Numerous issues can potentially develop in your lower limbs (which is why we provide comprehensive foot and ankle care at our Massapequa podiatrist office). These issues are sometimes grouped together into larger, general areas, like sports injuries, diabetic foot care, and skin and toenail problems. (You can find these kinds of categories when you hover your cursor over the “SERVICES” tab at the top of this page.)
Under the umbrella of skin and nail issues, we sometimes treat cases of ingrown toenails, plantar warts, and painful calluses. Another condition falling in this realm is fungal toenails.
Toenail fungus is embarrassing and the source of self-consciousness for many people. Further, it is difficult to eradicate. By “difficult,” we don’t mean “impossible,” though. We have tools to address this problem and restore your nails back to health!
Your best course of action, though, is to follow some fungal toenail prevention measures to avoid the problem from developing. Prevention is, after all, the best form of treatment. This is possible if you know how to properly take care of your lower limbs and reduce exposure to the fungus (and the warm, damp environments in which it is often found).
You can lower your risk of contracting a fungal infection in your toenails by:
- Wearing shower shoes in high-risk locations – Don’t walk barefoot in places like public pools, saunas, and community showers.
- Pre-treating feet and shoes with anti-fungal products – Use anti-fungal sprays or powders on your feet and in your shoes to discourage fungal growth before it can even take hold.
- Keeping your nails trimmed – Shortened, healthy nails may not provide the opening for the infection to get under the hard keratin, so keep them the right length.
- Washing and drying your feet daily – Wash away old sweat and grime, then dry your feet completely, paying extra attention to the spaces between the toes.
- Wearing moisture-wicking socks – These will help pull perspiration away from your skin.
- Rotating through different pairs of breathable shoes – Wear shoes that allow air to circulate so your feet are not as hospitable to fungus. Also, avoid wearing the same pair two days in a row (so each pair has 24 hours to thoroughly dry out).
