This article will discuss Nail Fungus, Causes and Preventive Measures. We will also discuss common questions related to nail fungus conditions.
Nail fungus is a common infection of nails, which causes nails to gradually change into white or yellow-brown colour. Onychomycosis is the medical term used for the nail fungus. The condition is not serious but can make life uncomfortable as it may cause pain at times. As the infection goes deep, it can make the nails brittle and spread to other nails.
What is Nail Fungus?
Nail fungus or onychomycosis is a condition that affects the nails of a person. The condition is usually by a type of mould called a dermatophyte tinea unguium. Toenails are the frequent target of this fungus, which causes discolouration and brittle nails. The condition is not serious if it is not bothering the person and no treatment is needed. But if the condition is getting painful and worse, you may need to treat the condition. There is always a probability that the fungal condition will come back even after successful treatment.
What are the Common Causes of Nail Fungus?
Nail fungus is irritating making it difficult for a person to walk sometimes and also results in athlete’s foot. Fungus usually lives on the skin without having any harmful effects, but sometimes it gets favourable conditions for multiplication and leads to infection. Here are the conditions, which make nail fungus more likely to grow:
- When a person does not keep their feet dry and clean.
- Shoes that make feet wet due to sweat.
- Walking barefoot where fungal infections are common like locker rooms, gyms, swimming pools etc.
- When having weak immunity.
- Having damaged nails.
- Having medical conditions like diabetes, psoriasis etc.
What are the Preventive measures for Nail Fungus?
Various preventive measures help to restrict the spread of the nail fungus. Here are some precautions and preventive measures, that help to avoid the risk of infection.
- Maintain the hygiene of nails by washing the hands and feet regularly to avoid the infection spread.
- Wear socks that absorb the sweat and help to keep the feet dry, moist feet are more prone to infection.
- Wear shoes, that breathe and make less probability of sweat.
- Choose hygienic nail salons, that use sanitisers and other disinfectants to reduce the risk of infection.
- Keep your feet dry and apply antifungal powder after proper washing.
- Trim nails regularly and keeping short nails reduces the risk of infection.
Which Tests Are Used To Detect Nail fungus conditions?
There are various types of tests used to diagnose Nail fungus conditions. These tests include:
- Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) Stain (Book Now)
- Fungal Culture (Book Now)
- Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) Stain (Book Now)
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test (Book Now)
- Dermoscopy
- Reflectance Confocal Microscopy
Conclusion
Nail fungus or onychomycosis is a condition that affects the nails of a person. The condition is usually by a type of mould called a dermatophyte tinea unguium. There are various causes of nail fungi like moist feet, unhygienic conditions, weak immunity, broken nails, age etc. Various preventive measures that help to keep the infection away include keeping the feet dry, wearing absorbent socks, and breathable shoes, trimming nails regularly etc. There are various tests like funal stain test, PCR test, KOH stain etc that are used to detect the fungal infection.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Nail Fungus?
Nail fungus or onychomycosis is a condition that affects the nails of a person. The condition is usually by a type of mould called a dermatophyte tinea unguium. Toenails are the frequent target of this fungus, which causes discolouration and brittle nails.
What are the various symptoms related to the Nail Fungus?
Various symptoms related to Nail fungus include pain, itching, brittle nails, discolouration etc.
What are the Causes of Nail fungus conditions?
Various causes of Nail fungus conditions include wet and moist feet, unhygienic conditions of feet, weak immunity, sharing shoes or socks etc.
Which tests are used for Nail fungus conditions Diagnosis?
Various tests, including fungal stain test, PCR test, KOH stain etc for Nail fungus conditions.
What is the ICD-10 code for Nail fungus Unspecified?
The ICD-10 code for unspecified Nail fungus is B35.1.
How can Patients download Nail fungus Test Reports Online?
Patients can visit Ganesh's diagnostic website or call at 011-47-444-444 / 011-47-333-333 to download the Nail fungus condition test report online.
Which Ganesh Diagnostic Centre is near me in Delhi for the Nail fungus condition Tests?
Ganesh Diagnostic centres for Nail fungus condition tests are at Rohini, Nangloi, Model Town, Hari Nagar, Mangol Puri and Yamuna Vihar.
 and Tests.webp "Common Conditions of the Femur (Thighbone) and Tests")
