Do you have nails that are brittle, flakey, yellow, or thick? If you do then you most likely suffer from a nail fungus infection. But you’re not the only one, in fact, this infection is very commonly found, affecting millions of people worldwide. Men are more likely to develop nail fungus than women, along with the elderly over someone in their youth. Most people who recently develop nail fungus can’t help but wonder, how? How did I get infected and is this infection hereditary? In some cases nail fungus is hereditary, in some, it’s not.
Are you more likely to have nail fungus if your family members are infected?
If there is someone in your family who suffers from nail fungus, you are most likely going to struggle with it as well due to the fungus’s infectious nature. But family history is not always a guarantee that you too will develop the fungus. But certain hereditary factors can make you more susceptible to developing infections such as nail fungus. Sounds a little confusing? Here’s an example. Diabetics usually develop toenail fungus due to their decreased circulation in the feet. Diabetes tends to run in families and is a trait that can be passed down from parent to child. It can create a hereditary predisposition to nail fungus and infections as well. Also, some people are just more prone to infections than others, this is also something that can run in families as well.
Who is to blame for your nail fungus?
Some people strongly believe that nail fungus infections are strictly hereditary and are entirely to blame for their infection but that’s not always the case. Usually, if you have a family member or two that suffers from a nail fungus infection and you’ve recently picked it up and you are all living under the same household then you most likely developed the fungus on your own living in closed quarters with the fungus. Nail fungus is extremely infectious and most people tend to overlook that.
Treatment Options
- Topical treatments: Topical nail fungus treatments include over-the-counter creams, sprays, and solutions. These treatments are the least effective, having a cure rate of less than 5%. These treatments are ineffective because most topical medications aren’t able to penetrate through the nails to kill fungus.
- Oral Medication: This is the most common option, despite the fact that it has extreme side effects which include liver toxicity and even possibly liver damage, ultimately leading to death or the necessity of a liver transplant. While this may be the most common nail fungus treatment option, it is the one with the most drawbacks. And on top of this, the average cure rate for oral pills is only 60%!
- Laser Treatment: Laser is the most modern and technologically advanced nail fungus treatment option, with the greatest success rate. It typically only takes one treatment with no downtime afterward, while other lasers may require up to four sessions.
To cure your nail fungus, contact us to schedule a free consultation with one of our doctors. We have over 150 clinics nationwide, including Charlotte, NC.
