Monday, December 1, 2008

Nail Ringworm - The Facts

By Jennifer King

Toe nail fungi is a problem nobody wants to have. Although it's not life threatening, it has the possibility of becoming very painful if you don't treat it. You would therefore try and avoid ever becoming infected. The first real step to dodging a fungal infection of your toe nails is to research the top facts about it.

#1- It is contagious

A toe nail infection doesn't just appear out of the blue. People who get infected| catch their fungal infection from someone or something. This is slightly different catching a viral infection or a cold. Specific conditions must exist for toe nail fungi to develop and crete the infection. Fungi usually breed in warm, moist areas. You can therefore get infected in areas with moisture and a warm temperature like pool sides and shower stalls. You can also become infected if you use nail clippers and files used by an infected person.

Toe nail fungi enter close to your toe nail. It is possible that you will have a cut near or around your toe nail. Once the fungus has entered through the tiny cut, it will reside in between the nail and the nail bed.

#2- They love nails.

Keep your toe nails clean and trimmed as much as you can. Nail fungi just enjoy living under your nails. This is mainly because your toe nails offer them the living conditions that they enjoy the most. The nails in your shoes or trainers for 12 hours a day are warm and moist so the fungus actually has a perfect home.

It is a perfect dream to be under the impression that nail fungi will just go away. This is primarily since the initial symptoms of nail fungi aren't very distressing. Tiny white dots are probably all you can expect at first. If you don't attempt to cure yourself though, the fungus can expand under your nail. Your toe nail will possibly turn to an ugly brown or black, and may become ragged and brittle. This is when it will probably be difficult to cure nail fungi with just topical treatments. You may actually need to have your nail removed entirely.

#3- Fingernails are vulnerable to fungal infections also.

Finger nails can get infected as well. Most people may not be aware though that the nails on their fingers can also get infected with nail fungi. The reason why toe nail fungal conditions are more often talked about is because they are more common than fungal infections of the fingernails.

Footwear - These are why there is such a common incidents of toe nail fungal infections. Among a high percentage of humans the toes are usually kept warm and moist in non-porous shoes and socks. This environment alone can already make an initial, moderate infection worse. This is simply for the reason that closed footwear help bring about moisture retention.

#4- They are not easy to get rid of.

Nail fungal infections are adamant. This is for the reason that the nails, which are there to look after our toes, also protect nail fungi. This makes it difficult for topical applications to get in. This is why topical treatments have to be used regularly, consistently and for a few weeks before any improvement can be seen on infections of the toe nails. - 16004

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