Ignoring nail fungus infections might not be the best idea. Out of all the various illnesses people tend to overlook the minor ones such as nail fungus. However, nail fungus is also a threat when left untreated for extended periods of time. Furthermore, since nail fungus goes unnoticed and symptoms are hard to notice in earlier stages, it is easy for it to be overlooked until it’s in its later, more severe stages. It is important to take action immediately when noticing any sign of a nail fungus due to many risks.

Spreading:

Nail fungus can often spread to other parts of the body. If it is a toenail fungus, it can infect the surrounding skin and feet. In many cases, this is how people can obtain an athlete’s foot. This also especially common if you tend to wear shoes and socks all day and sweat often. Or if you wear the same pair of socks days at a time. If you have a fingernail fungus, the same thing can occur on the cuticles and the skin. Lastly, and quite surprisingly, fungus can spread to the genitals and cause a “jock itch”. It’s a skin infection that occurs in both males and females equally.

Total Loss of Nail:

Nail fungus has many characteristics. Some of them include powdering and thinning of the nail and lifting or separation from the nail bed. When this separation occurs it generally means that your nail is detaching from your skin, causing a total loss of the nail. Sometimes the nail just simply becomes loose, in these cases you are likely going to need to remove the nail as well. In some cases, the nail may grow back, however in other cases a nail growth could be lost forever due to the impact of the fungal infection.

Pain:

Many sufferers of nail fungus experience pain in both the nails and the foot. When the nails become thick or distorted it can be extremely uncomfortable and cause even more pain while walking in shoes. Whether the shoes are fitted, loose, or tight, the discomfort can still persist.

As you can see, there are several downsides to leaving nail fungus untreated. Although many people feel that there are many more severe health dangers to consider, nail fungus is still an infectious disease that can spread, cause discomfort, and a loss of nails entirely. If you have nail fungus, contact us to schedule a free consultation with one of our doctors. We have over 120 clinics nationwide, including Charlotte, NC.