Yellow Toenails

The major cause of an infected toenail is fungus. Usually this fungus is very irritable and leads to severe pain due to which you cannot even carry on your daily routine activities like walking, exercising etc. Even the skin covering the nails gets affected due to the fungus. The toe nail infections make the nails brittle and disfigure their appearance. The toe nails are mostly affected by the nail fungi, rather than the finger nails. The toe nail is contagious and can easily spread from one toe to another and from one foot to another and also from one person to another person.

The fungus is mostly found in moist and dark places. The fungus affects the toe nails when they are exposed to dirty areas and moist places. The toe nail infection starts from the tip of the nail and if ignored spreads to the whole nail. The toe nail infections are also known as Onychomycosis. The fungus on the toe nail turns the nails in to yellow, brown, gray or black. The nails become brittle and get disfigured in appearance if affected with the infection. The toe nail infections if not taken care or treated immediately may spread to the nail bed, which leads to the reddishness of the skin surrounding the nail. The foot becomes swollen and there will be itching sensation on your toe nails. The infected toenail may also become thicker. On noticing the symptoms get it treated immediately.

Follow some basic steps in order not to get affected with the toe nail infection: wear shoes which are comfortable and allow the foot to breathe. The tight shoes will restrict the foot to breathe and spoils your nail which leads to the infection. Wear closed toed shoes which are not exposed to sunlight if you are taking on long term medication of tetracycline. Have healthy diet and keep your foot clean and tidy if you are suffering from diabetics and facing digestive problems.   The nails take more time to grow and long time to heal in elderly persons and there are more chances of fungus growing in easily in such people. The people who are into sports should get treated with such kind of infections as there are more chances of infection spreading to the whole foot.    

Infected toenail, if ignored spreads to the skin surrounding the nail and loosens the nail from the nail bed. The area of the nail bed is then filled with substance like yellowish white junk. The toe nails turn yellow in colour and become thick and look odd. It is not good for health.  Take proper care of your toe nails and keep them clean and tidy. If you are affected with the infection, identify the causes and consult a doctor immediately. Infected toenail should always be taken seriously.

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Infected toenail occurs because of fungus. Toenail infection is very uncomfortable and causes pain if it leads further. Sometimes it affects the skin also. Toenail infection will usually disfigure the nails. It also causes physical pain and impairs the ability to work. Nail fungi mostly affects the toenails rather than finger nails. There are chances of spreading from one toe to another and also from one foot to another.

Infected toenail is caused when the nail is exposed to a warm moist environment, as fungus mostly develop in warm and moist places. It starts on the nail or under its outer edge. Toenail infection is also known as onychomycosis. The common symptom of toenail infection is, the fungus may turn the nail yellow, gray, brown or black. Or the nails become brittle and crack. In severe cases it may spread to the nail bed, this causes the skin surrounding the nail red, itchy and swollen. Of course you can analyse how bad the symptoms are depending on how early you catch the infection and how you treat it. Toenail infections can also make your nails thick as well.

In order to avoid infected toenail, try to avoid the following situation: wear the right size shoes. As tight shoe can damage your nail or stub your toe which can lead to toenail infection. If you are taking long term tetracycline medication avoid exposing your toenails to sunlight. It is best recommended to wear closed toed shoes outdoors when you are on this medication. If you are a diabetes patient or you have an immune deficiency, it is important to stay healthy in all aspects as it helps in keeping your toenails healthy. Elderly persons need to take extra care in keeping the toenails healthy as nails take longer to grow and longer to heal, making it easier for fungus to grow. Athlete’s foot must be treated immediately as there are more chances of the fungus multiplying between the toes.

If you do not take proper care to cure an infected toenail, the fungus will gradually spread to the base of the nail and down the sides, loosening the nail from the nail bed and filling the separated area with crumbly, yellowish-white gunk like substance. The toenails become thicker and yellowish brown in colour. This is not good for your health and it also looks gross. So if you have infected toenail identify the symptoms immediately and take the appropriate preventions immediately.

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There are a lot of factors that can contribute to the development of infected toenail. One of the most common types is an ingrown toenail which is medically termed as Onychocryptosis. This condition is the abnormal growth of the nail edge or corner into the surrounding skin or flesh. The patient with an ingrown toenail may experience intense pain, swelling, and slight fever if the infection is left untreated. To avoid having ingrown toenail, cut it in a straight way and not in a curved one. Always treat wounds or lesions on the toenail and keep them always clean and dry. Certain deficiency of vitamins or minerals can make the nails weak and brittle. This makes them prone to injuries when wearing ill-fitted shoes or footwear. Fortunately, infected toenails can be managed easily even at home; however, monitor the pain and the appearance of the infected area for any signs of complications. If the pain is no longer tolerated, seek medical attention at once.

What are the causes of infected toenail?

If you are wearing not properly fitted shoes or other footwear, you may injure or damage your toenail because of the compression and pressure inside shoes. Cutting your toenails in the curved away instead of the street one causes the edges or corners of the nail me to dig into the surrounding skin. Fungi or bacteria are the reason for the infection which causes swelling, tenderness, and blisters. The formation of blisters results to a slightly raised toenail, and eventually extra blood comes in making it appeared to be black in color.

Infected toenail signs and symptoms

Out of the five toenails of the feet the big toe has the higher possibility of being ingrown. Even nails on both sides can be infected and become ingrown. Manifestations of infected toenail includes swelling, intense pain, and tenderness when touched. If the fungal or bacterial infection is left untreated or unmanaged, fever is inevitable. At first, the infected toenail is only painful and swollen and does not contain any drainage or purulent discharge, but as the nail grows additional skin and tissue grow as well. Formation of pus or yellowish discharge is noted if the infection worsens. This is sign that the body is responding well to the foreign substances since this is its defense mechanism. If the pain and purulent discharge lasts for more than three days, despite of interventions, consult your doctor at once.

How to manage and prevent infected toenail?

If you are experiencing the signs and symptoms listed above, the possibility is, you have an infected toenail. Soak or immerse the affected toe in warm or lukewarm water for about 15 to 20 minutes at least two to three times a day. The warm water will reduce or lessen the swelling and pain overtime. Placing cotton or sterile gauze around the affected toe helps in confining the infection. Secure the dressing with adhesive tapes. In cleaning the infected toe, use hydrogen peroxide, pat it dry, and finally apply a thin layer of antibacterial creams or ointments. Do this at least three times a day until the infected toenail improves. Before wearing any shoes or footwear, make sure that it is your size, not to tight not to loose. If you cannot tolerate the pain brought about by the infected toenail you can always take over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen.

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