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Two feet with fungal infections on toenails on white floor and background

How to Prevent Toenail Fungus: Tips from a Foot Specialist

There are two common fungal infections that can target your feet. For your skin, it’s athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), and for your nails, it’s fungal toenail (onychomycosis). Fun fact: Onychomycosis is the name for nail anatomy changes caused by contagious fungus, while dystrophic is the term for any other abnormalities that affect how your nails look or grow. Today’s blog will focus solely on toenail fungus. You’ll learn what it is and how to treat it, as well as some top fungal toenail prevention tips recommended by our Toronto chiropodists.

Toenail Fungus Symptoms

Sometimes toenail fungus is mild and barely noticeable. But fungal toenail can present more severely if you’re immunocompromised, such as if you have diabetes, or a senior. Keep an eye out for these common symptoms:

  • Drastic changes in the nail’s appearance: it can look much thicker, have a yellowish, brown colour, and be very brittle and prone to cracks, despite thickening. 
  • Unpleasant odour coming from the nail: the smell is often reported to be sour or like cheese. 
  • The nail starts lifting off the nail bed: this is because debris starts to accumulate and lifts the nail up so it can’t reattach. 
  • Pain, swelling and bleeding in severe cases.

Toenail Fungus Prevention: Foot Specialist Advice

The most important fact to remember about fungal toenail is that it’s contagious. Since fungal infections spread easily in damp, shared spaces like pools, gyms, and shower rooms, the best defense is keeping your feet clean and protected! Here are some top, Toronto-chiropodist-recommended tips to remember: 

  • Follow a strict, yet fun and relaxing, foot hygiene routine. It’s a part of self care, after all!
  • Wear breathable footwear. Opt for shoes made from materials that allow airflow to keep your feet dry.
  • Change socks daily. Fresh socks prevent moisture buildup, which fungi love.
  • Avoid going barefoot in public places. Use flip-flops or shower shoes to protect your feet in shared spaces.
  • Keep your toenails trimmed and clean. Regular maintenance helps prevent infections from taking hold. Get a professional medical pedicure if you don’t have time to focus on nail care. 

How to Treat Toenail Fungus

Once fungus has gotten a hold of your nails, it’s time to think about treatment and eradicating the problem. Unfortunately, you can’t do much to treat toenail fungus yourself at home, and you often need a chiropodist’s help. Luckily, treatments are easy to follow and non-invasive. Here’s what a foot specialist can do:

  • Perform nail debridement to remove infected parts of the nail.
  • Use prescription-strength topical antifungal medicine on the nail (it penetrates the actual fungus)
  • Educate you on products you can use going forward to prevent re-infection, like the best moisture-wicking socks, shoes, foot creams, deodorants and more. 

Do You Have a Fungal Nail Infection? Visit Toronto's Premier Foot Clinic!

For toenail fungus prevention, healthy toenail tips and more, Feet First Clinic has it all! Our Toronto chiropodists and friendly foot fam are waiting to hear from you! Call us at (416) 769-3338 or book an appointment here!

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Carolina Charles

Patient Relation Coordinator (She/Her)

If you’ve been to the clinic before, chances are you had the pleasure of meeting Carolina! Carolina’s daily goal is going above and beyond to make sure patients are always completely satisfied. Having worked in the podiatry industry for 22 years, Carolina brings a wealth of knowledge pertaining to client service, insurance policies, and procedures.​ She steers the ship to make sure everything runs smoothly on the daily. Carolina is known for spicing up every outfit with her signature costume jewellery.