Fungal Nail 101. From Unaesthetic Looks to Health Concerns

If you have never experienced nail fungus, you have most definitely heard of it. Fungal nail is mostly known for its unsightly looks but if left unattended it can bring many serious consequences.  

Unfortunately, fungal name is usually portrayed as a minor inconvenience rather than an infection can get worse, especially when much more serious health conditions exist. Toenail fungus (onychomycosis) doesn’t bring pain and thus they don’t seek fungal nail treatment. Otherwise healthy people only view it as a yellowed nail, therefore a mere cosmetic issue. We have actually developed a new product to fight fungal nail looks. However, the issue is much deeper rooted and if not given medical treatment may lead to complications. 

Untreated fungal nail can start looking even worse over time; and these looks will bring more issues than unappealing appearance. The nail may get thick and misshapen, which is likely to cause pain overtime. Wearing shoes will become unbearable and thus one’s walking abilities may be compromised due to the pain in brings. 

Untreated toenail fungus can also spread to the surrounding skin, and then the issue will be far more serious than some cosmetic inconvenience. If you wear socks and shoes all day, the fungus infection has a perfect environment to thrive – it is warm, dark and moist. This is when fungal nail and easily result in athlete’s foot, an unpleasant condition that features itchy, red, cracked skin. In the worst cases, fungal infection with no treatment can spread as far as genitals, becoming jock itch. 

People that suffer from diabetes and other chronic conditions that weaken the immune system can suffer from a widespread infection. If the fungus infection spreads to skin and makes it crack, an infection can get inside and cause cellulitis, a skin condition that must be treated with antibiotics. In the worst possible scenario of cellulitis, the infection will enter the bloodstream and bring lethal consequences. 

Finally, the lack of fungal nail treatment may lead to nail loss. Nails infected with the fungus can separate from the nail bed which is also known by the term of onycholysis. When that happens, the loose part of the nail needs to be removed surgically. If the infection is severe and the nail isn’t coming off nor responds to any anti-fungal treatment, it needs to be removed permanently. If that happens, the very base of the nail is being destroyed, and so it will never grow back. 

So, to summarize this article let us just say that nail fungus is not just a cosmetic issue. If you suspect having a fungal nail infection, you should pay your doctor a visit and see what they say. Often the problem can be resolved by simple oral or topical medication.  

Additionally, if the infection is not spreading nor causing any pain, the doctor may suggest observing it for the time of being. Although fungal nail isn’t likely to go away on its own, it may also not get any worse. In that case a small cosmetic touch up to clean the nail from visual defects would be more than enough. And for that there is no better solution than our nail cleaning laser device.