In Winter it is so easy to hide away our unsightly and embarassing fungal nails in socks and shoes. Sadly they will not cure themselves, and then when you are ready to put your sandals on they could be worse. If you make no attempts to treat them at all they will definately be worse, as the warmth, dark and moisture provided by footwear creates the optimal environment for cultivation! What was a little inconspicous yellow streak at the edge of your nail could become a large area of discoloration spreading downwards the matrix where the nail growth starts. This then presents you with a real challenge in trying to treat. Topicals are totally ineffective at this point as they cannot be absorbed deep enough into the nail plate to reach the infection. Fungal dermaphytes live in the layer just above the nail bed. A nail plate is made up of many layers, think of plywood.
Painting on lacquers, relying ‘over-counter’ proprietary treatments could seriously be putting you at risk of wasting valuable time, as being ineffective the actual infection will actually be spreading, as will the spores. Fungus produces thousands of spores which will be contaminating your footwear leaving other clear toenails vulnerable to also becoming infected. A gloomy outlook, but not if you take the appropriate action, and are not complacent about the problem. Seek proactive podiatry input,but don’t go to a podiatrist who will only file your nails back and advise topical solutions. They could inadvertantly be making the problem worse. Opening up a nail plate leaves it even more vulnerable to those dangerous lurking spores. The nail needs either to be impregnated with antifungal medication or lasered, plus you need to be educated on how you can break the cycle of infection. The rates of re-infection following ‘any’ treatment are high if you do not know how to effectively home treat.
