On this page I have provided plenty of information on nail fungus. Specifically, I have briefly covered the causes and symptoms of different kinds of nail fungus. These include white, yellow, green, and black nail fungus.

White Superficial Toenail Fungus

This condition is known as white superficial onychomycosis. Onychomycosis is the medical term for a fungal nail infection.

Causes Of White Toenail Fungus

White superficial onychomycosis is caused by an infection of a type of fungus called trichophyton mentagrophyte. This fungus is a common cause of fungal nail infections.

Fungi thrive in warm, dark, and moist places. They can easily spread from person to person in places where people congregate like swimming pools or changing rooms. Walking barefoot in these places can cause a fungal nail infection…

…Also, sharing infected items like towels, clothing, or footwear can spread fungus spores and cause an infection. Nail fungus infections are also caused by the over-use of nail polish. Wearing several layers of nail polish or wearing it for extended periods of time will suffocate your nails and reduce their health. Unhealthy nails are more susceptible to fungal nail infections.

You’re more at risk of developing this kind of nail fungus if:

You’re feeling run down

You’re going through emotional stress

You have a metabolic disorder like diabetes

You have injured your nail

You are an older person

You have athletes foot

White Toenail Fungus: The Symptoms…

White nail fungus begins with the development of white or off-white powdery patches on the surface of your nail. The white patches will take the form of small dots or large blotches. Your nails will also develop a bad smell. They will thicken up and become painful as they split away from the nail bed…

…The pain may be so severe that you have to stop wearing closed shoes because of the pressure. The white blotches will eventually spread out over your nails making them rough, crusty, and crumbly…

…Over time, the nail will thicken up more and more and if it’s left untreated, it’ll have to be removed completely. When your white nail fungus reaches an advanced stage, your nail will be vulnerable to bacterial infections.

You may have developed another type of white nail fungus called white flakey nail fungus. In this condition, your nail will be whitish yellow and covered in flakes.

Yellow Toenail Fungus

If one side or all of your nail has turned white or yellow then you have subungual onychomycosis (DLSO). Subungual means underneath a toenail or fingernail.

What Causes Yellow Nail Fungus?

Yellow nail fungus is caused by the fungi known as dermatophytes. Some factors that increase your risk of getting nail fungus are:

Old age – Nail fungus is more of a problem with older people because as the nail gets older, it may dry out and become brittle. As the nail cracks up, fungus can enter and cause an infection. Also, blood circulation naturally slows down with age.

An athletes foot problem – Initially, you may have a case of athletes foot. The condition is not very serious although the affected area can smell bad and become itchy. Athletes foot is easily cured with a good anti-fungal foot powder. However, the fungal infection can spread to one of your nails if it’s injured or cracked up.

Poor blood circulation – This condition primarily affects the hands and feet. The result is that the nails won’t get proper nourishment. One cause of poor blood circulation is a lack of regular excersize which gets the blood pumping around the body.

A weakened immune system – Poor blood circulation can be a cause. This problem sets the stage for fungus to take hold and multiply

Nail trauma – Weak, unhealthy nails easily damaged. An injured nail is more suseptable to fungal infections

Taking antibiotics – Antibiotics disturb the natural balance of bacteria in the gut causing problems like candidiasis. This condition makes it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients and that will weaken the immune system

Yellow Toenail Fungus – The Symptoms

When you contract yellow nail fungus, it will appear as white or creamy patches on the side of the nail. These patches show where the nail has detached from the nail bed. In medical terms, this is called white subungual onychomycosis.

Toenails are much more commonly affected by these fungi than fingernails. As the fungus grows through the nail bed, it will turn a yellowish colour. It may be a dull yellow, yellow-brown, or brown colour. The colour will darken over time as the fungus continues to damage the nail. The fungus may grow on one side of the nail, or may cover the whole nail.

The nail will thicken up and become soft or brittle. It will eventually crumble or break away and a bad odour will develop. This development can take a few weeks, a number of months, or even years…

…The infected nail will become opaque, thick, and cracked and it will raise up above the nail bed. Also, the skin around the nail will become inflamed and scaly.

Green Nail Fungus

What Causes Green Nail Fungus?

Green nail syndrome (G.N.S.) is known medically as chloronychia. This kind of nail fungus is caused by the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacteria. A moist, warm environment causes this bacteria to grow and spread.

Here are some factors that will predispose you to green nail fungus: The fungus will thrive when moisture, dirt, and debris is trapped underneath your nail. This happens when your nail has lifted off or detached from your nail bed (onycholysis)

Green Nail Fungus: The Symptoms

Green nail fungus can vary slightly in colour so your nail may have turned blue-green, dark green, or a bluish-grey colour. The pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria produces green pigments called pyocyanin and pyoverdin, hence the green colour of your green nail fungus.

A Green nail fungal infection may affect your fingernails or toenails but it will usually affect one or two of your toenails. If you have green nail fungus, it may have spread to other toenails but it’s common for the infection to exclusively affect your big toenail.

Your nail may be emitting a bad smell and the surrounding skin may be sore, swollen, and red. The nail may also have started to separate and you might be experiencing pain.

Black Nail Fungus

Before concluding that you have a fungal nail infection, rule out the other possible causes of a black nail such as:

Trauma

Melanoma

A natural change in skin pigmentation

Heart disease

Diabetes

Kidney disease

Anemia

What Causes Black Nail Fungus?

The most common cause of black nail fungus are dermatophyte fungi. They are microscopic organisms that live under the nail bed and thrive in warm and moist environments.

You Are More At Risk Of Developing Black Nail Fungus If You:

Suffer from type two diabetes

Walk barefoot in public places, especially changing rooms and communal showers

Have a weak immune system

Are over the age of 65

Have injured your toes

Black Toenail Fungus: The Symptoms

As stated earlier in this blog, nail fungus appears as small white or yellow patches on your nail. If you have black nail fungus, it means you’ve had a nail infection for quite a while. The condition has become severe because you’ve left your nail untreated for a long time.

Symptoms of black toenail fungus include:

One or more of your nails have turned black – The black colour is from a build-up of debris under the nail

Bad odour

Brittle nails

Pain and discomfort – You may feel a dull pain or your toes may feel tender. If your nails are thick, this may cause pain and discomfort when you wear socks and shoes.

Deformed nails

Yellow nails

Nails are raised above the nail bed – This happens because of a build-up of the infection

If you don’t treat your toenail fungus, it may spread to your other nails. Whats more, it can can cause permanent damage to your nail and eventually, you will lose your nail.

You probably feel embarrassed about your black nail. This may be preventing you from doing normal, fun activities like going to the swimming baths or the beach. For this reason, you really should cure your black nail fungus as soon as possible. Take the first step today…

The Fast Cure For Toenail Fungus

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…In clinical studies, zeta clear was found to be six times more effective than other fungal nail treatments. What’s more, zeta clear is simple to use and dries fast leaving you to get on with your day…

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If you’d like to get rid of your toenail fungus once and for all, try this fungal toenail treatment, I think you’ll be very satisfied with the results.

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