Unmasking Fungal Nails: Your Guide to Understanding and Treating Onychomycosis

Unmasking Fungal Nails: Your Guide to Understanding and Treating Onychomycosis

Hello there, reader! Have you ever noticed a discoloured, thickened, or crumbly toenail on your feet and wondered what it could be? Well, it's time we shed some light on a common condition that affects many people - fungal nails, also known as onychomycosis. Don't let the fancy name scare you; we're here to break it down in simple terms.

Fungal nails are caused by, you guessed it, a fungal infection! These pesky infections can occur on both your fingernails and toenails. As A Step Ahead is here to conquer foot ails, we will stick to toenails today. They’re characterised by yellow or brown discolouration, thickening of the nails, and sometimes, but not all times, even a foul odour. Sounds unpleasant, right?

Now, you might be thinking, "I'm clean; I wash between my toes like Mum told me regularly, so I don't have to worry about this, right?" Welllllll, there's more to it than that.

There's a common misconception that poor hygiene is the cause of fungal nails. But here's the truth: fungal infections are highly contagious and can affect anyone. Yes, anyone! You can catch these infections from bathrooms, nail salons, or even through contact with contaminated surfaces even if you followed Mum's sage-like advice.

Another myth we often hear is that home remedies, such as tea tree oil, Vicks VapoRub, or vinegar, can effectively treat fungal nails. It sounds easy and convenient, doesn't it? However, the science behind these claims is limited. Creams, lotions, and paints often fail to penetrate the hard nail surface, making them less effective than we'd like them to be. What a shame; imagine the side hustle Vicks could have developed in summertime.

Thermal Laser - Unmasking Fungal Nails: Your Guide to Understanding and Treating Onychomycosis

Thermal Laser - Unmasking Fungal Nails: Your Guide to Understanding and Treating Onychomycosis

So, what does work? Let's introduce you to a reliable and effective solution – thermal medical-grade laser treatment. This modern approach involves passing a beam of laser light over the infected area, heating the inside of the nail and the tissue underneath. The heat effectively kills both the fungus and its spores or eggs. What's more, it's safe, has minimal discomfort, some would say painless and takes approximately 45-60 minutes to treat all ten toenails. Sounds like a win-win situation, doesn't it?

But remember this: early treatment is key to a successful outcome. The longer you delay treatment, the higher the chance of the infection spreading and becoming more difficult to treat. It's crucial to seek treatment from qualified professionals who can provide a comprehensive approach to treating fungal nails.

The work doesn't stop once the fungus is treated. Proper aftercare is SUPER important to prevent reinfection. This includes taking care of the surrounding skin, your shoes, socks, and even the shower. And, when it comes to pedicures at nail salons, make sure to visit reputable nail technicians who follow proper sterilisation procedures. It’s a good idea to ask one of our foot Doctors, all qualified Podiatrists, what that might look like.

To sum it up, fungal nails are an unpleasant but common condition caused by a fungal infection. Despite the myths and misconceptions surrounding it, effective treatment is available in the form of medical-grade thermal laser therapy. Remember, early intervention and proper aftercare are essential to prevent further complications.

So, if you notice any signs of a fungal nail infection, give one of our super helpful team a call on 96732987. They'd LOVE to help. Our team have helped oodles of people just like you. They will chat with you to find out what's going on with your feet. Then, they will be able to suggest the best treatment options available to you. From there, they can help you find a time that suits you best and will make an appointment to see one of our highly qualified foot doctors.

Let's spread awareness, not fungus! Keep you and your nails happy, healthy and happy.

Fungal Nail Calculator

You may also like to try our Fungal Nail Calculator. This is the first Fungal Nail calculator in the world and will help guide you to potential treatment protocols.

Use this guide to help guide you to understand better the level of infection that you may have present and give helpful suggestions as to what the best therapies maybe.

Head to fungalnaildr.com.au

ABOUT DR BRENDEN BROWN

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care in Sydney, and former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Dr Brenden Brown (A.K.A Dr Foot) is a wealth of knowledge on how to take care of your feet, including how to find the best shoes.

Follow him on social media:
 instagram.com/askdrfoot
 facebook.com/podiatristsydney
 twitter.com/AStepAheadFAC

Ten-things-to-know-before-choosing-a-podiatrist

Free Report “10 things to know before choosing a Podiatrist”

Choosing your Sydney foot doctor is an important decision and can mean the difference between getting mediocre results and living pain-free. Learn about the top 10 things you should know when choosing your podiatrist in St Marys or Penrith.

Shameless Plug or where to get real help!

Need help? Need another opinion? Just want to get this sorted? Great, we'd love to help you ? You can start by calling our wonderfully helpful team on 9673 2987. They are all parents and will be able to help answer questions and guide you in the right direction.

Another option is to use our call back service, pop your details in the very short form and we will call YOU back on a number and times that suits YOU best. ?

Got Diabetes? Take fungal nail infection seriously

Got Diabetes? Take fungal nail infection seriously

There are many reasons why people with diabetes must take fungal nail infection seriously and check their feet every day - foot fungus (onychomycosis) is one of them. Uncontrolled diabetes can damage the body’s nerves. Injured nerves in the legs and feet mean that you might not feel pain, heat or wound development - leaving you more susceptible to fungal nail infection.

High blood sugar levels can also increase the growth of fungi in the skin and nails.

As with most things, early detection is key. The signs of a fungal nail infection include:

  • Yellow or brown discoloured nails
  • Brittle or crumbling
  • Extremely thickened nails

Fungal nail infections should be taken more seriously in people with diabetes due to the risk of more severe complications, such as foot ulcers, skin infections and gangrene. Luckily, there are steps you can take to avoid fungal nail infection.

Prevent Fungal Nail

Having your feet checked regularly by a podiatrist can identify early warning signs and help ward off serious foot-related complications.

According to Diabetes Australia, your check-up should look at blood flow to the feet, feeling and reflexes, unusual foot shapes, toenails and signs of calluses, corns, cracks, infection or severe dryness.

Calluses and corns can be expected in people with diabetes due to too much pressure on the feet. Your podiatrist can assist in removing calluses and corns promptly—before they turn into ulcers or become infected.

To further protect your feet from a fungal nail infection:

  • Wash, dry and check your feet daily
  • Have your feet checked at least once a year by a podiatrist or credentialed diabetes
  • Wear thongs in communal shower areas
  • Keep toenails short. Cut them straight across
  • Moisturise feet daily
  • Refrain from wearing tights and stockings
  • Wear well-fitting shoes
  • Don’t go barefoot

Want to know more? Check out fungalnaildoctor.com.au or contact A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care.

 

 

Fungal Nail Calculator

You may also like to try our Fungal Nail Calculator. This is the first Fungal Nail calculator in the world and will help guide you to potential treatment protocols.

Use this guide to help guide you to understand better the level of infection that you may have present and give helpful suggestions as to what the best therapies maybe.

Head to fungalnaildr.com.au

ABOUT DR BRENDEN BROWN

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care in Sydney, and former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Dr Brenden Brown (A.K.A Dr Foot) is a wealth of knowledge on how to take care of your feet, including how to find the best shoes.

Follow him on social media:
 instagram.com/askdrfoot
 facebook.com/podiatristsydney
 twitter.com/AStepAheadFAC

Ten-things-to-know-before-choosing-a-podiatrist

Free Report “10 things to know before choosing a Podiatrist”

Choosing your Sydney foot doctor is an important decision and can mean the difference between getting mediocre results and living pain-free. Learn about the top 10 things you should know when choosing your podiatrist in St Marys or Penrith.

Shameless Plug or where to get real help!

Need help? Need another opinion? Just want to get this sorted? Great, we'd love to help you 😊 You can start by calling our wonderfully helpful team on 9673 2987. They are all parents and will be able to help answer questions and guide you in the right direction.

Another option is to use our call back service, pop your details in the very short form and we will call YOU back on a number and times that suits YOU best. 😊

Are Fungal Nails Contagious? – Fungal Nail Series

Are Fungal Nails Contagious? – Fungal Nail Series

Are Fungal Nails Contagious? - Fungal Nail Series

TRANSCRIPT

So, are fungal nails contagious?

You know, there's a bit of a myth out there that if you can't see it in a nail or that it's only in this nail and then it won't be in that nail, that's a complete myth.

Guess what? If you've got an infected nail here, the likelihood is all of these other nails, particularly on your feet, they're gonna be infected too.

They've actually got spores or tiny eggs living in them. The eggs actually live everywhere.

They live in your shower, in your socks, on your skin, possibly in the nail polish you've been using, and on your nail care instruments. If they're your patients nail care instruments, they can be living there too.

So you need to make sure that you treat all of those areas, otherwise, that really highly contagious bug is gonna come right back.

There's stacks of information to learn about this when you're trying to treat this nasty, but don't worry, we've actually made stacks of videos to help you through this process.

So, read below and look for the series on beating fungal nail infections, particularly if you're a clinician or even a patient. We hope this helps you beat this horrible, nasty little bug.

Fungal Nail Calculator

You may also like to try our Fungal Nail Calculator. This is the first Fungal Nail calculator in the world and will help guide you to potential treatment protocols.

Use this guide to help guide you to understand better the level of infection that you may have present and give helpful suggestions as to what the best therapies maybe.

Head to fungalnaildr.com.au

ABOUT DR BRENDEN BROWN

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care in Sydney, and former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Dr Brenden Brown (A.K.A Dr Foot) is a wealth of knowledge on how to take care of your feet, including how to find the best shoes.

Follow him on social media:
 instagram.com/askdrfoot
 facebook.com/podiatristsydney
 twitter.com/AStepAheadFAC

Ten-things-to-know-before-choosing-a-podiatrist

Free Report “10 things to know before choosing a Podiatrist”

Choosing your Sydney foot doctor is an important decision and can mean the difference between getting mediocre results and living pain-free. Learn about the top 10 things you should know when choosing your podiatrist in St Marys or Penrith.

Shameless Plug or where to get real help!

Need help? Need another opinion? Just want to get this sorted? Great, we'd love to help you 😊 You can start by calling our wonderfully helpful team on 9673 2987. They are all parents and will be able to help answer questions and guide you in the right direction.

Another option is to use our call back service, pop your details in the very short form and we will call YOU back on a number and times that suits YOU best. 😊

What Does Thermal Laser Feel Like? – Fungal Nail Series

What Does Thermal Laser Feel Like? – Fungal Nail Series

What Does Thermal Laser Feel Like?

Wow. What does Thermal Laser feel like?

That's a great question. And it's a question that patients ask us all the time.

So, most people will actually tell you that it feels a lot like laser hair removal, so it can be a warm, hot sensation. The beauty of it is, is that it's actually quite gradual, unlike my understanding is, laser for hair removal. It actually comes on quite slowly because we have the therapist there with you at the time using the machine, which is uber important.

If it becomes a lot too hot, they're actually able to remove it straight away and stop it and instantly any sort of warm sensation finishes that minute.

The next thing to say to you is, look, it actually varies from person to person. We've actually had really big hefty tattooed men that actually found it really uncomfortable, but then we've had grandmas that have told us they've got no pain whatsoever.

So it really is very different for everyone. The answer is we're not sure, but most people, 90% of our patients, bear it, use it, and actually find the treatment super successful.

Fungal Nail Calculator

You may also like to try our Fungal Nail Calculator. This is the first Fungal Nail calculator in the world and will help guide you to potential treatment protocols.

Use this guide to help guide you to understand better the level of infection that you may have present and give helpful suggestions as to what the best therapies maybe.

Head to fungalnaildr.com.au

ABOUT DR BRENDEN BROWN

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care in Sydney, and former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Dr Brenden Brown (A.K.A Dr Foot) is a wealth of knowledge on how to take care of your feet, including how to find the best shoes.

Follow him on social media:
 instagram.com/askdrfoot
 facebook.com/podiatristsydney
 twitter.com/AStepAheadFAC

Ten-things-to-know-before-choosing-a-podiatrist

Free Report “10 things to know before choosing a Podiatrist”

Choosing your Sydney foot doctor is an important decision and can mean the difference between getting mediocre results and living pain-free. Learn about the top 10 things you should know when choosing your podiatrist in St Marys or Penrith.

Shameless Plug or where to get real help!

Need help? Need another opinion? Just want to get this sorted? Great, we'd love to help you 😊 You can start by calling our wonderfully helpful team on 9673 2987. They are all parents and will be able to help answer questions and guide you in the right direction.

Another option is to use our call back service, pop your details in the very short form and we will call YOU back on a number and times that suits YOU best. 😊

Fungal Nail Infection – 6 Top Questions Answered

Fungal Nail Infection – 6 Top Questions Answered

Fungal Nail Infections

6 Top Questions Answered

Fungal Nail Infection - 6 Questions Answered

In this article, we are going to answer some of your questions around Fungal Nail Infections! 6 Top Questions Answered:  What exactly is nail fungus?  How does nail fungus spread? Where do I catch this nasty little blighter from? What is the cause of the nasty nail fungus? What does it look like? And finally, are fungal nails infectious?

Yes yes yes this is an exciting foot topic so hold on to your socks we are ready to Rock! (Yes, I am a fun-guy (boom-tish)

Fungal Nail Infection - Heavy

Fungal Nail Infection - Heavy

What is nail fungus?

Nail fungus is also called onychomycosis (on-ih-koh-my-KOH-sis). Nail fungus is caused by Fungal organisms or “Fungi.”

The most common type is Dermatophytes. These appear to be most prevalent in temperate climates while Candida is more common in tropical or subtropical (think Warmer northern areas of Australia. Another possibility is nondermatophytic molds, which is more common in warmer climates.

When the fungal nail infection is due to Dermatophytes, it is often referred to as tinea unguium. Of these, it is most likely to be a Trichophyton rubrum. Now, less common but also possible runners up in the dermatophytes stakes are,  T. interdigitaleEpidermophyton floccosum, T. violaceum, Microsporum gypseumT. tonsurans, and T. soudanense.

If you’re a layperson wondering why your nail looks odd the names of these are going to be important, but perhaps you’re a nerdy foot geek and this is really exciting stuff. OK, perhaps not!

What does fungal nail look like?

Most nail fungus Will start by looking like a yellow or brown spot or streak in your toenail. Most people will notice that their nail seems to be lifting away from the skin.

Nails that are heavily infected will become very yellow or brown discoloured and may also appear thickened. At times it may look a little crumbly and even “worm-eaten”. This appearance, for most people, will take years to occur and does not spontaneously happen overnight.

How does fungal nail spread?

Fungal nail infections are highly contagious. The fungus produces spores or perhaps easier thought of as eggs. These are invisible to the human eye. They are also very hearty and may Live in multiple areas that have come in contact with a live fungus, such as your socks or shoes. They may also be found in areas such as showers. This makes communal areas in gymnasiums and swimming pools such as change rooms A hotbed for fungal nail transmission.

Reinfection of fungal nails is also quite high if the areas that they live in, and produced spores in,  is not treated also. Or the patient continues to use the same infected spaces that they did before their treatment

Tinea - flaky skin blisters-mild

Tinea - flaky skin blisters-mild

How does fungal nail start?

Obviously, patients need to come in contact with a live fungus or with the spores (or eggs).

The first sign for many people is a tinea infection on their skin. This usually presents as dry white flaky skin or in its very early stages tiny waterless blisters on feet

There are certain groups of people that are more predisposed to fungal infections. Patients with diabetes, those who are immunosuppressed, and there seems to be an increased incidence in people over 60 years of age; which of course may include the two previously mentioned groups

What is the cause of fungal nail?

Most laypeople commonly misunderstand fungal infections. They are a completely different group to both bacteria and viruses. With this in mind, their treatment is also significantly different. For example, antibiotics and antivirals will not affect fungal nail infections.

Fungal nail infections are not a result of being unclean or unhygienic. Many people mistakenly believe that they simply need to wash their towels or socks more frequently and wash between their toes, and the infection will go away. However, this will have no result on the fungal infection whatsoever.

Worried you have a Fungal Nail Infection? See your GP or Podiatrist for a diagnosis.

Worried you have a Fungal Nail Infection? See your GP or Podiatrist for a diagnosis.

Are fungal nail infectious or contagious? 

Fungal nail Infections are highly infectious! It is common to see in family groups, in particular, those that share the same communal wet areas such as showers and bathrooms.

They are also highly infectious in the same communal areas in workplaces and also gymnasiums and schools, for example.

Where to from here? 

Fungal nails are one of the most challenging and annoying to treat conditions that podiatrists and other medical professionals come across. This, in my experience, is mostly due to The high reinfection rate and the need to treat not only the infected area but the surrounding environment as well.

In a later article, I will discuss treatments that are recommended for onychomycosis. (Stay tuned)

Written by

Dr Brenden Brown
Sydney based Podiatrist and Founder of A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Care
St Mary’s and Penrith

Articles used

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychomycosis

https://www.healthline.com/health/fungal-nail-infection#diagnosis (Although much of this information I disagree with based on my 24 plus years of experience)

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nail-fungus/symptoms-causes/syc-20353294

https://www.scirp.org/(S(oyulxb452alnt1aej1nfow45))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=1407378

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.0933-7407.2003.00933.x

Fungal Nail calculator

You may also like to try our fungal nail calculator. This is the first fungal nail calculator in the world and will help guide you to potential treatment protocols. Use this guide to help guide you to understand better the level of infection that you may have present and give helpful suggestions as to what the best therapies maybe. Head to fungalnailDr.com.au

ABOUT DR BRENDEN BROWN

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care in Sydney, and former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Dr Brenden Brown (A.K.A Dr Foot) is a wealth of knowledge on how to take care of your feet, including how to find the best shoes.

Follow him on social media:
 instagram.com/askdrfoot
 facebook.com/podiatristsydney
 twitter.com/AStepAheadFAC

Ten-things-to-know-before-choosing-a-podiatrist

Free Report “10 things to know before choosing a Podiatrist”

Choosing your Sydney foot doctor is an important decision and can mean the difference between getting mediocre results and living pain-free. Learn about the top 10 things you should know when choosing your podiatrist in St Marys or Penrith.

Shameless Plug or where to get real help!

Need help? Need another opinion? Just want to get this sorted? Great, we'd love to help you 😊 You can start by calling our wonderfully helpful team on 9673 2987. They are all parents and will be able to help answer questions and guide you in the right direction.

Another option is to use our call back service, pop your details in the very short form and we will call YOU back on a number and times that suits YOU best. 😊

Fungal Nail Laser Therapy Mistakes Therapists Make

Fungal Nail Laser Therapy Mistakes Therapists Make

Fungal Nail Laser Therapy Mistakes Therapists Make

Do you have a Fungal infection and want to know what treatments to avoid? Laser has fast become a gold standard treatment for fungal toenail infections. Over the counter medications that do not penetrate the nail have been shown to at times be highly ineffective. Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist, takes you through Fungal Nail Laser Therapy and the Mistakes Therapists Make.

Fungal Nail Laser Therapy Mistakes Therapists Make Transcript

The warning signs from me that your fungal nail laser treatment won't be successful are really whether or not the therapist is actually treating all ten toes, so the fungal nail is actually infected. Those little fungal infections are actually laying eggs all over your skin and the other nail. If you only treat the nail that you can see that's been infected, then you won't get rid of this infection.

The moment you stop treating it, those spores or eggs are going to come back exactly to where they were.

The other thing that I see as a big mistake when people treat this is that they don't remove as much as possible of the dead nail or the area that's actually been attacked by the fungal infection. That's where we actually start to remove that area or penetrate that area as much as possible so that your treatment can access there.

The other thing that I see as a big mistake when people treat this is that they don't remove as much as possible of the dead nail or the area that's actually been attacked by the fungal infection. That's where we actually start to remove that area or penetrate that area as much as possible so that your treatment can access there.

Finally, I think the really important thing that many people miss out on doing is that they don't treat the entire environment. Again, those spores actually not only live in the nail, but they leave in the skin around the outside. They live in your socks, they live in your shoes, and they live in the base of your shower. If you're not treating that whole environment, then the moment you stop treatment or you no longer have your laser therapy, then those fungal infections are just going to come straight back and starting infecting again, and you're back to square one.

If you haven't booked your appointment time for your gap-free heel pain assessment yet, please call our friendly reception team on (02) 9673 2987 to secure your appointment today.

Fungal Nail calculator

You may also like to try our fungal nail calculator. This is the first fungal nail calculator in the world and will help guide you to potential treatment protocols. Use this guide to help guide you to understand better the level of infection that you may have present and give helpful suggestions as to what the best therapies maybe. Head to fungalnailDr.com.au

ABOUT DR BRENDEN BROWN

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Dr Brenden Brown, Podiatrist & Shendi Brown

Founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care in Sydney, and former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Dr Brenden Brown (A.K.A Dr Foot) is a wealth of knowledge on how to take care of your feet, including how to find the best shoes.

Follow him on social media:
 instagram.com/askdrfoot
 facebook.com/podiatristsydney
 twitter.com/AStepAheadFAC

Ten-things-to-know-before-choosing-a-podiatrist

Free Report “10 things to know before choosing a Podiatrist”

Choosing your Sydney foot doctor is an important decision and can mean the difference between getting mediocre results and living pain-free. Learn about the top 10 things you should know when choosing your podiatrist in St Marys or Penrith.

Shameless Plug or where to get real help!

Need help? Need another opinion? Just want to get this sorted? Great, we'd love to help you 😊 You can start by calling our wonderfully helpful team on 9673 2987. They are all parents and will be able to help answer questions and guide you in the right direction.

Another option is to use our call back service, pop your details in the very short form and we will call YOU back on a number and times that suits YOU best. 😊