subject: Nail Fungal Infection - The Symptoms [print this page] Some people see a suspicious white spot on their fingernails and figure that it's just a scratch or scrape that will eventually fade. But what do you do if the spot doesn't fade? What do you do if the spot actually grows and begins to turn yellow? A yellowing of the nail could indicate that you have a fungal infection of the nail. These infections are actually quite common. But you definitely want to stop the infection before it gets really bad. When you learn how bad it could actually get, you're sure to agree that nipping a nail fungal infection in the bud is of key importance.
A nail fungal infection may start out as something as innocuous as a white spot on the nail, but it won't stay that harmless for long. As the fungus begins to eat away at the tissue underneath the nail, where it's burrowed down, it will also begin to produce debris from its feeding frenzy. This keratin debris will eventually turn your nail yellow and other colors. The nail itself will become brittle and may even begin to crumble around the edge. This crumbling may be accompanied by a foul smell and, eventually, the entire nail may become detached from the nail bed.
The symptoms themselves are bad enough, but the effect of your symptoms on others will make you wish that you had started treatment back when your infection was nothing more than a little, white dot on your fingernail. A nail fungal infection will seriously mar the appearance of your hands. You'll be ashamed to shake hands. People will be afraid to shake hands with you for fear of catching your infection. It's sad but true that something as simple as a fungal fingernail infection can effectively make you a social pariah.
But, fortunately, there is still hope. Treatments for a nail fungal infection are simple and easy to use. All they usually require are regular application, usually twice a day, and patience as you wait for the treatment to do its work. While fungal infections of the nail are easily treatable, it's still best to catch the infection as early as possible so that you can clear it up as quickly as possible. Ultimately, it's best not to catch a nail infection in the first place. You can prevent nail infections simply by keeping your fingernails trimmed, clean, and dry.
