Will I have nail fungus? It’s the question that I ask myself everytime I stub my toe or if someone steps on my toe. If you are someone like me who always dives deep into research when something bothers you, look no further. This blog will help you learn if what is bothering you is a fungal infection. We will learn what the symptoms of fungal nails are and the most common ways you may be infected. We will also discuss ways how to avoid a fungal infection in the first place.

How common is Toenail Fungus?

Nail fungus is quite a common affliction. 10% of Americans are affected and that number increases to 50% in people over 60. This means that depending on certain risk factors, you may be likely to catch toenail fungus once in your lifetime. Because of this, it is important for you to be able to tell if you are experiencing symptoms of toenail fungus. Also, people with diabetes or immune-compromised people are at higher risk.

As a general rule of thumb, any unprecedented changes in your body besides standard things should be looked into. The same applies to your nails since changes to your nails can be indicative of toenail fungus.

How to recognize if you have Nail Fungus?

Nail fungus will usually change the appearance of your nails, and these are the things that you can notice to detect you may have toenail fungus at home. Nail fungus will cause your nails to thicken and also change in texture to become more brittle. You may develop ridges on your nails, and your nails will likely change color to become yellow, or in more severe cases, brown or black. As your nails thicken they will become difficult to cut, and may even become painful, causing an aching throb.

Sometimes toenail fungus on the toenails is accompanied by a bacterial infection due to the fact that the same conditions which promote fungal growth also promote bacterial growth. This will cause a cheese-like odor from your feet. While this odor is not directly caused by nail fungus, it can be an indicator of a toenail fungus infection.

How to treat your infection?

The only way to be sure if you have a nail fungus infection is by having your nails inspected by a medical professional. Our doctors have treated thousands of cases of nail fungus and are experts in their fields. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to evaluate your with one of our doctors to evaluate your symptoms of nail fungus. We have over 150 locations nationwide.