Your feet are often enclosed in shoes or exposed to bare surfaces that are not always sanitary. Therefore, you should watch out for toenail fungus. Dr. Kevin Derickson and Dr. Florin Costache at The Cherry Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic in Denver, CO, provide several treatments to ensure your feet remain healthy and fungus-free. 

What Are Signs of Toenail Fungus?

 A poor smell is one of the most evident signs of this fungus. You may notice that it’s harder to trim the nail because it has become so thickened. The affected nail may change color and become yellow, white, or brown. 

Your nail can become split, brittle, ragged, and severely cracked. It may become so brittle that it may separate from the nail bed. Some people also experience pain and discomfort when the fungus increases.

What Causes This Problem?

 This nail infection results from tiny fungi-like bacteria, dermatophytes, yeast, and even some molds. Even if you keep your feet clean, you may pick it up due to direct skin-to-skin contact with someone with a toe fungal infection. Therefore, someone may have Athlete’s foot or a ringworm and can transmit the infection to your feet.

That’s why Denver, CO, community members should be extra cautious to keep their feet clean and dry after washing or swimming. After all, any fungus or bacteria can thrive in a wet environment. 

If you go to the gym or use public pools, avoid having your feet come in contact with the floor surface by wearing shower shoes. Instead of going barefoot in a public place, try to at least wear sandals to protect your feet from a potentially contaminated surface.

Why Medical Treatment Matters

 Keeping your feet clean matters to your overall health. Toenail fungus infections can start small but become more severe without proper treatment. After all, toenails can go from being slightly brittle to completely detaching from the nail bed. Fungus can spread to other parts of the foot. You can even spread it to other people.

Dr. Derickson and Dr. Costache at The Cherry Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic have many solutions to treat this ailment. They may prescribe topical antifungal creams and use laser therapy to target the fungus. In some cases, oral antifungals also help. In severe cases, doctors may have to remove the nail from the bed.

When you suspect you have a toenail fungus in Denver, CO, call us at (303) 355-1695 to make an appointment today.