DISCOLORATION

Fairly constant and is typically cream, white, yellow or orange coloured. Note: colour remains fairly constant throughout the stages, so it is not necessarily an indication of how far along the toenail fungus is but the discoloration will affect a larger area of the nail as it progresses.

NAIL CRUMBLING
The nail may be flaky, and its condition may worsen over time.

NAIL DEFORMATION
Nail thickening may appear and progress over time.

DISCOMFORT
Some discomfort where nail is ingrown, deformed and thick enough to rub on inside of shoes.

Topical treatments
Topical treatments are generally applied directly to the affected nails and have a local effect, meaning that they act against the fungi in the nail and nail bed. The main drawback with topical treatments is that a sufficient amount of medication must penetrate the tough nail plate in order to take full effect on the nail bed where the infection lies. The newer topical treatment options are formulated to be able to penetrate through the nail.

THICK TOENAILS

A change in the thickness of your toenails may be just one symptom of a fungal infection.

Other symptoms of nail fungus include:

• toenails that change in color to yellow, brown, or green
• a foul odor that comes from the toenail
• toenails that can lift up from the nail bed
• toenails that split or crumble
• toenails that look scaly or chalky
• toenails with dirt and other debris under them

You may notice no discomfort in the early stages of the infection. As symptoms build, your toenails may become painful.

What causes thick toenails?
Nearly 20 percent of the adult population has onychomycosis. This condition occurs when a fungus or yeast enters your toenail:

• where your toenail and nail bed meet
• in a crack in your toenail
• in a cut in your skin that touches your toenail

The fungus or yeast grows under the nail bed, where it’s moist. The infection is initially minor, but with time may spread and cause your toenail to grow thicker as well as cause other symptoms.Your toes are very susceptible to a fungal infection because they’re frequently exposed to wet areas. Moisture helps fungus spread.

Who is at risk for developing thick toenails?

You are more likely to contract toenail fungus from:

• being barefoot in public places with wet floors, such as swimming pools, showers, and gyms
• frequent or prolonged exposure to water
• shoes that constrict your feet
• sweaty feet and shoes
• damage to a toenail
• athlete’s foot that spreads to your toenails
• medications that suppress your immune system
• genetics
• smoking

You may also be more likely to contract toenail fungus if you have a pre-existing medical condition, such as:

• type 1 diabetes
• type 2 diabetes
• circulatory conditions
• psoriasis

Cancer treatments may increase the likelihood of developing nail fungus. If you have a pre-existing condition and develop fungus, it’s very important to treat it as soon as possible.

Can thick toenails be prevented?

You can prevent thick toenails or the recurrence of toenail fungus in several ways:

• Keep your feet clean by washing them with soap and water regularly. Dry them off with a towel afterward.
• Keep your feet as dry as possible: Change your socks a few times a day, wear cotton socks that remove moisture from your feet, rotate your shoes so they can dry out, and purchase shoes that breath and don’t constrict your feet.
• Try a foot powder that keeps your feet dry.
• Wear flip-flops or other shower shoes when you are in locker rooms or at the pool.
• Groom your feet properly. Your toenails shouldn’t grow beyond the end of your toe.
• Make sure to use disinfected tools when trimming your nails.
• Purchase new footwear if you’ve recently cured your nail fungus.

DIABETIC FOOTCARE

Diabetes can cause nerve damage (also known as diabetes peripheral neuropathy) and poor blood flow or circulation to the legs and feet (also known as peripheral arterial disease). As a result, people with diabetes are less likely to feel a foot injury, such as a blister or cut. Diabetes can make these injuries more difficult to heal. Unnoticed and untreated, even small foot injuries can quickly become infected, potentially leading to serious complications.

There’s a lot to manage if you have diabetes: checking your blood sugar, making healthy food, finding time to be active, taking medicines, going to doctor’s appointments. With all that, your feet might be the last thing on your mind. But daily care is one of the best ways to prevent foot complications.

About half of all people with diabetes have some kind of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). You can have nerve damage in any part of your body, but nerves in your feet and legs are most often affected. Nerve damage can cause you to lose feeling in your feet.

Feeling No Pain

Some people with nerve damage have numbness, tingling, or pain, but others have no symptoms. Nerve damage can also lower your ability to feel pain, heat, or cold.

Living without pain sounds pretty good, but it comes at a high cost. Pain is the body’s way of telling you something’s wrong so you can take care of yourself. If you don’t feel pain in your feet, you may not notice a cut, blister, sore, or other problem. Small problems can become serious if they aren’t treated early.

Could You Have Nerve Damage?

Anyone with diabetes can develop nerve damage, but these factors increase your risk:

• Blood sugar levels that are hard to manage
• Having diabetes for a long time, especially if your blood sugar is often higher than your target levels
• Being overweight
• Being older than 40 years
• Having high blood pressure
• Having high cholesterol

Nerve damage, along with poor blood flow—another diabetes complication—puts you at risk for developing a foot ulcer (a sore or wound) that could get infected and not heal well. If an infection doesn’t get better with treatment, your toe, foot, or part of your leg may need to be amputated (removed by surgery) to prevent the infection from spreading and to save your life.

When you check your feet every day, you can catch problems early and get them treated right away. Early treatment greatly reduces your risk of amputation.