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Nail fungus / Onychomycosis

Also known as onychomycosis, nail fungus is a fungal infection that settles between the skin and the nail and is very difficult to treat. Its diagnosis can be made in the clinic or by a culture analyses in a laboratory and made by a health professional such as a podiatrist. It is potentially contagious and never goes away on its own. 

Symptoms:

  • Crumbly, brittle nails

  • Yellowed or discolored nail

  • Thickening of the affected nail, which may be painful

  • Ingrown toenails

  • Sometimes observed  with athlete's foot
     

Causes:

  • Contamination by someone already infected

  • Spread from athlete's foot

  • Use of contaminated instruments

Home treatments:

  • Usually inefficient 
     

Treatments by the podiatrist:

  • There are 2 categories of medical treatment; topical and oral. Your podiatrist will discuss the different options with you based on the severity of your case. 

  • In rare cases, a nail can me surgically removed and the skin treated with a topical antifungal.

For more answers to your questions, ​​
see your neighborhood podiatrist.

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