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Fungal Toenails, Yellowed or Deformed Toenails
The most common cause of yellowed, thick and
/or deformed toenails is a fungal infection of the toenail. The fungus
that infects the nail, most commonly, is the same fungus that causes athletes foot.
It tends to be slowly progressive, damaging the nail to a greater and
greater degree over time. The infection usually starts at the tip of
the nail and works its way back. It usually is not painful and often
not noticed until it has gotten well established. A single toenail or
any number of nails can be affected. It can also occur on just one
foot. Over time, the nail becomes thickened, crumbly, and distorted in
appearance. Sweaty feet
contribute to the initial infection process and contribute to its
spread. The fungus prefers an environment that is moist, dark, and
warm, which is why it affects the toenails much more often than
fingernails. It does not spread through the blood stream. The infection
limits itself to the nails and skin. It is often found in association
with areas of dry scaly skin
on the bottom of the foot or between the toes. The dry scaling skin is
frequently found to be chronic athletes' foot. It is not highly
contagious, and family members are almost as likely to contract it from
some other source as they are from the family member who has the
infection. Keeping common showering areas clean is recommended, and
sharing shoes should be avoided. Diagnosis Not
all thicken or yellowed toenails are caused by a fungal infection.
Injury to a toenail can cause the toenail to grow in a thickened or
malformed fashion. This can be due to an established fungal infection
or may be due to the damage caused to the nail root when it was
injured. In these instances, treatment with anti-fungal medications
will not correct the malformed nail. Other causes of thickened toenails
are small bone spurs that can form under the toenail and psoriasis. Taking a scraping of the toenail and culturing it makes the diagnosis. Treatment
It is best to treat the condition as soon as it is noticed. In early
cases, over the counter medications may be sufficient. It is also
important to treat any concomitant athleteﾒs foot that may be present.
In more advanced cases, a prescription medication may be needed. There
are effective topical and oral medications available for the treatment
of fungal toenails. If sweating feet are a problem, changing shoes and
socks during the day is recommended. There are some topical medications
available that help to reduce the sweating of the feet. On occasion,
your doctor may recommend removing the toenail.
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