Fungal infections in the toenail are a difficult problem to treat.  Even if you get a prescription medication from your doctor, an infection may not clear up for 8 to 10 months.  Moreover, fungal infections are extremely contagious.  They can spread from nail to nail and from foot to foot.  You can also give them to other people so you should be conscientious when sharing showers or walking around the house barefoot.  If you have a fungal toenail infection, or have had infections in the past, you should do your best to prevent the infection from spreading or prevent it from coming back.  Prevention, in the case of fungal toenail infections, is much more efficient and effective than treatment.  

Fungal infections tend to increase with age and are a particularly common problem for the elderly.  If you are caring for an older person with a history of fungal toenail infections, you may need to help him inspect his feet so infections can be spotted early.  Impaired vision or reduced mobility may make it difficult for an elderly person to notice an infection on his own.  Men are twice as likely to acquire fungal toenail infections as women.  Athletes of all ages should also be on the look out.

Minor infections can generally be treated with a topical ointment or power.  If your infection is particularly painful or aggressive, you will want to talk to your doctor about a prescription medication.  Some people choose to have their toenail removed to prevent the spreading of the fungus.  

Here are some tips to help you prevent fungal toenail infections in the future, or to help you prevent your infection from spreading:

1.  Change your shoes often.  If you are an athlete, you will want to make sure your athletic shoes dry thoroughly before putting them on again.  Have enough pairs of shoes that you can rotate often and never have to wear a pair that is still damp or sweaty.  You can remove the shoe's insoles to help them dry faster.

2.  Wear flip-flops in the locker rooms and shower.  As a courtesy to the people you live with, you may want to wear flip-flops in the shower even at home ' and recommend that they do the same as well until your infection clears up.  Use bleach to clean your shower on a weekly basis, and keep the bathmat and bathroom floor as clean and dry as possible.  

3.  Use an anti-fungal powder or spray in your shoes.  If you have particularly sweaty feet, you can try an antiperspirant spray to help keep your foot dray.

4.  Cut your toenails straight across.  If you cut them too short, you may expose or cut the delicate skin under the nail, which will enable to fungus to enter.  If you let them grow to long, you will end up jamming your toes into shoes which could likewise cause the skin the break and give the fungus a way of entering.

About the Author:

Jane Barron works for OddShoeFinder.com,a free online website that helps people find mismatched footwear.If you are looking for diabetic shoes ,mismatched footwear ,different sized feet or information useful to polio survivors, people with diabetes foot problems, and people with foot size differences,visit oddshoefinder.com

Author: kent B Smith