Nail Fungus Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Symptoms

• Nail has changed colour – usually yellow or dark green
• Nail has thickened
• Nail has loosened from the nailbed
• Nail hurts

Causes

Different types of fungal infections, and sometimes yeast can cause these symptoms.

Who Gets Nail/ toenail infections?

• People who have diabetes or are immune compromised, including smokers.
• Athletes/ sportspeople who have caused the nail to knock repeatedly against the front of their sports-shoes; by road or treadmill running, cycling or playing squash etc.

This is a percussive injury that causes a tear under the nail and allows fungus

Already present in shoes, to grow under the nail.

• Woman who have acrylic nails done. Filing the top of the nail opens the nail up to infection. Instruments not cleaned properly can transfer infection.
• People with Candida infections, as a stomach overgrowth are susceptible to developing, athlete’s foot and nail fungus.

NOTE:

Surgically removing a toenail seldom helps and is therefore unnecessarily painful.

The body will sometimes shed the toenail on its own. This is usually very mildly uncomfortable.

The nail will regrow, almost always still infected.

Prescribed Anti-fungal medicines are very toxic and can harm the kidneys; and the failure rate is high.

TREATMENT

Cut and paste from Anti-fungal treatments.

Retype from package insert

DISINFECT REGULARLY

Rotating sport-shoes can help, so that sweaty/ damp shoes are not used day-after-day.

Spray shoes with an anti-fungal shower spray, eg. Mr Muscle Anti-mould spray or Homecare Shower Spray: 1-2 times per week.

Shoes, slippers  and socks can also be left in the sun on very hot days to kill fungus and its spores (seeds).