Who doesn’t want beautiful skin and hair? Everyone. What about the feet? Well, let that go ignored, please? In most cases, not taking proper care of your feet often results in different kinds of infections, out of which toenail fungus is the most common type. Not only is it an embarrassing condition but toenail fungus also causes other skin and health problems. While it is a tough foe to battle, the sooner you opt for fungal nail treatment in Mandurah, the faster it recovers. Unfortunately, it’s not discovered until the microscopic organisms invade the nails and wreak havoc. If ignored or not treated properly, the fungus spreads to the surrounding areas, damaging the nail and nail bed permanently.
The worst part is that just when you thought you’ve got rid of that fungus for good and brand new toenails are growing again, after a few days you see the return of the fungus. This can be easily prevented and we’ll tell you how to do that!
Symptoms of Fungal Toenail Infection
- The nail thickens or crumbles
- The nail gets discoloured or yellow
- Deformed nails
- Pain and discomfort
- Spots or streaks on the side of the nail
- Complete nail loss
Effective Ways to Prevent Toenail Fungal Infection
1. Disinfect your shoes: You may have recovered from toenail infection after availing fungal nail treatment in Mandurah but the shoes you wore during that time may still have traces of it. As some types of fungus take a longer time to be completely removed, this increases the possibility of re-infection.
Should you throw away the shoes you wore while having the infection? No, unless the shoes are worn out and too old. If it’s new footwear, you must disinfect them properly before wearing again. You can use antifungal powders and sprays. These products have a dual role – first, they kill the fungus inside shoes and socks. Second, if you have sweaty feet, using antifungal sprays and powders is the best way to keep your feet clean and dry. These products control sweat and resist fungal growth.
When there is no moisture on your feet, how will the fungus grow?
2. Maintain your own clippers and shoes: This is the most basic foot hygiene that you need to follow if you want to keep such fungal foot infections at bay. Sharing is caring but not when it comes to your shoes, socks, clippers and other foot grooming items. As per the recommendations of experienced podiatrists in Mandurah, never share your clippers, shoes and socks with others or use someone else’s but only your own. If you’ve borrowed shoes from your friend, do you know if she/he is having any sort of foot infection? Is the footwear disinfected? Using other’s shoes and foot products means you’re inviting the fungus to attack your feet too!
If you’re doing pedicure from a salon, make sure the salon follows strict foot hygiene rules and cleans the nail clippers, files, foot baths and other tools after every use.
3. Wear breathable socks: Do you know who is the biggest enemy of your feet? SWEAT. Excessive moisture in and around your foot region is the ideal condition that boosts fungal growth. And if you’re wearing socks of the wrong material, it produces more sweat, creating a hospitable environment for the fungus to thrive. Your aim is to keep your feet dry as much as possible. And this can be done when you wear socks that allow proper air circulation. Pick socks made of natural cotton fiber, Drymax or Merino wool as these materials are light and airy, perfect for keeping the feet dry, no matter how long you’re wearing them.
4. Protect your feet in public: You can easily check the spread of fungus in your home but the world is huge, you know. Damp, warm and moist places provide the excellent condition for fungus to grow and thrive. Such places exist in a relatively larger number when you’re in public places like gyms, pools or locker rooms. Whenever you’re going to high-risk areas like these, avoid going bare feet. Keeping your feet protected is crucial and so, you can wear slippers, sandals, shower shoes and anything that’ll cover your feet adequately.
Also, don’t ignore or forget washing your feet after leaving the place. Before wearing socks or shoes again, make sure your feet are completely dry.
5. Keep your toenails trimmed and straight: What we like is not often beneficial to our health. You may love pastries, chocolate cakes and fried food items. But what are the consequences? Obesity and other illnesses. Similarly, you may love to keep your toenails rounded or tapered but straight-cut nails improve your foot health.
An ingrown toenail is another common foot problem which is preventable if you cut your nails straight and just file any rough edges with a nail file. Additionally, bigger toenails make a great place for mud, dirt and debris build-up. Or even worse, you can break your toenails after snapping or thumping against the leg of the bed, chair or table. Ouch!
Broken or damaged toenails are more vulnerable to infection. For this reason, trim your toenails short. Neither can dirt accumulate inside nor there’s the fear or pain of breakage.
Ending thoughts: These are some of the best tips to prevent toenail fungal infection and its re-occurrence. In case, you’re already having the awful fungus on your toenail, don’t delay in seeking fungal nail treatment Mandurah. Fungal nail treatment requires expert knowledge and if not treated properly, it can become worse. Peel Podiatry Clinic’s specialized fungal nail treatment is painless and highly effective. Consult the team today and get back clean and fungus-free toenails.