typically caused by a fungus that belongs to a group of fungi called dermatophytes. But yeasts and molds also can be responsible for nail fungal infections.

All of these microscopic organisms live in warm, moist environments, including swimming pools and showers. They can invade your skin through tiny invisible cuts or through a small separation between your nail and nail bed. They cause problems only if your nails are continually exposed to warmth and moisture — conditions perfect for the growth and spread of fungi.

Infection with nail fungus occurs more in toenails than in fingernails because toenails are often confined in a dark, warm, moist environment inside your shoes — where fungi can thrive. Another reason may be the diminished blood circulation to the toes as compared with the fingers, which makes it harder for your body's immune system to detect and eliminate the infection. For more information visit: Zetaclear

Nail Fungus

An infection of nail fungus occurs when fungi infect one or more of your nails. A nail fungal infection may begin as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail. As the nail fungus spreads deeper into your nail, it may cause your nail to discolor, thicken and develop crumbling edges — an unsightly and potentially painful problem.

These infections usually develop on nails continually exposed to warm, moist environments, such as sweaty shoes or shower floors. Nail fungus isn't the same as athlete's foot, which primarily affects the skin of the feet, but at times the two may coexist and can be caused by the same type of fungus.

An infection with nail fungus may be difficult to treat, and infections may recur. But medications are available to help clear up nail fungus.For more information visit: Zetaclear