MyFootShop.com - Your source for healthy feet!

Order toll free 1-888-859-8901  Monday-Friday 9am until 5pm EST 
 

Products
Conditions

Get email discounts and SAVE!

Your Shopping Cart

* $ale Items *

View all Products

Knowledge Base

Blog

Customer Service

Volume Discounts


Fungus Toe Nail

Details:

Onychomycosis refers to a fungal infection of the toe or finger nail. Onycho refers to the nail and mycosis refers to a fungal condition. Onychomycosis is very common in the toe nail and seen to a much lesser degree in the finger nail. It is estimated that 25 million Americans suffer from onychomycosis. The organisms that cause onychomycosis are usually fungus (90% of cases) or yeast (7% of cases).

Onychomycosis has nothing to do with hygiene. Many people feel that they have in some way contributed to a fungal nail infection. There is only one way we do contribute to this condition and that is in that we create an environment that is wonderfully conducive to the growth of fungus. We jump out of the shower in the morning, put on our socks and shoes for 18 hours and create a greenhouse that promotes fungal growth.

It is safe to say that 50% of folks over the age of 50 have a fungal toe nail infection to some degree. But this doesn't necessarily mean that onychomycosis is due to 'old age'. We can imply that over the course of our lifetimes we would have more opportunities to acquire a fungal infection of the nail. Trauma makes the nail much more susceptible to fungal infections. It's also reasonable to assume that folks in professions that abuse their feet would tend to have a higher rate of onychomycosis. An injury to the nail is a common precursor to a fungal nail infection. Trauma may be something abrupt such as a can of beans hitting the nail from the top shelf or something as benign as a pair of ill-fitting shoes constantly rubbing on the nail. As an example, a machinist or mechanic would tend to show earlier signs of onychomycosis than a housewife. Toenail_fungus_(onychomycosis)

The appearance of onychomycosis can vary but most cases begin at the distal tip of the nail and slowly progress into the nail over a period of months to years. The nail will thicken as the fungus continues to grow. The filaments of fungus take up space in the nail causing it to swell. The nail can be yellow, white or even green to black. The nail also begins to be chalky and flakey.

Treatment of toe nail fungus and onychomycosis

Prevention of injuries to the nail is very important. Once the nail is injured, the door of susceptibility swings open, allowing entry of the fungus. There are some very simple preventative measures that can be taken on a regular basis. Keep the feet dry. Keeping the feet dry will inhibit the ability of the fungus to thrive. You can do this in several ways. Frequent changes of socks, the use of powder, such as baby powder and rotating shoes so that they are worn only every other day, can help tremendously.

Medications for onychomycosis fall into two categories; topical and oral. There are any number of effective topical medications available over the counter. Topical medications are most helpful in treating early, small infections and for maintaining clear nails. Topical medications do have a limited ability to penetrate the nail to reach all of the fungal elements. Topical medication inhibit the growth of the fungus allowing for faster growth of the nail. Remember, the fungus doesn't take a day off. Compliance is a big issue when using topical antifungals.

The FDA approved a new prescription strength topical medication for treating onychomycosis in 1999 called Penlac. (Dermik Laboratories, Collegeville, PA). Penlac is manufactured in Frankfurt, Germany by Aventis Pharma Deutschland GmbH. Penlac doesn't carry the side effects of the oral medications but the jury is still out on the efficacy of this medication.

The older generations of oral antifungal medications, such as Fulvicin or Griseofulvin, have been used successfully for years and are making a comeback due to their economic value. The newer generation of oral antifungals, including Sporanox and Lamisil have been received very well by the medical community. Care should be taken when using Sporanox due to its' potential liver toxicity. Both Sporanox and Lamisil are expensive medications costing several hundred dollars for the recommended three month course of treatment.

When all else fails, the fungal toe nail can be permanently removed. This procedure is not difficult to perform and most patients return to their normal shoes in just a Band-Aid in 24hrs. The removal of the nail is permanent.

Which choice is right for you? Consider the following two examples;

Case 1. Sandy is a 24 year old hairdresser who has intimate hands on contact with her clients on a daily basis. She has developed a fungal infection in several of her finger nails. She is concerned that the fungal infection will have a direct impact on her livelihood and does not want to spread the infection to others.

Case 2. Joe is a 62 year old farmer and has a long history of injuries to his hands and feet. His last visit to the doctor showed signs of an increase in his liver enzyme studies indicating an overall decrease in his liver function. Joe has developed onychomycosis in most of his toe nails.

I think the choices for Joe and Sandy are clear but in most cases the criteria to make recommendations for treatment of onychomycosis are not as obvious. In those cases, patients should consult their physician to discuss the pros and cons of oral antifungal treatment.


Nomenclature:

Beau's lines - deep longitudinal grooves in the nail plate

Eponychium - thin layer of skin overlying the matrix at the base of the nail

Koilonychia - spoon shaped nails

Lunula - a small white moon shaped area at the base of the nail. The purpose of the lunula is not clear but it appears to be an extension of the nail matrix.

Matrix - the cells beneath the eponychium that produce the nail

Onychocryptosis - onycho is derived from Greek and refers to any nail condition. Crypt, or to bury is combined to form a word that describes an ingrown nail where the nail is buried in the nail fold. This term can be used to describe an ingrown nail both with or without an infection.

Onychomycosis - a fungal nail infection

Paronychia - para refers to parallel. Onychia is derived from Greek and refers to nail. Paronychia is a condition that present with pain along the entire border (parallel to) of the nail. This term is often used to describe chronic pain at the edge of the nail with or without an infection. This term is also used to describe irritation form the nail at the base of the nail.

Pincer nails - nails that are pinched

Splinter hemorrhages - small bruises beneath the nail plate. Common to endobacterial carditis or atrial fibrillation.

Subungual - beneath the nail

Subungual exostosis - a bone spur beneath the nail

Subungual hematoma - dark discoloration of the nail due to bruising beneath the nail

Ungual - refers to nail


Anatomy:

anatomy_toenailNail is an elastic, transparent layer of keratin. It is surrounded on two sides by soft skin referred to as the periungual folds. The base of the nail is called the eponychium and the distal tip of the nail is called the hyponychium. Nail cells are created in a small envelope called the nail matrix.

Biomechanics:

No information is available for this topic.


Symptoms:

The symptoms of a fungal nail infection can vary. Pain can be chronic due to a low grade mechanical irritation of the periungual folds or be acute due to a foreign body reaction by the skin adjacent to the nail. When the skin adjacent to the nail perceives the nail to be a foreign object, it will mount a response to push out the nail, just as the skin would respond to a splinter. This response is usually a low grade soft tissue infection.

Fungal infections of the nail are not by themselves painful. As the nail thickens, pressure from shoes and adjacent toes will put pressure on the skin surrounding the toe nail resulting in pain and possible soft tissue infections.


Differential Diagnosis:

The differential diagnosis for this condition should include;

Bone spur, subungual (beneath the nail).

Lister corn or callus adjacent to the nail.

Malignant melanoma.

Onychocryptosis - (ingrown nail)

Psoriatic nail arthritis

Wart


Products Recommended for Fungus Toe Nail:

See Also:

References:

This article was written by Jeffrey A. Oster, DPM and last updated 7/12/07.


Additional references include;

Elewski BE: Diagnostic techniques for confirming onychomycosis. J Am Acad Dermatol 35 (3 Pt 2): S6, 1996

Scherer WP, Kinmon KK; Dermatophyte test medium culture versus mycology laboratory analysis for suspected onychomycosis. JAPMA 90:9 2000McCarthy

DJ: Origins of onychomycosis. Clin Podiatric Med Surg 12:221, 1995

Habif TP: Nail diseases in Clinical Dermatology, 3rd edition, p 765 CVMosby, St. Louis, 1996


Was this information helpful?

Yes    No      

We appreciate your comments and feedback. After clicking submit, you may also send us your comments.
If you have questions regarding treatment or products used for this condition, please join us in The Foot Talk Forum.

Don't see the answer to your question? Try one of these resources:

 

 

Medical Communication Guidelines:

The internet represents a wonderful opportunity to communicate and share information. It's important to all of us at Myfootshop.com that we communicate in a way that is most effective for the users of our site. Myfootshop.com follows the online communication guidelines established by Medem, Inc. If you have questions regarding your foot problem, please join us in The Foot Talk Forum where we can share questions and answers with others.  Any clinical questions you may submit to us by email will be referred to The Forum.

At the conclusion of this article you'll find a number of products that are recommended by Myfootshop.com to treat this condition. These products have been hand picked by the medical consulting staff at Myfootshop.com for their effectiveness and reliability. Should you have any questions regarding the selection or use of these products please don't hesitate to contact us at mailto:sales@myfootshop.com or join us in the product support topic of The Foot Talk Forum.

The information on this page does not constitute the practice of medicine and is offered as an educational aid.  Should you have a medical problem, Myfootshop.com and their representatives recommend that you seek the help of your physician or other healthcare professional.

Related Keywords and Search Terms:

 cause of toe nail fungus,cure fungus nail natural toe,cure fungus nail toe,cure for toe nail fungus,fungus home nail remedy,toe fungus medication nail toe,fungus medicine nail toe,fungus nail oil tea toe tree,fungus nail photo toe,fungus nail remedy toe,fungus nail toe treatment,Fungus Toe Nail,how to get rid of toe nail fungus,natural cure for toe nail fungus,toe nail fungus,toe nail fungus cure,toe nail fungus cures,toe nail fungus medication,toe nail fungus medicine,toe nail fungus pictures,toe nail fungus remedies,toe nail fungus treatment,onychomycosis

 

   

Free Priority Mail Shipping on orders over $75!

BBBOnLine Reliability Seal


We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

 
*Popular Item*


 

 



Order on-line, anytime.. or call us toll free at
1-888-859-8901
Monday-Friday 9am until 5pm EST
  
Home  |  Corporate Info  |  Contact Us  |   Discussion Forum  |  On-Line Communication Policies  |  Kudos
 
BBBOnLine Reliability Seal 1-year, 100% satisfaction guarantee!
 
Copyright © 1999-  MyFootShop.com. All rights reserved.  Last Updated: 11/20/2009

Site Map  l  Press Releases     Website by SiteSee'er