Spotting a Toe Infection
While there seem to be countless television ads regarding athlete’s foot, dry and rough feet, and devices for foot comfort, little if anything is ever mentioned regarding what to look for when you believe there is something wrong with your toenails—especially an infection. Following is a description of various types of fungal infections and what they may look like.
Symptoms of a Toe Nail Infection
Most toenail infections are fungal in nature, but different types of fungi cause different types of infection:
• Distal Subungual Onychomycosis or DSO. In this fungal infection, the toenail may turn yellow and begin pulling away from the nail base itself. It may seem brittle in appearance and have vertical lines running down the nail.
• White Superficial Onychomycosis or WSO. WSO turns the toenail white and somewhat crumbly, slowly disintegrating the toenail itself. It is less common than DSO. WSO is also the easiest of the toenail infections by simply scraping off the nail and applying an anti-viral ointment regularly to the infected site.
• Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis or PSO. Of all the toenail fungal infections, this is the least common It first appears as a white or yellow spot then progresses to plaque under the nail bed, lifting the nail off the toe, so debris and other matter is allowed under the toenail bed. Eventually, the toenail may be lost completely. The treatment for PSO is systemic drugs and not topical ointments.
Keep in mind that toenail fungi differ from toenail injuries. In injuries, the toenail may turn purple or black and remain so for months; eventually you will probably lose the nail completely, as the blood trapped underneath will slowly lift the nail off its bed. This is not a condition that needs to be treated by medication, just time.
Knowing whether you have a toe infection is the first step to curing it. As you see above, there are a variety of possible toe infections, and all are viral based; like all viruses, they can be difficult to treat and may take a bit of time to be entirely cured.
