If you have fungus under toe nails, you may be wondering how you got it, and how you can get rid of it. Fungus under toe nails is the most common form of nail fungus, but it can be gotten under your finger nails, and toe nail fungus can spread too.
Having fungus under your toe nails is essentially having a yeast infection under your toe nails. Fungus infections are the same as yeast infections, and these can be gotten in a variety of places on your body. When fungus gets under the toe nails though, it can take a lot of time and effort to get rid of it.
Fungus is common in the human body though. We all have it, all the time. Normally however, when our bodies are healthy and the immune system is working properly, fungus bacteria is kept at bay by the good bacteria that also lives in our bodies. When something happens to upset that balance however, yeast infections can develop. And for some people, those yeast infections develop under toe nails instead of on other parts of the body.
Fungus develops easily under toe nails if you tend to wear tight fitting shoes for many hours of the day. If your shoes are too tight, they tend to rub your big or little toe. This cause small micro abrasions on your toe nails, and those abrasions allow the fungus bacteria to get in under your toe nail and start breeding.
If your feet also sweat alot in your shoes, this creates an even better environment for the fungus growth. Fungus thrive in moist, dark, warm environments, and this is why they tend to develop under toe nails more often than finger nails.
Treating fungus under toe nails will take some time. You can keep it from getting worse, but it might take many months to cure it completely. The first thing you need to do is take very good care of your feet. Don’t wear shoes that are too tight, and try wearing socks which allow better air flow. Cotton materials are best for this. Try to remove your shoes and let your feet air out regularly too.
When possible, give your feet a little sunlight. The UV light from the sun will help kill the fungus, but sunlight in general provides the exact opposite of what fungus need to survive. The sun gives light, heat instead of just warmth, and it removes moisture too.
Clean your toe nails often. Dig out any debris that might be underneath or around them. Also remove as much dead skin from under and around the toe nails.
When it comes to medications and remedies for fungus under toe nails, there are many options to choose from. Oral medications are available by prescription through your doctor, but they do have some dangerous side effects. Topical creams and ointments are often found in any major drug store, plus you can read around on the Internet about many home remedies which have worked well for other people with toe nail fungus problems.
