Nail Fungus
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Sports Arena Podiatry Group
Podiatrists & Podiatric Surgeons located in San Diego, CA, Coronado, CA & Chula Vista, CA
Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, causes a variety of nail changes like thickening, discoloration, and crumbling. At first, it’s just a cosmetic issue, but nail fungus can eventually cause abnormal nail formation that leads to serious pain along with the embarrassing appearance. At Sports Arena Podiatry Group, the dedicated team has more than 50 years of experience in nail fungus treatment. At their three locations in San Diego, Coronado, and Chula Vista, California, the podiatry specialists use the latest innovations for excellent results. To book your appointment, call the office nearest you today.
Nail Fungus Q & A
What are the signs of nail fungus?
Nail fungus often causes gradual changes in your nail, such as:
- Thickening
- White, yellow, or darker discoloration
- Weakening
- Ragged appearance
- Crumbling
- Foul odor
Toenail fungus can dramatically change the appearance of your nail, which is quite embarrassing. But, that’s not the only issue. Untreated toenail fungus can cause more severe long-term changes like extremely thick and hard-to-cut nails that make it painful to wear shoes. Toenail fungus can also travel to your other nails or even other parts of your body.
How did I get nail fungus?
The fungi that cause toenail fungus are invisible to the human eye and they're all over the place. These harmful fungi particularly thrive in wet and humid areas, like gym showers and pools.
Walking without shoes, especially in public areas, runs a high risk of contracting toenail fungus. The fungi can get in through any tiny point, including nail bed openings.
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or are immunocompromised for any reason, you're more at risk for fungal nail infections. Older adults are more vulnerable to fungal nail infections, as are those who've had athlete's foot.
If you have any type of nail trauma, it's important to be especially careful to protect your feet until you’re healed.
How do you treat nail fungus?
Sports Arena Podiatry Group assesses your condition and tailors a plan to eradicate nail fungus. They may prescribe topical medication for you to use at home or a course of oral medication like antifungal drugs.
You may need debridement, in which your podiatrist carefully removes dead and dying portions of the nail before applying an antifungal medication. In some cases, you may need the full nail plate removed to properly administer medication. This leaves the nail root in place, so it regrows gradually over time.
In the most severe cases, you could need permanent nail removal, in which your podiatrist removes the nail plate as well as the root.
It's important to get help sooner rather than later to save your nail. Nail fungus is often very stubborn, especially if you've dealt with the symptoms for a long time. The sooner you get help, the more effective the solution can be.
Sports Arena Podiatry Group is here to help you get rid of nail fungus and provide personalized advice on how to prevent a recurrence. Get in touch with the fungal nail experts by calling the office nearest you or booking an appointment online today.
