Does your Toenail fungus smell like cheese? More often than not, people who notice symptoms of toenail fungus, such as thickened, yellowing nails, also notice an odor of cheese from their feet. Since the two appear together, most people assume that the odor is also caused by toenail fungus. However, as is the case in many phenomena in the real world, correlation does not mean causation. This means that while the cheese-like odor from your feet and toenail fungus may be linked, one is not directly a cause or product of the other.
Relationship between the Cheese-like smell and Toenail fungus
To understand the link between the two, let us first learn what exactly these two conditions are. Toenail fungus is – as the name implies – a fungal infection. It is the same type of fungus that causes fungal infections of the skin. These infections are usually referred to as athlete’s foot and jock itch. Toenail fungus occurs when fungal spores are able to penetrate the nail and grow on the nail bed. When it gets its ideal dark and damp environment, which is usually the inside of our shoes, it reproduces and feeds on the nail. Thus infecting the nail with toenail fungus. And creating the characteristic change in color and texture of the nail that we associate with toenail fungus.
Fungal infection vs. Bacterial Infection
Brevibacterium is the genus of bacteria responsible for this odor. It is also this bacteria that is used in certain smelly cheeses and gives them their smell. The reason that toenail fungus and the smell from brevibacterium occur together so frequently is that the same dark and damp conditions that promote fungal growth also promote bacterial growth.
Best Treatment options
Toenail fungus infections are extremely hard to treat. Most treatments take many months to see results and afterwords the infection may still come back!
The best person to consult with would be a nail doctor or a podiatrist.
Podiatrist recommended treatment options:
- Antifungal Topical Medication: Normally applied on top of the nails and on the surrounding tissue. This treatment option is the least effective option but it’s the least costly and most readily available. You may purchase antifungal topical medications at most of your local drug stores. Most doctors will recommend patients use the topical medication after a more effective treatment to prevent reinfection. This treatment is not very effective by itself in killing fungus since the topical medication is not able to penetrate the nail to kill fungus on the nail bed.
- Oral Antifungal Pills: Pills are typically taken daily and are prescribed by a medical professional. It also requires regular blood tests to ensure liver toxicity levels are okay. These pills may affect the liver and also interact with many other medications.
- Laser Treatments: This option is the most effective option with no side effects. The treatment has a laser beam that uses heat to target and kill the fungus inside the nail and on the nail bed. In our offices, we use the PinPointe Footlaser which is the most effective laser of all and has a cure rate of 85%.
If you notice a cheese-like smell from your feet or any other signs of toenail fungus, contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our doctors. We have over 150 locations nationwide, including Charlotte, NC.
