Thursday, April 21, 2011

Fungus Amongs't Us

Nail fungus is a slow moving colonization of human keratin, which rarely causes life threatening issues, but may almost always cause some form of discomfort with shoegear, ambulatory compromise, or unsightly appearence to the feet.

Nail fungus attacks all people. But there are some people that have higher risk of getting nail fungus infection. Who are those people, and why the more risk?

In general this apply with people that have lowered immune system. This include people with circulatory system problem, diabetic people, late-aged people and patients with cancer and chemotherapy treatment, for instance. Also with age, comes the liklihood of increased fungal risk. Low immune systems may allow the fungus to spread easily. Usually, once it infects one toenail or nail, they will spread immediately to the other nails on the same feet or hand over many years.

There are many kinds of treatment, ranging from mild to aggressive. Some used home-brewed remedies, or some use natural treatments, and some goes to the doctor. The latter option is the one that most people choose, because they want effective and safe treatment. But what they don’t know is that prescribed medicines can cause side-effects because of their toxic chemical ingredients. This can be hard for people with liver diseases, because nail fungus treatment can take 3 months or more.

At the Family Foot and Leg Center, we use a variety of topical therpy, and have had excellent success with the Coot Touch Nail Laser System. The success rate statistics of treatment is 60–80 percent. There is a 15% chance that it will reoccur. Because of this statistic, many doctors advise the use of anti-fungal solutions after treatment to prevent another infection.

Simple tips to prevent fungus infection:

Wear open footwear as much as possible.
Change socks immediately if it becomes damp or wearing absorbent socks is more preferable.
Don’t wear high top boots if not needed.
Treat fungus as early as you can to stop its spreading.