Nail Fungus - part 2

| January 30, 2010 |

It takes some time before the first signs of an infection appear, which is usually a yellowish color on the nail. When you see a nail has started yellowing you need to evaluate the situation immediately. We did a whole post on yellowing and there are a number of things that can cause it, so you need to determine if it’s just from discoloration or a real problem.

It is always better to be safe then sorry, so if you think it could be fungus, treat it immediately. The sooner you treat fungus the better. If you can stop it before the nail plate starts to separate from the nail bed, it is much easier to get rid of.

Nail fungus is one of the easiest forms of infection to get. If you can figure out how you got the fungus that would be wonderful, as you could prevent it from happening again. But the reality is you will most likely only be able to guess at the possible ways it was contracted.

A common way to get fungus on your toe nails is from walking barefoot, especially in wet, public places. Try to wear some sort of flip-flop or water shoe when you are at public pools, showers, locker rooms and even spas. If someone else had this common infection and was walking in these areas it’s very easy to spread to the next person who walks through.

You can also contract fungus infections from gardening. Dermatophytes live naturally in soil and handling dirt, compost or soil is an easy way for the fungus to get under the skin. Wear gloves at all times when gardening, rubber ones if possible, to help eliminate the likely hood that dirt will get under your skin. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly when you are finished as well.