Doctor Medicine about 1 year ago

💥𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧💥

Fungal nail infection is the invasion of the nail by a fungus. Fungal infection is one of the most common nail disorders in adults. It usually involves the toenails but can also affect the fingernails. Fungal nail infection is also called onychomycosis. 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 The symptoms of fungal nail infection include nail thickening, crumbling, and discoloration. Sometimes the skin around the nail appears thickened or scaly. Fungal infection may affect different parts of the nail. Fungal nail infections are sometimes painful, and, with toenail involvement, they can cause difficulty walking. 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 Fungal nail infections are often associated with fungal infections of the nearby skin. For example, toenail infection is often associated with fungal infection of the skin of the feet (athlete’s foot), and in these cases, the same organism may be responsible for both infections. 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 Many clinicians suspect a fungal nail infection based on the nail appearance. 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Oral medications are often used when several nails are affected. Because some oral medications in rare instances cause liver injury, blood tests may be performed several times during treatment to monitor liver function. Topical treatments are applied directly to the nail surface and are usually recommended when only a few nails are affected. Because fingernails and toenails grow slowly, treatment may be required for several months before improvement is noted. Fungal nail infections can be difficult to treat, and complete clearance of the infection is not always possible. Recurrence of fungal nail infections is also common, and preventive strategies such as keeping the hands and feet clean and dry, avoiding sharing nail clippers or nail files, and using footwear when walking in public areas such as locker rooms or public showers may help reduce the risk of recurrent infections. Source: https://jamanetwork.com.