Your feet come constantly in contact with the dirt, dust and debris on the ground, floor and other surfaces, and even in your shoes.
If you ignore your toenails or cover them with an intense nail polish, you may not notice an unwelcome guest there – the fungus. It’s the same culprit which causes the toenail fungal infection.
Fortunately, there are indicative signs that reveal the arrival of fungus. For example, your nails may become thick, with a weird brown, yellow or chalky white colour. They may even turn crumbly or brittle and get cracked.
Image Courtesy: modpodpodiatry.com.au
Relation with Age
It’s observed that older people fall prey commonly to nail fungal infections. How is it related to age? It’s because nails of older people grow slowly, have reduced blood supply and have a longer record of exposure to fungi.
Men are More Likely than Women to Develop Nail Fungal Infection
Another observation is that men are more prone to develop nail fungus than women. This may be due to the fact that they tend more to walk around barefoot at the gym.
Diabetic People
Diabetic people are also at higher risk of growing nail fungal infection because their immune system is weak. This is true for other health conditions too.
Fortunately there are podiatry clinics like https://www.modpodpodiatry.com.au/sydney-city/ around.
However, the news that you’ve got a toenail infection is not pleasant at all because it’s indeed very challenging to get rid of it.
Therefore it’s a good idea to stop it from happening in the first place. Here are a few tips.
1. Be Careful around Areas where Fungi Thrive
When it’s about gyms, kicking off your shoes in corners where there are a lot of germs is a bad idea. These spots are locker rooms, public showers or swimming pools.
If you visit a nail salon, make sure it’s clean and licensed. Also make sure your beautician uses single-use or sterilized tools (or take your own). The same applies for nail paint – bringing your own bottle is a good idea.
2. Be Careful while Snipping
It’s better to keep your nails cut short because that will help prevent the spread of infection. However, be careful while cutting nails.
Never share your nail-cutters or other grooming tools with others.
Always keep them clean after every use and remember never to cut your cuticles. This is the skin around the base of your nails and it’s meant for working as a barrier to infection.
3. Keep Your Nails Clean
Don’t ignore your nails while taking a shower. Scrub them with soap and water to protect them against germs and infection.
Also keep washing hands frequently because germs can take shelter beneath your fingernails. Investing in a nailbrush is a good idea.
4. Keep Nails Dry
A humid environment is an ideal breeding ground for fungus. To fight humidity, wear gloves while washing dishes or during other cleaning works.
After you finish, let them air out. Let your socks and shoes be breathable and keep them changing frequently, particularly after your exercise.
Stay away from extremely tight pantyhose, because it can make you sweat more. After a shower, remember to pat your feet dry thoroughly.
5. Protect Your Feet against Injury
When your nail beds or the skin around your nails are injured, an opening for fungus is formed. Never tear or bite off a hangnail; actually, don’t bite off your nails, ever!
Also make sure your footwear fits well and doesn’t pinch or rub against your feet, which also may be problematic.
Image Courtesy: modpodpodiatry.com.au
You can always seek fingernail fungus treatment at ModPod Podiatry. But preventing such an infection from happening in the first place is always a better option.
Use these simple tips and make it an everyday practice so that you can be safe from nail fungal infection.