What Is Fungus in the Nail?

Nail fungal infections are a nail disease relatively easy to get - and without proper treatment can be difficult to get rid of. You should treat at the first sign of a fungus infection.

If you read the description on fungal medications, you’ll see the word “tinea” followed by a medical term indicating the location of the fungus on the body. For nails, it’s tinea unguium or onychomycosis.

Onychomycosis means the nails are infected with fungus and half of all nail funguses fit into this category.

The fungi have different classifications and one of the classifications is dermatophyte.

The types of the fungus are broken down into four main types. Candida is one.

It’s caused by excessive moisture, but in order for candida to take hold and flourish, there must have been an injury or infected area such as a torn hangnail.

This can be the same fungus that causes yeast infections.

As it grows between the nail and nail bed, Candida is the infection that can cause a person to lose the fingernail or toenail.

Next is a fungus called white superficial, which doesn’t go deep into the nail bed, but rather focuses on the center of the nail or nail plate.

Trichophyton mentagrophytes is the culprit behind this one and is noticeable by the way it creates small, light colored areas on the nail that if untreated, will take over the entire nail.

Proximal subungual begins at the fold of the nail and affects how the nail looks as it grows.

This type, caused by Trichophyton rubrum is not a common form - and for people who get this type, it can be a warning sign that something is wrong with the immune system.

This type produces thick white areas on the nail.

Most people get the common type of fungus in the nail, which is called distal subungual and the fungus Trichophyton rubrum is responsible for this one.

This type affects the middle of the nail and beneath the nail. With this one, you may notice cracked, painful and sometimes bloody fissures beneath the tip of the nail.

The first symptoms that you may see indicating you have a fungus in the nail are that the color and shape of your nails may change.

The nail may start to look yellow and thick. The nails may break easily or look multi-layered with jagged edges.

The shape will change, because many fungal infections can cause the existing nail to deteriorate and slow the growth of new nails.

The nail may also start curving and lift away from the nail bed.

How Do You Get Nail Fungus?

Anyone (including healthy people) is susceptible to getting a fungal nail infection - but some situations make it easier for the fungi to start.

If you have a cut or opening near the nail, then the microorganisms can enter that area.

Because your nail bed is the right temperature and moist enough, this provides the right home for fungi to grow and multiply.

You can get a fungal infection if you’re older and have certain health conditions that make you more likely to get one.

Diabetes or poor circulation can make a person a prime candidate for nail fungus because of a compromised immune system.

Men, more than women, are most likely to get a nail fungus infection.

If you’re consistently exposed to a warm environment, such as living or working in an area that causes a lot of sweating, you can get a nail fungus.

A fungus doesn’t need much to get started once you’ve come in contact with one of these microorganisms. Combine some warmth and moisture and you have the perfect breeding ground.

The type of fungi that cause nail infections are very contagious, easily spread on contact - and given the right opportunity, will branch out to other parts of the body.

A fungal infection can be annoying, sometimes painful - and it can make you feel embarrassed about how your nails look.

Not wearing shoes in an area where fungi love to be (such as a shower in a gym, a community pool or a water park) can make you a candidate to getting an infection.

Just as not wearing shoes in some areas can cause you to get a fungus, wearing the wrong shoes, (such as ones that are too narrow) can provide the right environment for a fungus. So can wearing socks - especially in warm or hot weather.

Your family health history also plays a part. If your family members struggle or have struggled with fungal infections, odds are high that you’ll also have to deal with this health problem, too.

Having another type of tinea fungus elsewhere on the body can also be a culprit that causes nail fungus.

Wearing acrylic nails often can be inviting for nail fungus because any separation of the acrylic nail from the natural nail leaves room for warmth and moisture for the fungus to grow.

With the right environment, the warm temperature, the moistness and the food supplied by your body (fungi love the keratin in your nails and this is what it eats) the fungi can happily exist on and in your nails until you seek treatment.

Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Foot Care For Healthy Feet guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over a decade and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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