Our feet play a vital role in maintaining our overall health. They are responsible for our mobility, while toes maintain our balance and toenails support and protect our nail tissues.

Therefore, foot and toe nail infections can prove to be a stumbling block to our movement and health.

Preventing toe nail infections is critical if the health of our feet is to be maintained. Nevertheless, if you have the misfortune to contract a toenail fungal infection rest assured, there are ways to rid yourself of this condition.

Nail fungus, sometimes referred to as Onychomycosis occurs when a microscopic fungus enters the fingernail or the toenail through a small trauma or abrasion in the nail. These fungi typically thrive in damp and humid places that have little oxygen.

Be aware that you can spread toenail fungus infections to your hands creating finger fungus also.

Places like swimming pools, showers, locker rooms and the gym floor are likely to have a lot of these  organisms.

Nail fungal infections may be contracted from any of these places. Since you can never be sure about where exactly you can fall victim to fungal infections, a sensible and pro active approach would be to take steps to prevent getting nail fungus.

A list of preventive measure may include:

• Avoid walking bare foot in areas that are likely to have a high concentration of germs and fungi. This includes the aforementioned places like locker rooms and gym floors.

 

• Wearing tight shoes causes nails to become weak and break easily. Hence, wearing proper fitting shoes will prevent them from becoming brittle and make it difficult for fungus to enter through cuts in the feet.

 

• Wearing the same shoes and socks day after day and not allowing then to dry out also makes it easier for fungi to enter the toenails through the damp material. Therefore it is helpful to keep the inside of your shoes dry and change your socks frequently.

 

• Add bicarb of soda powder to your shoes occasionally or buy charcoal inserts to absorb excess sweat.

 

• Care must be taken while cutting toenails. If the skin surrounding the toenails is traumatized while toenails are being cut, it makes them more susceptible to infection.

Prevention is certainly better than cure. However, if you do somehow end up contracting a toenail infection, you must treat the disease immediately. Toenail fungus can prove to be a very painful and unpleasant long term condition if left untreated.

There are several  toenail fungus cures – but the most critical thing to keep in mind is attending to the fungal infection as soon as you see the first signs.

If you hit the fungus before it really gets established it will be cured in a week or two. Don’t let the toenail infection get to the point where the nail is separating from the nail bed!

If you do you can still cure the infection – but it will take a lot longer. So look for early signs of discoloration, odor,nail edges becoming irregular or the nail becoming softer (almost like crumbly cheese!).