The first symptom of a toenail fungus infection is discoloration of the nail. The symptoms of a nail infection will vary depending on the type and severity of the infection.
Nail fungus infections, also known as onychomyscosis, account for about half of all nail disorders. They can be difficult to treat and repeated infections are common. The infections are particularly prominent in nails that have been continuously exposed to warm, moist environments like sweaty shoes or shower floors.
Toenail fungus infections usually begin with a white spot under the tip of the nail. As the fungus spreads deeper into the nail, the following symptoms may occur:
Thickened nails
Brittle, crumbly or ragged nails
Nails that are distorted in shape
Nails that are flat and dull
Yellow, green or black nails
Pain in and around the nail bed
The nail may develop white, yellow or brown patches. In some cases the nail may become brittle and appear chipped. There may also be flakey, scaly skin surrounding the infected nail.
A toenail infection that has an unpleasant odor may be in advanced stages and you should see a doctor immediately. If the infection is severe, you will have significant pain and will find it difficult to walk.
Thickening of the nails is another symptom of toenail fungus infection. If your nails thicken, you may find it difficult to wear shoes. Sometimes thickening leads to an ingrown toenail which can be painful and limit mobility.
If the symptoms are left untreated, fungal infections of the nail can cause permanent damage to the nail, leaving it ragged and distorted. The fungus can spread to the skin surrounding your nail causing paronychia, a surface infection of the skin around the nail.
Paronychia can cause painful lesions, redness, swelling and pus-filled blisters. You can avoid the pain and embarrassment of paronychia by treating your nail fungus infection symptoms in their early stages. For more info see http://www.treatnailfungus.org/Symptoms/toenailabnormalities.html
The type of treatment plan you choose will depend on the severity of your symptoms and your personal preferences. Some people prefer to try home remedies before consulting a physician for prescription medications. Many of the prescription medications that are available to treat nail fungus infections have unpleasant side effects. The most commonly prescribed oral medications are Sporonax, Diflucan and Lamisil.
It is important monitor your nail fungus infections symptoms to make sure they do not worsen. For effective treatment, you should address nail fungus infection symptoms when they first appear.
Related Articles
Problems of Feet and Their Care
By: Susan Christy | 05/05/2006 | Health
Some people face strange problems on their Feet which makes them
difficult to walk. Most of the foot problems are very painfull .This
article of mine helps you know everything about various foot problems
and methods to deal with them.
Alternative Treatment For Toenail Fungus
By: Jose Santiago | 14/12/2006 | Medicine
The medicine have alternative treatment for toenail fungus.This medical condition is name onychomycosis is a common medical condition in patients with good health or other diseases like diabetes. Controversy notwithstanding, patients with diabetes have several medical conditions (obesity, peripheral neuropathy, and retinopathy) that can inhibit the identification or mask the...
Candidiasis: a Woman’s Problem
By: Janet Martin | 19/12/2007 | Women's Health
Vaginal candidiasis is a problem most women don’t want to talk about. But this yeast infection is very common and one in two women will have at least one attack during their lifetime.
Candidiasis Myths and Facts
By: Janet Martin | 19/12/2007 | Women's Health
If you have vaginal candidiasis, you’re not alone. This common yeast infection affects mainly women and is characterized by vaginal itching, burning and pain. Other embarrassing symptoms are vaginal discharge and reddening of the genital area and sometimes the upper thighs.
Common Fungal Infections to Avoid
By: Janet Martin | 11/02/2008 | Skin Care
Fungi overgrowth, when left unchecked for a long period of time, can spread and cause embarrassment, pain and discomfort. Skin diseases are often cured by over-the-counter medication, so you should not let them proliferate and grow.
Get Rid of your Candidaisis the Natural Way
By: Janet Martin | 19/02/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
According to statistics, about 20% of women in the US aged 15 to 55 are suffering from a fungal infection called Candidaisis.You can get rid of this problem through natural means, including detox.
Information on Fungal Infection
By: peterhutch | 04/04/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
Fungal infections usually affect the skin because they live off keratin, a protein that makes up skin, hair and nails. Fungal skin infections are divided into groups depending on what type of organism is involved.
Antifungal Herbal Treatment – Get Rid of Fungal Infection
By: peterhutch | 18/04/2008 | Health
Antifungal medications and treatments are utilized for eradicating fungi and yeast that cause infections in many areas of the body.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by:
More from Amanda Fain
Using A Bluetooth Headset With A Hearing Aid.
By: Amanda Fain | 23/04/2007 | Home Improvement
Many people that have to use hearing aid also want to use a cell phone. Quite often the hearing aid frequencies interfere with the frequency used by cell phones. It's quite common to experience squealing when trying to use a cell phone with your hearing aid.
If your hearing aid isn't...
Pale Nail Can Indicate General Health Problem
By: Amanda Fain | 23/04/2007 | Health
The appearance of a pale nail will vary depending on the cause and severity of the problem. Nail paleness can be triggered by trauma to the nail or it may be caused by a disease. The scientific name for pale nail is leuconychia.
A pale nail is sometimes an indicator...
Instructions For Installing A Tankless Water Heater
By: Amanda Fain | 23/04/2007 | Home Improvement
While the process of installing a tankless water heater isn't too difficult it is very different from the process of installing a standard tank water heater. The process is more in depth for a tankless water heater system. It is very important that you read through all the instructions and...
Top 5 Facts On Credit Card Identity Theft
By: Amanda Fain | 22/04/2007 | Finance
What exactly is credit card identity theft, how is it used and how can you prevent it? In this article we will look at ten facts you need to know about credit card identity theft in order to better protect yourself and prevent the loss of substantial amounts of money.
The...
Some Conditions Diagnosed By Genetic Testing
By: Amanda Fain | 22/04/2007 | Medicine
Some good things about genetic testing are the ability to find out if you carry a specific gene or if you have a gene that will result in a genetic disorder in the future. Some of the conditions diagnosed by genetic testing are cystic fibrosis, Huntington disease and Down syndrome....
Infant Eczema
By: Amanda Fain | 22/04/2007 | Health
Mild eczema in the form of skin rashes often affects infants between ages of 2 months to babies of 2 years old. It usually occurs on the forehead, and cheeks, though it can spread to any other body parts. But unlike in adults eczema in infants usually goes away by...
A Quick Guide To Home Insurance Terms And Jargon
By: Amanda Fain | 21/04/2007 | Home Improvement
Listening to an expert talk about anything can be incredibly daunting and baffling these days. There are specialist terms for everything in the financial industry, even for the most simple of things, and that routinely means that a consumer rarely understands exactly what he or she is signing or getting...
Polycystic Kidney Disease And Your Persian Cat
By: Amanda Fain | 21/04/2007 | Pets
Cats are beautiful animals and they take their place next to dogs. The cat health of a Persian sees some health problems that require some specific knowledge. Persian cats have some genetic problems that are prone to happen to any cat of this breed.
A Little History on the Persian...
Health 
