By Marie Fratzen

The identifying characteristics of a nail fungus include: a thickened nail which may be difficult to trim; cloudy white, or yellow appearance; the nail itself becomes brittle, crumbly, flaky, chipped, and rough; the nail can separate from the nail bed; white or black spots which you cannot clean off; may have an odor; and little pus pockets may accumulate around them. These symptoms are used to determine if a fungus is present. If it is left untreated it could spread to other nails and you could lose the entire nail. It is best to set up an appointment to confirm the infection and then follow a toenail fungus treatment.

Risk Factors

Although anybody can develop the problem, certain factors seem to be more prevalent in its appearance. They include: diabetes, older in age, male, prolonged daily exposure to water, athletes foot, poor hygiene, nail trauma, walking barefoot in public places, diseases which hamper the immune system, cuts on toes of nails, and wearing socks or shoes that retain moisture. There are some of these factors, such as walking barefoot in public places, which you can and should prevent. Read the rest of this entry »