Fungal nails, also known as a fungal nail infection or just “nail fungus”, is a disease that affects roughly 6% of the adult population. While this infection appears in both fingernails and toenails, it’s more commonly seen in toenails. Generally speaking, fungal nails will not cause any significant issues with healthy adults but can be more problematic for individuals with weak or compromised immune systems.

However, this point doesn’t mean that healthy adults should avoid seeing a doctor about their potential fungal nails – not only is the disease unpleasant to look at – it’s just not a good idea to let fungus grow on your body freely, period.

Fungal nails generally start out as a white or yellowish spot on your nail and eventually encompass the majority of your nail (toenail or fingernail) or even your entire nail. Typically you’ll see that your nail will thicken, but will also become “crumbly” around the edges. Certainly it’s an unsightly problem and one that should be looked into with due diligence.

Now, there are other nail diseases that can cause discoloration of the nail bed, and only a qualified doctor can make the assessment through laboratory tests of what your particular ailment is. Because a fungal nail infection thrives in warm, moisture-rich environments, there are a few simple things that you can do to help prevent the onset of a nail infection:

• Avoid walking around barefoot in community showers, locker rooms or changing rooms.
• Keep your feet dry and clean
• Do not share your shoes or socks, especially if they are sweaty, wet or dirty.

These ideas may not completely eliminate your possibility of developing a fungal nail infection, but by heeding this advice you can minimize your exposure to common causes of the disease.