It is also important to treat any concomitant athlete’s foot that may be present. In early cases, over the counter medications may be sufficient. It is best to treat the condition as soon as it is noticed. Taking a scraping of the toenail and culturing it makes the diagnosis. Other causes of thickened toenails are small bone spurs that can form under the toenail and psoriasis. In these instances, treatment with anti-fungal medications will not correct the malformed nail. This can be due to an established fungal infection or may be due to the damage caused to the nail root when it was injured. Injury to a toenail can cause the toenail to grow in a thickened or malformed fashion. Not all thicken or yellowed toenails are caused by a fungal infection. Keeping common showering areas clean is recommended, and sharing shoes should be avoided. It is not highly contagious, and family members are almost as likely to contract it from some other source as they are from the family member who has the infection. The dry scaling skin is frequently found to be chronic athletes' foot. It is often found in association with areas of dry scaly skin on the bottom of the foot or between the toes. The infection limits itself to the nails and skin. It does not spread through the blood stream. The fungus prefers an environment that is moist, dark, and warm, which is why it affects the toenails much more often than fingernails. Sweaty feet contribute to the initial infection process and contribute to its spread. Over time, the nail becomes thickened, crumbly, and distorted in appearance. A single toenail or any number of nails can be affected. It usually is not painful and often not noticed until it has gotten well established. The infection usually starts at the tip of the nail and works its way back. It tends to be slowly progressive, damaging the nail to a greater and greater degree over time. The fungus that infects the nail, most commonly, is the same fungus that causes athletes foot. The most common cause of yellowed, thick and /or deformed toenails is a fungal infection of the toenail. Common Disorders Fungal Toenails, Yellowed or Deformed Toenails
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