Fungal Nails

A Fungal nail infection (Also known as Onychomycosis) is a common infection of the nail plate. The infection can occur to the nails of the hands and feet, however the feet are more common.
The cause of the infection is due to fungus spreading under the nail and into the nailbed. The fungus can infect a broken or injured nail, or may spread to the nail from a nearby skin infection such as Athletes foot.
Fungal infections thrive in moist, warm environments, therefore It is common to contract fungal infections from walking barefoot in public spaces such as change rooms, showers, and public pools, or via unsterilized equipment at nail salons. Furthermore, It’s possible for fungal infection to be passed from one affected nail to another.

Fungal infections can cause several changes to the nail plate. These include:

• a yellow, or white discolouration of the nail.
• Thickening of the nail.
• The tendency of the nail to become brittle, leading to crumbling or jagged edges.
• Nail splitting from the skin underneath.
• Pain and tenderness.
• Unpleasant aroma.

There are a variety of different over-the-counter products to treat fungal nails, however they will not always work for everyone and will require treatment stretched over a long period of time.

Some common topical anti-fungal treatments that you will find at a pharmacist are: Loceryl, RejuveNail, and Daktarin. They all involve filing back the affected nail and then painting the product onto the nail.

Here are a few tips for the prevention of fungal infections:

• Wearing footwear around public changerooms, showers and pools.
• Regularly changing your socks.
• Wearing breathable shoes.
• Trimming your nails straight across, and smooth the edges with a file.
• Cleaning your feet regularly.
• Drying your feet properly, especially in between your toes!
• Visit nail salons that use sterilised tools for each customer.