What Causes Onychomycosis (Nail Fungus)?

Posted on 28 Apr, 2023

Onychomycosis is the medical name for nail fungal infections. These kinds of infections aren’t serious, but you should still seek medical advice and treat the infection. One safe and effective way to treat nail fungus is through diode laser therapy; but we will get more into that later. If you suspect you have, or you currently have a nail fungal infection, then you may be wondering what caused it.

In this blog post we will be discussing the causes of onychomycosis, as well as prevention tips and a specialist treatment we offer here at The Laser Treatment Clinic. The symptoms of nail fungus are usually as follows: discoloured nail, cracking, brittleness, pain or discomfort. If you have any of these symptoms then it’s best to seek treatment to get rid of the infection and begin the process of getting your nail back to a healthy status.

The causes of onychomycosis 

There are several things that could cause someone to develop nail fungus. There are risk factors associated with onychomycosis as well as activities that increase your chances. The risk factors include being older in age, having a weakened immune system, and having diabetes. The following are some of the main causes of nail fungus infections.

●      Walking barefoot in a damp and moist area. An example being around a swimming pool, gym, or locker room.

●      Coming into direct contact with someone who has athlete’s foot.

●      Having a minor foot or nail injury which allows for fungus infection

●      Constantly wearing socks and trainers that make your feet sweat

Knowing how people get nail fungal infections allows you to easily prevent them from happening in the first place. It’s important to always keep your feet and nails dry, so patting them with a towel after a shower is a must. Secondly, you should be trimming your toenails and taking good care of them to avoid any minor injuries that could help cause an infection. And lastly, wearing breathable material on your feet can help prevent an infection from happening. Try wearing cotton socks for example.

Treatments for onychomycosis  

When it comes to treating nail fungal infections, there are a few options available. Here at The Laser Treatment Clinic, we have a safe, effective, and relatively quick option at treating onychomycosis and improving the appearance of the infected nail. 

Many people are unaware that nail fungus can be treated with laser therapy. When you come to us for nail fungus treatment, one of our experts will carefully use a diode laser to destroy the fungus which gets rid of the infection. 

This is a fantastic option for many people. Other options include using anti-fungal nail cream or a nail softening cream. However, the antifungal cream takes 12 months and may not always work. To discuss your options with one of our specialists, book your free consultation on our website today. Or contact our team here. We’d love to help.