30 To 35 Million People In The USA Are At Some Point In Their Lives Afflicted By Nail Fungus, And Nearly Half Are Over The Age Of 70!

Wow, that is quite a statistic and one of those subjects  nobody really wants to talk of. The good news is nail infections are rare in children. Statistics also tell us that toenail fungus outnumbers fingernail  fungus seven to one, although in recent time and with the popularity of ”fake nails,” fingernail fungus is on the rise.

Nail fungus is the result of frequent exposure to moisture, a compromised immune system, careless grooming habits such as sharing tools, contamination at shared facilities, and sometimes injuries.   Race or social standing do not seem to be relevant.  Anyone can get affected at anytime. Although medically speaking, nail fungus is not a serious disease, it can be the cause of embarrassment and have a huge impact on one’s self image.

Some Facts You Never Wanted to Know About Nail Fungus

In the USA, onychomycosis is the root cause of approximately 50% of all cases, and generally nail fungus infections can be categorized in four major categories:

1) Distal Subungual Onychomycosis
This is the most common form of tinea unguium, usually caused by Trichophyton rubrum. This fungi invades the nail bed and the underside of the nail plate.

2) White Superficial Onychomycosis
Caused by fungal invasion of the superficial layers of the nail plate to form “white islands” on the plate. This type of nail fungus is seen in about 10% of cases.

3) Candidal Onychomycosis
Occurs when prior damage of the nail by infection or injury has taken place.

4) Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis
Causes fungal penetration of the newly formed nail plate through the proximal nail fold. This is the least common form of tinea unguium. Those with a compromised immune system have a much higher chance of contracting this type of infection.

Diagnosis, especially self-diagnosis can be difficult because fungus can be confused for other nail diseases.  It is always best to consult with a Doctor before deciding on a course of treatment.

Most Common Reason Why People Contract Nail Fungus

1) Injury caused by sports or accidents allowing fungi access under the nail and into the nail bed

2) Overexposure to moisture.  Most often experienced by those that suffer from sweaty feet, wear closed shoes all year round, work in “wet” industries and people that like to spend a lot of time in pools, public bathing houses, spas, etc. without adequate protection from contamination.

3) Contamination. Nail fungus can and will spread to other toes or fingers. NEVER share your grooming tools, towels.  Once infected, make sure you disinfect your nail clippers. Make it a good practice to only frequent nail salons that follow the strictest cleaning protocols.

Treatment Options

Although there are many treatment options available, they fall into 2  Categories:

1) Systemic (oral and available only by prescription) and

2) Topical, available in a variety of forms, including miscellaneous home remedies

we shall discuss in future posts.