How Do you prevent Nail Fungus?
How Do you prevent Nail Fungus?
Yes, it is possible to prevent nail fungus. Its preventive measures are almost the same as athlete’s foot. Below are the following preventive measures for nail fungus:
Prevent Nail Fungus: When Taking a Bath
To prevent nail fungus, when taking a bath, give your feet a good scrub including the areas between your toes since that is the place where the fungi thrive.
After bathing, make sure you dry your toes thoroughly because if you leave that damp then that would be a good place for the fungi to thrive. Then, it might be too late to prevent nail fungus.
Use of an antifungal or drying foot powder would be beneficial to make sure your toes are dry. So put on some if you have. This is one of the most used ways to prevent nail fungus.
Prevent Nail Fungus: What & How to Wear
Wear shoes and sandals that allow your feet to breathe, not those which are very constricting and preferably made of natural material such as leather. Avoid using plastic-lined foot wears since they tend to keep your feet warm, and of course when it’s warm, sweat is produced. And that would be a very good place for the fungi to grow that would make it too late to prevent nail fungus.
Change your socks at least twice a day to keep your feet dry. This could be the best way to prevent nail fungus for you. It is advisable to use socks made of cotton, wool, or synthetic fiber since it draws moisture away from the feet.
Upon arriving home, remove your socks and place it on the laundry right away. This way it helps avoid your socks from being contaminated with fungi, therefor to prevent nail fungus, if ever there is in your home. You know prevention is always better than cure and for hygienic purposes also. So it’s better to be prepared to prevent nail fungus before it’s too late.
As for your shoes, prevent nail fungus by placing your shoes in an area where it is clean and where there is good ventilation so it can breathe and dry out. Allow twenty four hours for your shoes to rest and breathe before you wear them again so as to avoid wearing it moist and warm where the fungi really thrives.
At home, prevent nail fungus by making sure you wear slippers for hygienic purposes and to prevent your feet from being contaminated with fungi as well as bacteria found on the floor. If you do not want to use slippers then socks are considered also to protect your feet but, without the shoe of course.
You may also go barefoot at home only if you are certain that the floor has been cleaned thoroughly with the use of Lysol for example which is a disinfectant, to allow your feet to breathe. But don’t get wrong in using Lysol directly to your feet just to prevent nail fungus!
Make sure you wear slippers or sandals when using public shower rooms to protect your feet from acquiring the fungi found on the floor.
Never ever share shoes with another person because that is one way to get infected and for hygienic purposes also. Prevent nail fungus by using your very own shoes.
Prevent nail fungus by not sharing nail files and nail clippers with others. This is very common especially with the ladies in going to beauty salons having their nails done. If possible bring your own, or just clean your own nails.
Finally, to prevent nail fungus, avoid injuring your nails. That could be an entry point for the fungi and you’ll surely get infected.
Hence, prevent nail fungus before it’s too late!
Will I need nail fungus surgery?
Will I need nail fungus surgery?
Yes, you will need a nail fungus surgery if your infection is severe or it is recurring and if your infected nails are very painful and is interfering with your activities of daily living. A nail fungus surgery can be done in two ways: by removing the entire infected nail (avulsion) or by removing only a part of it (debridement).
The Nail Fungus Surgery
This nail fungus surgery is minor only and it can be done in your health professional’s clinic or in the hospital’s minor operating room. Initially your surgeon will give you a local anesthetic like xylocaine, inject it to the operative site to numb it so that you won’t be able to feel any pain during the nail fungus surgery.
Your surgeon will wait for a few minutes to let the anesthetic take effect and after, will ask you if you can still feel anything in the operative site or not. Once you can’t feel anything anymore, the nail fungus surgery will start.
The surgeon will start the nail fungus surgery by loosening the surrounding skin on the operative site, be it on your foot or hands, and then separate the nail from the skin through the use of a specific tool. If only a part of your nail is affected, then only that part is removed as well. But if you want to avoid future infection by preventing your nail from growing back, your surgeon can destroy your nail matrix. This is done by applying a medicine to the cuticle area when the nail plate is removed already. After the nail fungus surgery, an antibiotic ointment is applied to the operative site and after it is then covered with gauze and secured by a surgical tape.
After the Nail Fungus Surgery
After the nail fungus surgery, you will then be sent home and be prescribed with specific antibiotics to facilitate the healing of your wound as well as to avoid infection. You will be given a note also by your surgeon which contains your next date of clinic visit so he can check the operative site and see if it is improving.
It is very import during the post operative period (the day after the nail fungus surgery) to take care of your surgical site. Adequate rest must be taken in order not to stress yourself and facilitate wound healing as well as good circulation to the operative site.
Avoid going to places which are very dusty and polluted since your wound can get infected in there and that would be another problem. Take the prescribed medications by your surgeon and make sure to complete its full course to make the treatment course really effective.
If there are any complaints or questions you got, do not hesitate to call your physician. Within a few weeks, your wound may heal already. It takes several months for your nail to grow back, the fingernails for six months and the toenails for twelve to eighteen months. Hence, nail fungus surgery is just that needed.
What are the side effects of my Athletes foot medications? Will it interact with other medicines?
What are the side effects of my Athletes foot medications? Will it interact with other medicines?
Each of the nonprescription and prescription of athletes foot medications has its own side effects and some of it interact with the other medicines. Therefore extreme care must be taken before taking these drugs to avoid athletes foot medications danger. It would be best if you consult your doctor first for your athletes foot medications, rather than administering drugs to yourself. Your safety is the top priority in here.
Below are the side effects and interactions of your Athletes foot medications together with the other medications:
Athletes Foot Medications: Itraconazole (Sporanox)
may cause headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, hepatic function abnormality, rash, edema, fever, malaise. WARNING: With this athletes foot medications, there could be a potential for serious cerebrovascular events, including ventricular tachycardia and death, if used with lovastatin, simvastatin, triazolam, midazolam, pimozide, and dofetilide. Use of these athletes foot medications combinations must be avoided. Increased serum levels may occur and therefore therapeutic and toxic effects may happen if used with cyclosporine, digoxin, oral hypoglycemics, warfarin anticoagulants, phenytoin, and buspirone. Hence, athletes foot medications must be suited for you to avoid any worse effects.
Decreased serum levels may occur if it is used with H2 antagonists, antacids, proton pump inhibitors, isoniazid, phenytoin, and rifampin.
Athletes foot medications: Clotrimazole (Lotrimin).
This may cause nausea, vomiting, rash, lower abdominal cramps, bloating, slight urinary frequency, erythma, stinging, blistering, edema, pruritus, general skin irritation. WARNING: One of the athletes foot medications in the form of Clotrimazole may interact with dihydroergotamine, ergoloid mesylates, ergonovine, ergotamine, and methylergonovine. There would be an increased risk of certain side effects if used with fentanyl, tacrolimus, and trimetrexate.
Athletes Foot Medications: Miconazole nitrate (Monistat Derm, Micatin)
may cause irritation, pelvic cramps, rash, headache, maceration, allergic contact dermatitis. There is no known drug interaction with this medication.
Athletes Foot Medications: Fluconazole (Diflucan)
may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, aspartate transaminase/ alanine aminotransferase elevations and, rash. WARNING: There is an increase in serum levels and toxic effects if it is used with cyclosporine, phenytoin, benzodiazepines, oral hypoglycemics, warfarin anticoagulants, and zidovudine. There is a decrease in serum levels if it is used with rifampin and theophylline tacrolimus.
Athletes Foot Medications: Tolnaftate (Tinactin)
may cause hypersensitivity reaction and mild irritation of the skin. There are no drug interactions known with tolnaftate.
Athletes Foot Medicaitons: Terbinafine Hydrochloride (Lamisil)
may cause headache, taste disturbance, visual disturbance, rash, pruritus, urticaria, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, nausea, flatulence, liver enzyme abnormailities, and hepatic failure. WARNING: There is a decreased effectiveness of terbinafine if it is combined with rifampicin and cyclosporine. There is an increase in serum levels and risk of toxicity as well if it is combined with cimetidine. There is an increase in serum levels of dextromethorphan and there is a risk of toxicity if combined with terbinafine. You must be monitored closely by your healthcare provider if this drug must be used.
Therefore, consult your doctor for the suitable athletes foot medications.
