Increased risk of toenail fungus is typically in the summertime. Toenail fungus can be caught at any time, but there are certain times when increased caution may be warranted. Most significantly, periods of warm climate can correspond to an increased risk of toenail fungus. When long periods of warm weather should be expected, like during the summertime, it makes sense to be more cautious about catching fungus.

Warmer Weather

While warm climates create an increased risk of toenail fungus, it does not cause the fungus directly. What warm weather does do is increase the frequency of certain activities where the fungal spread is easy. These activities include swimming in public pools and walking around barefoot in general. Activities like this expose your feet to the ground where someone with a fungus could potentially have been walking. Fungal spores can survive on the ground and infect your feet from there.

Fungus spores also thrive in warm, damp environments. During periods of warm weather, shoes usually become damper with sweat. These damp shoes, combined with warm weather and the heat from your feet, create the perfect breeding ground for more fungus. For this reason, it is much easier for a fungus to thrive on your nail during warm weather. 

toenail fungus at the gym

Preventing Fungus

There are a few things you can do to combat the increased risk of fungus in a warm climate. The first is to make sure to be aware of when you’re in a public area where other people may have walked barefoot. In these places, always be sure to wear some sort of footwear. Additionally, make sure to always change your socks after they get sweaty, and never share shoes or socks. You can also wear open-toed shoes to prevent a damp shoe from enclosing your foot. 

Laser Treatment for Toenail Fungus

If you think you have a toenail fungus, you should be seen by a licensed podiatrist to receive treatment. The best option is the PinPointe laser, which typically requires only one treatment to cure the fungus. Our nail doctor in Chicago, IL recommends this laser treatment. The PinPointe Laser treatment has the highest cure rate in the market. It has no side effects and no recovery period. As a result, you can go about your daily activities right after the treatment. Also, it is not painful. To schedule a consultation for the PinPointe laser treatment with a podiatrist, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.