How Fingernail Fungus Spreads and How to Treat It

You have ten fingers where fingernail fungus may strike, but there are many more than ten reasons to eliminate fingernail fungus. Nail fungus can make your nails brittle and jagged, and the embarrassing appearance of nail fungus can put a dent in your self confidence. If left untreated, nail fungus can spread to other areas of the body, where it may pose serious health risks. It is not difficult to eliminate fingernail fungus, but many people who contract this annoyance let it spread and develop simply because they don't know the facts about how to get rid of it. To protect yourself, learn the facts and the fiction on fungus.

Many people believe that fingernail fungus is a result of poor hygiene, which gives sufferers an undeserved social stigma. The truth is that you can't contract nail fungus just from being slovenly, and you can't eliminate fingernail fungus by washing, scrubbing, or following any kind of cleansing regimen. This myth may have gotten started because many skin and nail problems are due to bacterial infections, which you can banish with soap. However, soap won't affect a fungus. To eliminate fingernail fungus, you need to kick your immune system into high gear.

Another common fiction is that you will catch fingernail fungus by being in a communal area where bare feet are exposed, like a locker room, or a public shower. However, the truth about where the fungus that can attack your nails usually comes from is actually much less predictable. Despite the enduring mythology to the contrary, you are no more likely to catch nail fungus in a locker room or school gymnasium than you are anywhere else, and avoiding these areas won't help you eliminate fingernail fungus. Because nail fungus is not highly contagious between people, factors other than exposure often come into play. Many healthy people are exposed to this kind of fungus every day, as it can be found anywhere including lodged in soil, floating in water, or even in the air.

Most of the time, when you are exposed to these fungus particles, your immune system fights off the intruder before it can take hold and appear in your nails or nail beds. When fingernail fungus does appear, it is often because your immune system isn't as strong as it ought to be. Studies show that people whose immune systems are somehow compromised, due to the strain of waging a battle against another illness, or due to poor nutrition or health, are most likely to develop nail fungus. Taking care of yourself and eating right to boost your immune system will help you prevent and eliminate fingernail fungus. Make oranges and other foods containing vitamin C a part of your daily life, and you'll keep your immune system strong and ready to fight fingernail fungus.

If you do contract fingernail fungus, your pharmaceutical treatment options are unfortunately fairly limited, and somewhat costly. Some people claim to have found success through holistic remedies, such as applying a solution of white vinegar to their nails, but no rigorous research has been done to support the vinegar treatment. Although there are many topical crèmes and gels available over the counter that promise to eliminate fingernail fungus, science tells us that attacking nail fungus from the surface, whether with a homemade remedy or with a commercially available product, is almost always a fruitless form of treatment. Depending on where your fingernail fungus resides, you may have success with a topical laquer, but if fungus has grown on the white portion of your nails, known as the "lunula," no externally applied remedy can reach it.

Because finger nails are meant to protect the delicate skin underneath, they are by their nature very hard surfaces. This makes it difficult, and often impossible, for anything you apply to the outer face of your nails to penetrate through the nail to the skin of the nail bed, which is where fungal infections lurk. Ironically, once fingernail fungus develops, your body's own natural defenses can make it difficult for you to eliminate fingernail fungus once it takes hold.

To give your system the artificial boost that it needs in order to eliminate fingernail fungus, your doctor will probably recommend one of a number of antifungal medications, most of which are taken orally over a period of several months. In extreme cases, fingernail fungus can migrate to other areas of the body, leaving sufferers with lasting health problems, so it is important to seek treatment if you notice fungal symptoms like flaky, brittle, or discolored nails. Because you know the facts and fiction about fingernail fungus, you will be able to have an articulate, easy conversation with your doctor about how to treat the problem.