The fungus among us
With nice weather already here, many of you are trading in your boots and shoes for flip flops and sandals. Some of you, however will avoid revealing foot wear for fear of displaying "not so nice" nails. For those who feel they may have fungus in the nails or skin....and especially those who wish to try to avoid it....read on.
Toenail fungus can cause thickening, yellowing, crumbling, malodor and pain as well as significant difficulty with self grooming, not to mention embarrassment. Fungus in the toe nails, medically termed Onychomycosis, is quite common. About 70 percent of the population has fungus on their feet and about one in five people between the ages of 40-60 have fungus in the nails.
The prevalence increases to affect about half of people over 70. Although a multitude of treatments exist, everything from pills to potions and even fungal zapping lasers, the disease can show significant resistance to treatment, which is why I wish to focus a bit on the power of prevention.
Having evaluated hundreds of patients with fungal skin and nail infections, a few concepts have become clear to me. First of all, fungus is everywhere from shoes to shower floors and many places in-between. It spreads easily from person to person, and transmission from skin to the nails is likely a frequent mode of infection. Certainly this is one disease where an ounce of prevention may be worth more than a hundred pounds of goopy anti-fungal ointment. A good "fungal nail prevention plan" requires not only trying to limit exposure to fungus but also treating nail or skin infections when they first develop.
A few suggestions:
• Use shoes or flip flops in public barefoot areas such as locker rooms, showers, and around pools.
• Good hygiene is no guarantee but washing your feet daily with soap and water reduces dead skin buildup...food for fungus.
• Use cotton socks which breath much better than polyester and reduce moisture buildup which can encourage fungal infections. Change them daily, or even twice daily if your feet sweat a lot.
• Disinfecting your shoes and bathroom floors will help to reduce risk of fungal infection and prevent recurrence.
• Treat any athlete's foot! Many adults with chronic athletes foot don't realize they have it because the symptoms can be milder than in adolescents.
There is typically less irritation and redness, frequently no itchy bumps, and often manifests as chronic dry skin with slight peeling that just won't respond to the moisturizers. A chronic skin infection puts your nails at risk of becoming infected also, so use an antifungal cream at the first signs of athletes foot. If your infection is severe or recurrent see a podiatrist.
If you feel you may already have a bit of fungus in the nails, take heart in knowing you are not alone, but don't feel that you have to live with it forever. Treatments are available so see a podiatrist to learn about your options. Your Birkenstocks are beckoning you! Will you heed the call?
Dr. Hix is a podiatric foot and ankle specialist at Hayden Family Foot and Ankle Clinic, 762-0909 or www.hffaac.com for more information.