You may be wondering, why toes are a target for fungi, resulting in the discoloration, thickening and sometimes-painful toenail fungus. Take a minute to ponder the environment your toes create: A day in the life of a toe: Think about what your day would be like as a toe. You wake up, maybe go on a run, and, as a result, are trapped inside of socks and athletic shoes as the body heats up and perspiration trapping sweat. Even worse, you head to the gym, where in the locker room; you’re walking around the same damp, sticky floors that hundreds of people walk on daily (who may have toenail fungus). You then proceed to the hot, wet shower, and back into a pair of shoes to begin the day, where you’ll stay for its duration.
All this time, especially in hot weather, your feet create the perfect habitat for toenail fungus. This disease manifests itself in warm, damp places and fungi are always present on the skin waiting for the opportunity to get trapped underneath your toenail bed. This can only happen if the nail plate is damaged or separated from the toe, but daily activity, especially sports, can be the cause of this.
Your toes will provide a safe haven for fungi, where they will be happy to create a home. Here are some examples of places where your toes are most likely to get (and keep) the dreaded toenail fungus:
- Public Gyms
- Shower Stalls
- Saunas
- Swimming Pools
- Professional Nail Salons
Avoiding these places, as well as keeping your feet clean and dry, can help you to ensure that you won’t be toenail fungus’ next victim! Stop! You’re making it worse!
Not only can the places your toes go increase the likelihood of getting the disease, but be careful of what you’re doing to your feet that increase your chances of fungi embedding it in your nail beds. These activities include anything that may help to trap heat and moisture, including: Wearing nail polish
Wearing shoes that are too small
Not drying feet after a shower or activity
Wearing shoes that do not allow moisture and air to pass through
Wearing nylon socks (stick with cotton, wool or silk)
Caution! Your mom, dad, grandma, and cousin all have it! Your susceptibility to a disease like toenail fungus can, unfortunately, increases if it runs in the family. Not only does this give you an idea that you may need to practice more caution when dealing with your feet, but if you’re sharing bathrooms, towels and showers with people who carry the disease, the likelihood of you getting it will increase even further! You couldn’t avoid it, now what?
Now that you know what may cause toenail fungus, you’re wondering what you can do to treat it. There are a variety of ways, but the one with increasing popularity is toenail fungus laser treatment. This treatment has a better chance of success than other treatments and does not have any scary side effects!