Fungal Nail Infection: Symptoms, Types, and Solutions

Fungal nail infection, or onychomycosis, is a common condition that usually leaves people with discolored or brittle nails, most often on their toes. 

Most people think that this disease is the same as an athlete’s foot; however, the fungal nail infection does not affect the skin on the bottom of the feet. 

We do know that this issue looks terrible and bothers many people. The good news is that the solution isn’t as complex as you think. Read more about fungal nail symptoms, types, and solutions. Let’s go! 

Fungal Nail Symptoms

Recognizing the fungal nail infection is actually pretty simple. It usually starts with a small yellow and white spot under the nail. In specific periods, that spot will spread across the entire nail and it will change its color, usually to black or yellow, but sometimes to white and even green. 

Other symptoms you may experience are:

• Nail loses its natural shape
• Nail becomes pretty thick and becomes almost impossible to trim
• Nail becomes crumble when you touch it
• Unfortunately, you may experience a bad smell. 

4 Types of Fungal Nail Infections

There are four different types of Fungal nail infections, each looking almost identical. They are:

• Lateral subungual onychomycosis: Lateral or distal subungual onychomycosis is the most common type of this infection. Its cause is dermatophyte fungus. It usually spreads over the fingernails and toenails, and its beginning is noticeable underneath the nail. The changes look generally yellowish and start from the edges to the center of the nail. 
• Proximal subungual onychomycosis: This condition begins in white spots in the center of the nail bed, which grow together with the nail. It is common for people with ruined immune systems. 
• Candidal onychomycosis: This condition covers only the fingernails. It starts in the areas around the nail, which continues to inflame. The result can be the loss of the nails entirely. 
• White superficial onychomycosis is the least common infection that impacts the nail surface, mainly on the toenails. It starts as a white spot, which becomes powdery in a few weeks. Because of that, the nail crumbles. 

As you can see, each condition mentioned looks similar but has its symptoms and types of progress. We recommend people visit a doctor and ask for help whenever they notice any change. There is no reason to panic!

How to Solve Fungal Nail Infection

The patients usually want to find the solution as soon as possible. Fortunately, different kinds of them can bring good results. We will highlight the most important ones!

Supplements for Toenail Fungus

The simplest way to start the rehabilitation process is by using supplements for toenail fungus. These supplements support the natural defense of your organism. Due to the support that the body gets, your body can potentially manage to defeat any fungal nail conditions. They are mostly made out of natural ingredients. 

Laser Therapy

Laser or photodynamic therapy is another option. However, we must highlight that this is a relatively innovative treatment, and it won’t be easy to find a clinic offering such a service. 

Surgery

Don’t jump immediately to conclusions; surgery is only necessary if the previous two options do not bring the best results. In this case, the surgeon will remove the nail and let the new one grow. However, keep in mind that there is a possibility that the infection will be present with the new one as well. 

Conclusion

As you can see, the solutions exist, and each deserves your attention equally. There is nothing to worry about; things just visually look more dangerous than they are. Surgery is the last thing that you need to think of.