Horrible smelling toenails are something that actually plagues many people across the world. Foot odor, in general, is an even bigger problem This general condition usually involves improper hygiene. However, bad-smelling toenails are a more specific subset of foot odor problems. They are much more difficult to treat. This is because bad-smelling toenails normally come from a toenail fungus. Toenail fungus can infect even the cleanest and most hygienic of people. Toenail fungus infections are a medical problem that can be frustrating to effectively treat. They may persist for long periods of time. The longer that the fungus is under your nail, the more likely it is to start having a horrible smell.

Social effects of horribly smelling toenails

Horrible-smelling toenails are something that can cause a lot of distress. The smell from this condition can be strong. This can make friends and family try and avoid close proximity with you. Additionally, it can be a social detriment as new people you meet may dislike you because of the smell. Many people with this condition have even been told by their friends and family that they need to improve the smell of their feet. Unfortunately, many people in society don’t understand the plight of toenail fungus and may jump to the conclusion that badly smelling toenails are because of poor hygiene. Toenail fungus can infect anybody. However, this fact doesn’t minimize the negative stigma that others may have around your smelly toenails.

Identifying the cause of the problem

The most common symptom of a toenail fungus infection is discoloration of the nail. This discoloration can appear in a few different colors ranging from white to yellow to brown to black. In addition to the discoloration, the fungal infection is likely to cause the nail’s composition to change in ways that vary from brittleness to cracking to crumbling and more. The nail can also become detached from the nail bed because of a fungal infection interfering with the connection the nail has to the bed. 

The first step to determining if your horrible-smelling toenails fungal smell comes from a toenail fungus is to look for other symptoms of a toenail fungus as listed above. If you notice other symptoms, it is likely that the smell is also coming from a toenail fungus. One other key sign that the smell is caused by a toenail fungus is the location of the smell itself. Toenail fungus will cause a smell that originates from the nails. If the smell is caused by something else, like an athlete’s foot or improper hygiene, the skin of the foot is more likely to smell. By pinpointing the smell of the nails, you can determine if it is caused by a fungus or not.

Treatment options

Once you have determined the cause of your horrible-smelling toenails, treatment is the next step. Treating a smell caused by toenail fungus infection involves treating the toenail fungus itself. The only way to do this is with an FDA-approved treatment from a licensed podiatrist. While there are some DIY treatments recommended by online blogs, these are unlikely to have many positive effects on your toenail fungus. In fact, many of them may actually cause harm to the toe and toenail.

Podiatrists may recommend different antifungal options to treat horrible-smelling toenails. However, not all of these are made the same and the levels of risk and benefit that come with each type of treatment are not equal. Many of the treatments prescribed by doctors are actually very ineffective at curing the fungus; this is especially true for topical medications like creams. Oral medications are slightly more effective but come with the risk of severe side effects like liver toxicity. These medications require blood work before and during the treatment course since they are so dangerous.

There are many treatment options for horrible-smelling toenails. For example, the nail fungus laser treatment is safe and effective. This means that it is the best treatment available to cure yourself of the smell under your toenails. After you receive treatment with the nail fungus laser, a new healthy nail that doesn’t smell should start growing behind the old damaged one. You can learn more about this treatment on our website and view before and after pictures of the treatment here.