About Onychomycosis

Fifty percent of all nail problems are due to fungal infections or onychomycosis. Because toenails are confined in a warm, moist environment inside your socks and shoes, fungal infections are more common in toenails than fingernails. Fungal infections often cause the end of the nail to separate from the nail bed. Debris from the infection - white, green, yellow, or black - may build up under the nail plate and discolor the nail bed. The surface of the nail or the skin at the base of the nail may also be affected.

Onychomycosis is most commonly found in elderly people. Their nails become thickened, hard to cut and often painful. Moisture, warmth, trauma, and other activities that lead to exposure to fungi worsen the condition. Because onychomycosis makes ordinary activities like walking and typing painful, it can have a substantial negative effect on a person's quality of life. Dermatologists say neglecting to treat this disorder can cause numbness, tingling, or pain. The nail may even separate from the finger or toe and could be permanently destroyed.