The vexing statistics notwithstanding, that point that we cynics invariably miss, is that the best way to rid yourself of fungal nail infection, is to guard against plausible risks you may face of contracting this infection. Even though the causes and risk factors for nail fungal infections may seem unending and hugely disparate at first blush, most of these factors can easily be averted by following basic nail hygiene.

Almost all the methods that weíll be discussing in this chapter are closely intertwined with your personal grooming habits and hygiene levels. In fact, even if you are of the opinion that your body is impervious to nail fungal infection (we all are until the pesky critters actually show up!) these tips will go a long way in protecting you against several other kinds of fungal, bacterial, and viral infectionsÖ many of which are not necessarily limited to your nails.

Keep your nails short, dry, and clean:

Trim your nails frequently, clipping them short and filing straight across. Fungi-containing grit tends to accumulate under the front edges of your nails, and hence depriving the fungi of a place to live, even when you come in contact with them, is a surefire way of keeping away from infection. At the same time, donít trim too close to the nail bed to avoid nicking yourself, which will encourage the fungi to infect your nails, instead of dissuading them. Also, donít share your trimmers.

Dry your hands and feet thoroughly after every shower, bath, and swim, toweling the area between your toes carefully to lose any moisture trapped there.

Treat any fungal infections like athleteís foot immediately to avoid the fungus infecting your nails.

Donít share your towel, socks, and footwear:

Nail fungus is highly contagious and spores from an infection set of nails, stay behind in your hosiery and footwear. Similarly, sharing your towel with someone who has nail fungal infection drastically increases your chances of contracting the infection.

Treat any cuts, wounds, or scrapes around your nails immediately:

These wounds are likely openings for nail fungi. Clean and disinfect the cut, or wound thoroughly and then keep the area dry to minimize your risk of infection.
Wear rubber gloves when washing, doing the dishes, gardening or any other chores that require you to wet your hands or touch earth frequently:

Doing so cuts down chances of over-exposure to water, while also any chances of picking up infectious mold spores from the earth. Between uses, you may also want to turn your gloves inside out, to let them air thoroughly.

Choose your socks wisely:

Opt for fabrics like 100% cotton, wool, or silk, which absorb moisture well, and allow your feet better ventilation. Certain synthetic blends are stuffier than others, and this may weigh in heavily on how susceptible you are, especially if you perspire heavily and are shod for most of the day. Change your socks often, and try not to use the same pair for more than a single wear.

Alternate between closed-toe shoes and open-toed footwear like flip-flops or sandals, to avoid suffocating your feet. Even with your closed shoes, opt for natural materials, as opposed to plastics, and look for ëbreather holesí on the sides to allow you feet enough ventilation. If you fancy teetering on high heels, give your feet plenty of rest to keep your toes from cramping against each other, and opt for comfortable fits whenever possible.

Don’t go barefoot in public places like the gym, locker rooms, and public pools:

The little puddles of water on the floor moonlight as hideouts for infectious spores, and may creep into your feet sooner than you know.

Disinfect your shoes regularly with an antifungal spray or powder, and dry them thoroughly in between wears.

Donít trim or prick at the skin around your finger and toenails:

Cutting away any calluses or hangnails will only provide a much sought-after inlet for the fungi, which will then creep in at the very first opportunity.

Pick your salon, or nail parlor wisely:

A background check in advance to your visit is very telling about the risk you face, each time you lavish yourself with a manicure or pedicure. Insist on using freshly disinfected equipment like emery boards and clippers to avoid picking up infections from others. If possible take no chances and bring your own equipment along with you.

Wash your hands thoroughly after touching an infected nail, even if it is your own:

Given the highly contagious nature of nail fungi, wash away all risks immediately with a strong disinfectant.

To prevent relapses, donít stop treatment until your nails are completely clear of infection.

Donít wear shoes that are too tight, or those which cramp your toes together awkwardly. If possible dust your footwear lightly with a good quality foot powder. Never use cornstarch.

If you must wear nail polish, make sure you give your nails enough time to breathe between changes. Continually smothering your nails in lacquer blocks away air, while also trapping in heat, moisture and fungi.

Watch your diet:

Avoid heaping your plate with ëbadí carbohydrates and sugars which spike your blood glucose, and hence provide fungi with all the nourishment they need to flourish and grow.

Use a nail brush when cleaning your feet to scrub away dead skin, or any debris trapped under, or between your toenails.

Donít bite your nails:

Biting your nails incessantly may also cause you to chew at the skin around them, which in turn produces bruises through which the fungus trickles in.

Try to use a separate clipper for your infected nails, to keep the infection from spreading to the other, healthy nails.

Nail Fungus won’t magically disappear ñ no matter how hard you wish it away, or how deliberately you overlook it ñ if you donít do anything about it. Looking after your nails, and maintaining a meticulous nail hygiene regimen, play a crucial role in curbing this infection in its initial stages, where the fungus is easier to treat and a lot less persistent.

When dealing with nail fungus, remember than knowledge is power… educate yourself about nail fungus to explore all your options thoroughly, and discover how best you can steer clear of this dishearteningly unsightly, and exasperating infection.

In the past, methods of treating nail fungus were limited to a few dubious ointments, and other ‘home remedies’ which had very little to prove by way of results, and were condemned by hoards of detractors.

However, recent research and advancements have lead to the development of several newer kinds of treatment, which can be loosely classified into the following categories:

Topical Antifungal Treatments:
As the name suggests, topical treatments are applied to the infected section of your skin and nails, and combat the fungi externally. These forms of treatment are especially helpful if you aren’t very comfortable with gulping down mysterious pills, and syrups. However, there are certain drawbacks associated with topical antifungal treatments which affect their feasibility and effectiveness in curbing and reversing fungal nail infections.

? Topical treatments can only be used in cases where the fungal infection has affected less then half the nail, as they cannot penetrate the nail plate deep enough to cure the more advanced stages of fungal infection.

? Health practitioners also debate the effectiveness of topical treatments in actually curing the fungus, given the limitations in the way in which they impact the infection. However, many experts now recommend using these treatments in conjunction with other forms of medication to avoid relapses, and recurrence of the infection.

Topical Treatments are of many types, and essentially contain an antifungal like Clotrimazole, which is coupled with a nail penetration enhancer to allow the treatment to seep deeper. Some of the most popular forms of topical treatments include:

Antifungal Lacquer:
Antifungal Lacquer is usually prescribed for mild to moderate infections, and is pained onto your nails and surrounding, akin to nail varnish – the only difference is that you don’t have to be quite as careful about painting within the borders! You need to apply a single coat of this lacquer over the affected area for seven consecutive days, painting each successive coat on top of the former. On the seventh day, wipe all the coats clean with alcohol and begin afresh, starting with single coat of antifungal lacquer.

Antifungal Lacquer is commonly available under the brand name of Penlac, and has been studied to clear nail fungal infections in about a year, if used regularly. However, the success ratios are not as rosy as they may seem at first blush, with less than 10% of all reported cases confirming that this form of treatment has completed cured them of nail fungal infection.
?
?Certain other kinds of medicated creams may be prescribed by heath care practitioners or dermatologists, based on the severity of your infection. Often, these ointments are preceded by treating the affected nail with a 40% urea paste for about 2-4 weeks, to disintegrate the nail, after which the antifungal ointment or lacquer is applied. Many experts recommend keeping the nail bandaged during the course of this treatment to prevent contamination by other external agents.

Oral Medication:
These medicines are considered a lot more effective when treating nail fungal infections, especially in cases where the infection is at its more advanced stages. This effectiveness can be attributed to the fact that these medicines treat the infection from within your body, and go on to affect the nail plate in a matter of just a few days. Oral antifungal medicines are usually administered over a period of 3 months, and should be ingested only under medical supervision.

While they do boast of higher cure rates, and fewer side effects, some of these medicines may be dangerous for individuals suffering from liver disease, and a history of cardiac disorders. To rule out any chances of unforeseen mishaps, your physician may recommend a blood test before prescribing any kind of oral medication.
Some of the more commonly used oral treatments include Lamisil tablets, and Sporanox Capsules, both of which do produce a few side effects like digestive disorders and skin rashes. However, in a few, rare cases, these medicines have also been known to provoke drug-induced hepatitis, blood anomalies and hypersensitivity.

Surgical Intervention:
In cases where your nail is severely affected by fungal infection, and does not seem to be responding to medical treatment, your physician may have to have the nail surgically, or chemically, removed to keep the infection from spreading to other unaffected nails. The affected area may then be treated with a combination of topical and oral medication.

Nail Fungal Infection Treatments are expensive, and do not necessarily guarantee that the infection will never recur. To keep costs low, and avail of timely, effective treatment, experts usually recommend interspersing topical ointments and antifungal lacquer, with oral medication, and timely surgical intervention, if necessary.
For those who balk at the thought of pricey, complication-riddled, and not 100% foolproof medical treatments, proponents of alternative medicine prescribe certain, immensely popular Home Cures. While these methods of treatment are a lot less complicated as compared to conventional allopathic medication, their effectiveness is marred by exaggerated claims, and subjective testimonials. Further none of these treatments has been tested under clinical conditions leading medical practitioners to question their validity and scientific rationale.

To better understand this prolific condition, let’s first acquaint ourselves with the three basic kinds of infections your nails are susceptible to:

Dermatophyte Infections:
Dermatophytes are microscopic fungi which infect your hair, skin, and nails. These little critters are notorious for their feeding habits, as their primary source of food is keratin- based tissue, of which your nails are an abundant source.

Dermatophytes are the most common cause of nail fungal infections, and are also responsible for a number of other conditions like the ‘jock itch’, and athlete’s foot. Dermatophyte infections are very contagious, given that an afflicted person will continually shed tiny fragments of infected skin. Hence, you are at a high risk of contracting this infection if you tend to walk barefoot in damp public places like swimming pools, saunas, cloakrooms, dance halls, and theater stages… to name a few.

Yeast Infections:
Yeast or Candida Infections are most common in people whose nails are over-exposed to moisture, and are attributed a handsome 8% of all nail fungus cases. Individuals prone to yeast infections are often involved in industries which require them to wash their hands very often, like the heath care and food and catering industries. Candida is also responsible for a number of other infections like diaper rash and oral thrush.

Moulds:
Mould-influenced nail infections most commonly afflict toenails, as these variants of microscopic fungi are most likely to sneak under your nails when you walk barefoot on earth.

While these three kinds of fungal infections have their own ways of finding their way into their cubby hole between your nail bed, and nail plate, there are certain other Risk Factors that augment your changes of contracting nail fungus. These include:

Heredity:
Recent research seems to indicate that fungal nail infections are more common in those who are genetically predisposed; however, the medical fraternity is still largely divided about how significant a role your genes have to play in how susceptible you are.

A Suppressed Immune System:
Your body is most prone to developing fungal infections when your immune system is compromised, or not functioning at its optimal level. The reasons for this diminished immunity can be many; some of the most common factors include: Immunosuppressive diseases like AIDS, Diabetes, and Cushing’s Syndrome Medication or immunosuppressive treatments like chemotherapy

Ill-fitting footwear:
Poorly fitting shoes can cramp your feet too tight, cutting off circulation of blood to the extremities, while the inadequate ventilation produces warm, stuffy conditions within your footwear – both are ideal breeding grounds for nail fungi. Athletes are invariably a lot more likely to contract nail fungus, as their routine often involves long hours of wearing poorly aired, sweaty socks, and footwear.

If you aren’t accustomed to airing your shoes after you wear them, or don’t change your socks too often, the perspiration in them creates welcome grounds for nail fungal growth, which then infest your feet as soon as you slip on the infected footwear. Over time, stuffing your feet into shoes that don’t let them ‘breathe’, can even lead to irregularities, cuts, calluses, and blood clots in your feet, which in effectively double your chances of contracting fungal nail infections.

Public Showers:
The heat, and humidity in public shower stalls, bathrooms, and locker rooms are again, cozy hideouts for nail fungi. Further, most people tend to walk barefoot in these places, whereupon the fungi escape to warm puddles of water on the floor, waiting for your unsuspecting feet to step right into them.

Your Lifestyle:
If your work, or personal habits, leads you to wearing closed shoes for prolonged periods, you are at a considerable risk of falling prey to nail fungi. This risk is especially exacerbated if you perspire heavily, as a lot of your perspiration builds up in your footwear, increasing the chances of fungal infestation.

On the other hand, walking barefoot in places like parks, gardens, or forest land, heighten your chances of developing mould infections.

Professionals in the healthcare and catering industry may also be at an increased risk of fungal nail infections, as their frequent contact with food, and water, make their susceptible to contracting hand mycosis infections.

Nail Polish and Acrylic Nails:
Given the unsightly nature of fungal nail infections, the first and most common reaction to signs of fungal growth, is to try and conceal it with nail polish, or artificial plastic or acrylic nails. Unfortunately, even though you may think that you are doing a remarkably good job of not letting the infection show, you are in fact helping it thrive and flourish!

Nail polish, artificial nails, or any kind of nail treatment that coats your nails, fortifies the moisture barrier, trapping in the damp, the warmth, and even the fungi. Even if your fingers and toes are infection-free, suffocating your nails by continually plastering them with layers or color, or stuffy acrylic nails can remarkably increase your chances of developing fungal nail infection.

Blood Glucose-Related Illnesses:
Conditions like diabetes, or hyperglycemia, where the glucose levels in your blood stream rise to unhealthily high levels, increase your susceptibility to fungal infections, as the sugar in your blood nourishes the wayward fungi and encourages their growth. Diabetes deserves special mention here, as the poor circulation and high levels of blood glucose that diabetics are prone to, make them easy prey to fungal infection.

Age:
Statistics reveal than fungal nail infections are more common amongst the elderly, and that your susceptibility to them increases as you grow older. This is because your nail growth slows down with age, as does the circulation of blood in your body, and your immunity. Nail Fungal Infections are most predominant in people over the age of 60, especially when accompanied by diabetes, or circulation problems.

Beauty Salons:
While most salons maintain meticulous hygiene standards, there are also those that neglect to sterilize their equipment after every use. In such instances, if the previous client has fungal nail infection, using the same emery board, or clippers, may spread the infection to you.

Injuries to your hands, feet and nails:
Any injuries to your toes and fingers, especially the area around the nails, are possible inlets through which fungi can slink into your body. Toenail damage is especially attributed to poorly fitting shoes which, while inflicting your feet with blisters and abrasions, hence creating surreptitious doorways through which the fungi find their way to your nails.

The most common form of nail fungus is Distal Subungual Onychomycosis, where the microorganisms, or tinea unguium enter the nail bed and the underside of the nail plate. This form of infection especially afflicts the part of your nail that meets the nail bed. As a result, the nail plate turns thick, and cloudy, and gradually begins to look opaque. In time, as the fungus grows, the nail becomes discolored, and appears a pallid white or a murky brown. The edges of your nail will turn craggy, and your nail will now separate from the nail bed.

The second most prevalent form of nail fungus is Endonyx Onychomycosis, where your nail will assume a milky white color, but will not separate from the nail bed. In this case, the area under your nails does not thicken or harden either.

White Superficial Onychomycosis is more partial to your toenails and causes small white specks, or powdery patches on the surface of your nails. With time, your nail will become rough and brittle, crumbling easily.

Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis causes the area near the cuticle to develop white spots, streaks, and eventually discolor. Here, the end of your nail appears to look healthy, while the base of your nail turns white.
Candida inflames the area near your cuticles, leading your nail to eventually separate from the nail bed. Gradually, the nail bed thickens and hardens. If allowed to grow uninhibited, Candida can also affect the fingers, or toes it afflicts, making them look swollen and rounded.

In its most advanced stage, nail fungus brings about a condition known as Total Dystrophic Onychomycosis, where your entire nail turns thick, opaque, and a distasteful yellow-brown color.

Certain other kinds of yeast-related infections called Mycoses usually target your fingernails, making them green in color. The nails may also separate from the nail bed, and you will find a creamy yellow-white coating under the nail plate. In some cases, the base of your nail may also be inflamed, with a red, painful roll of flesh surrounding it.

Nail fungal infections are often preceded by an injury to your nail, where the slight opening between your nail and the nail bed unwittingly attracts the fungi. On the other hand, sometimes a mere barefoot stroll down the corridors of a damp locker room is all it takes for the fungus to sneak in. These disparate, and often surreptitious ways in which nail fungi enter your body, are also another reason why this condition usually goes undetected during its initial stages.

With the gamut of symptoms that Nail Fungus brings about, it may seem fair to attribute any, and all, irregularities in your fingernails or toenails, to fungal infection, and hence treat them accordingly. However, there are several other conditions that appear deceptively similar to Nail Fungus in terms of their symptoms, but can actually be other, more complicated diseases that call for immediate medical attention.

To avoid presumptions, and hence misdiagnoses, take a closer look at your symptoms to ascertain whether nail fungus is indeed the culprit responsible for them.

Arguably, the most efficient way to determine that your nail irregularities go beyond nail fungal infections is to check if the symptoms are present on all your finger and toe nails. If they are, then in all probability, your condition is more severe than merely Nail Fungus.

And yet, statistics reveal that an alarming 10% of all North Americans are no longer proud owners of twenty radiantly-healthy ends to their fingertips and toes… they are plagued by a stubborn condition that creates unsightly blotches on their nails, and gradually grows more vehement until their nails are almost completely destroyed. This condition, which claims more and more victims with every passing day, is called Nail Fungus.

What is Nail Fungus?

Nails are made up of hardened skin cells that contain a protein called Keratin. The living cells are contained in the ‘Matrix’, which is the half moon-shaped part of your nails, near the cuticles. Over time, new living cells are formed in the Matrix, pushing out the old skin cells, which then harden and form your nails. A healthy set of nails – be they on your fingertips or toes – is ideally colorless and transparent. The ruddy tint is attributed to the numerous blood vessels under the skin of your nail bed.

Clinically termed as Onychomycosis (pronounced as on-ee-co-my-co-sis) Nail Fungus is caused by a rather persistent group of microorganisms called Dermatophytes, Candida, and Non-dermatophytic Moulds. Onychomycosis occurs when these microorganisms enter your skin, either by way of a seemingly innocuous cut, or a small gap between your nail and the nail bed. Fungal Infections caused by Dermatophytes are more common in countries which have temperate climatic conditions, while Candida and Non- dermatophytic Moulds haunt the hot and humid tropics and sub-tropics.

These forms of fungus don’t need sunlight to live, and grow. In fact, as soon as these microorganisms creep in under your nails, your nails form a barrier, trapping them in a warm, humid environment, which is just what they need to survive and flourish!

This condition grows worse if you aren’t too particular about keeping your nails clean, and dry, as the fungus grows at an alarming rate when unperturbed by any changes to this snug warmth and humidity. Not surprisingly, nail fungus is a lot more likely to afflict your toenails, rather than those on your fingertips, as your feet are often stuffed into cramped, moist shoes, and bathed in your perspiration, for most of the day.

There are several other factors that contribute to nail fungus, which we’ll explore by way of further chapters. Through this e-book, you’ll also discover methods by which you can discern whether you are amongst the unfortunate 10% grappling with this condition, as well as ways in which you can effectively counter, and even reverse the damage the various kinds of fungi cause to your nails. Further you’ll also learn about the most ineffective ways of treating nail fungal infections, and finally learn what really works… to finally unveil a picture-perfect set of hands that glow with – hold your breath – the pink of health!

And finally, if you aren’t one of the 35 million people battling with nail fungus at this very moment, you may still want to read on to learn about how you can steer clear of nail fungus, as well as several ways in which you can recognize when the infection surreptitiously creeps in.