If you’ve been hiding your thick yellow toenails in boots and sneakers all winter long, now’s the time to seek treatment. While there are several factors that could change the color and texture of your nail, it is most likely a fungal toenail infection. And, if that’s the case, we have several effective treatment options available in our Massapequa podiatry office.
Why Do You Get Thick Yellow Toenails? ![bare feet with fungal mushrooms]()
There can be several different causes that thicken your toenails, or cause changes to their color. Some potential causes could be:
- Getting older, since nails often thicken as you age
- Diabetes can turn your nails yellow because broke-down sugar impacts collagen production in the body.
- Wearing nail polish constantly turns nails yellow over time
Most often, an onychomycosis infection (toenail fungus) is the cause of a thick yellow toenail. Other symptoms include:
- A cloudy or chalky appearance to the nail
- Crumbling or misshapen nails
- Nail cracks
- An unpleasant odor coming from the nail
These signs of infection, in combination, indicate that you may have developed fungal toenails, especially if you have undergone some of the risk factors for this infection.
What Causes Fungal Nail Infection?
Our world is full of particles that can cause a fungal infection. The key to avoiding toenail fungus is early intervention. As soon as you see something changing with the appearance of your nail, whether it’s turning white, yellow or brown, it’s important to see a podiatrist right away.
Putting a nail polish on top of the colored nail and pretending the changes aren’t happening will only make your infection exponentially harder to treat in the future.
In addition to that, putting a nail polish on the nail makes the fungus that is present happy where it is, meaning it will start to proliferate.
Tips for Prevention
Instead of treating a fungal infection, we’d like to help you maintain the health of your toenails. For that reason, we’d like you to:
- Keep your shoes on outside of the house, especially when you’re hitting the public pool or changing or showering in a locker room.
- Don’t borrow shoes—always wear your own. Fungal infections can be passed between people who share footwear.
- Choose the right kind of footwear—look for pairs made from breathable materials that won’t trap moisture against your feet.
- Even when shoes can breathe, rotating pairs helps reduce your risk for fungal infection. You should let any pair of shoes you wear dry for at least 24 hours before your next wearing.
- Further reduce dampness with socks that wick moisture-wicking, constructed from materials such nylon, polypropylene or wool.
- If your feet do sweat or get wet due to weather, change into dry socks as soon as possible. Consider packing a spare pair of socks when heading to destinations, like the gym, where your feet are more likely to get sweaty.
- Up your hygiene routine with a daily foot washing. Make sure to use warm—not hot—water and a mild soap, going over your entire foot to get rid of any contaminants that may have attached themselves to your skin throughout the day. After the washing, make sure to dry your entire foot—especially the spaces between your toes—before putting on your socks and shoes again.
Treating Toenail Fungus in Nassau County
We always share prevention tips because fungal toenails are notoriously difficult to treat: the infecting particles hide deep beneath that thick yellow toenail. In order to help resolve infections at a faster pace, Dr. Mark Gasparini and Dr. Novneet Chhabara offer a variety of treatment options. Some patients may be able to clear their infections with a combination of topical medications as well as oral prescriptions for Lamisil. However, topical medications alone do not work as efficiently as most patients would like, and oral medications can impact liver health and may interact with other medications, ruling them out as a treatment option for many individuals.
Looking for faster results with fewer risks? Our Massapequa podiatrists provide laser treatment for fungal nails. This treatment option is most effective for patients whose nails are on the thinner side, and whose fungus has not worked its way back to the root of the nail. When patients have thicker nails, or when fungus is deeply rooted in the nail, this treatment option won’t be effective.
Can Thickened Toenails be Reversed?
If you treat a fungal toenail soon after you notice symptoms, the thickening can usually be reversed as the healthy nail grows out. However, if you wait too long to seek medical attention, some changes to the nail may not be reversible. For that reason, we suggest requesting a consultation as soon as you notice any changes to the appearance of your nail.
What Can a Podiatrist Do for Thick Yellow Toenails?
When you see Dr. Gasparini or Dr. Chhabra for thick yellow toenails, we can determine if fungus is causing changes to the appearance of your nail. Then, if you have a fungal toenail infection, we can provide an appropriate treatment plan. Depending on the severity of your infection and your overall health profile, that plan may include oral and topical medications and/or laser treatment for fungal toenails.
Yellow Toenail Treatment on Long Island
If you’re tired of hiding your thick yellow toenails, our Massapequa podiatrists are here to help. Just call our office at 516-804-9038 or use this link to request an appointment. It takes time to resolve a fungal toenail infection, so we encourage you to begin the process today!