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What Is Nail Fungus

Nail fungus begins as a small separation between the end of the toe and the nail bed. This small tear, or separation, can be caused by stubbing the toe or even by digging too deeply under the toenail while cleaning dirt from under the nail. This opening becomes the entry point for fungus to invade the nail bed. You can get these fungal spores from unclean pedicure tools or from a shower floor that an infected person has used. Once the fungus becomes entrenched in the nail bed, it spreads deeper under the nail and becomes extremely difficult to get rid of.



Nail fungus can start out looking look like white spots or streaks in the nail. The more severe the fungus infection becomes, the color will change from white to light brown to yellowish brown to green. Once your nail gets to the point of being greenish in color, you have a severe infection that may require many months of treatment to totally eradicate the fungus.

As mentioned earlier, the nail fungus will usually start at the tip of the nail and
progress to cover the complete nail over a period of time. But other trauma to the nail can also become an entry point for the fungus. Smashing the toe at the base of the nail or splitting the nail can also provide an opportunity for the nail fungus to get started.

As the fungus continues to grow the nail may thicken. This is because the
filaments of fungus start to take up more and more space causing the nail to swell. There will be an accumulation of the kerationous debris beneath the nail. There can be pain, not from the fungus but due to the constant pressure of the thickened nail against the soft tissue.

Nails that become brittle with shedding and crumbling edges can be a symptom of nail fungus as it progresses, but can also be indicative of a nutritional deficiency within the body.

Because toenails grow so slowly and receive very little blood supply, nail fungus infections are difficult to treat. Recent advances in treatment options, including oral (taken by mouth) and topical (applied on the skin or nail surface) medications, have been made. Newer oral medicines have revolutionized treatment of onychomycosis. However, the rate of recurrence is high even with these newer medicines. Treatment is expensive and can have unwanted and dangerous side effects

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