Nail Fungus - What You Need To Know About
by: Joe Leoni
Signs and symptoms of a nail fungus infection.
A nail fungus can be seen, smelled, or even felt once
it takes hold. Here is a list of some of the most common signs
and symptoms of nail fungus:
* The nail fungus may affect the appearance of the nails. They
might look greenish, yellowish, or even darker colors. Some may
have little white patches on them.
* Nails may get flaky, brittle and chipped.
* Debris might collect under your nails causing them to smell
bad.
* Sometimes nail fungus causes the nails to split.
* Sometimes toenails get so thick that even wearing shoes or walking
will be painful.
If you think that you have a nail fungus go to your healthcare
provider and he or she will perform a test. This is the only way
to know for sure if you have a nail fungus.
How to prevent a nail fungus from affecting your toenails?
Well-fitting shoes is always a good defense against a nail fungus.
Shoes are well-fitting where there is space (about the width of
a thumb) between the end of the shoe and the tip of the longest
toe, preventing the toe from being damaged upon impact. Another
way to prevent the nail fungus from appearing is to change socks
whenever they become damp.
What to do when you have a nail fungal infection?
The nail fungus is hard to eliminate and needs treatment with
proper medications, once it establishes in your nail bed. Unfortunately,
in most cases, anti-fungal creams applied to the nail are useless
because they do not penetrate the nail bed killing the fungus
at its sourse.
However, there are strong oral medications that must be taken
for months in order to be effective. But, be careful as most medications
have side effects to other body organs like the liver or the skin,
etc. Ask your physician to monitor side effects during treatment.
This consists in periodic blood tests, usually monthly. Any of
the following symptoms suggests organ damage and should be reported
immediately to your physician: nausea, unusual fatigue, severe
loss of appetite, skin rashes, yellow eyes, dark urine, bleeding.
Keep in mind that this list is far from being complete. If you
are treating yourself for nail-fungal infection using oral medications,
ask your physician for a complete list.
About The Author
Joe Leoni
Article provided by http://www.nail-fungus.org
, a resource dedicated to providing information on the symptoms,
treatment options, and cause of nail fungus.
joe_leoni@yahoo.com
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