Many people with fungal toenails shrug it off as a personal problem and do their best to hide their feet, never realizing the threat they pose to those around them.
Like a common cold, toenail fungus can spread easily and quickly from person to person.
That’s why Dr. Maurice Aiken and our expert podiatric team at Bay Breeze Foot & Ankle Specialists in Dunedin, Florida, are so concerned with educating as many people as possible about the dangers of toenail fungus.
Here are a few simple strategies to practice safe foot care and keep toenail fungus from spreading.
You likely picked up a fungal infection from skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or item or from walking barefoot in a warm, moist area, such as a public pool or locker room. You can also catch it if your socks are moist and sweaty and don’t change them often.
The fungi will use any small cut or crack to infiltrate your skin and anil and multiply rapidly until you have yellow, weak, crumbly nails.
Once you notice an infection, you must do the following.
Sharing is caring unless you’re talking about your foot care tools. Clippers, scissors, and other tools should be for your feet and your feet only. Those tools are among the first things to become contaminated if you have toenail fungus, and you can pass the infection on to the next person who reaches for the clippers.
We also caution against sharing shoes, socks, towels, and anything else that touches your feet.
Walking around barefoot leaves a trail of fungus from your loved ones to step in. We strongly urge you to wear at least a pair of socks at all times, even at night. It’s too easy for your fungus-infection toes to cross over to the other side of the bed and contaminate your partner.
It would help to consider wearing shower shoes until your infection completely clears.
Toenail fungus loves damp, dirty towels, so make sure you hang your towels to dry completely and wash them often. Your sheets should also run through the laundry every week.
Do everything you can to keep your home clean and eliminate possible breeding grounds for fungus.
Fungal nails rarely resolve on their own. It’s a kindness to you and those around you to seek prompt treatment from our expert. Our fungal nail treatment plans include prescription-strength topicals and HyperBlue® laser therapy, a targeted treatment that uses laser energy to destroy the fungus in your nails.
Share laughs and share memories, but don’t share toenail fungus. If you have more questions about preventing the spread of toenail fungus or suspect you’ve been infected and need treatment, call Bay Breeze Foot & Ankle Specialists or request an appointment online today.
