It can happen to anyone, even those who are particularly careful about personal hygiene, to find a fungus on their toenail. This is nail mycosis, otherwise known as onychomycosis.
This is a contagious infection, which first affects the big toe and then slowly spreads, affecting all the other toes.
Onychomycosis mainly affects the feet, rarely occurs in the hands. Recognizing the problem is not difficult, just look at the nail, this appears different aesthetically and not only.
How to recognize toenail fungus
Nails affected by fungus change color, become yellow, in the worst cases even brown. Then they deform, flake, become very fragile and also hurt a lot. Often the nail becomes much thicker and painful and then falls off.
The infection occurs in different ways and places , in swimming pools, in changing rooms, in shared bathrooms and in general in all humid and poorly washed environments. Those who contract the fungus often suffer from diabetes, have hallux valgus or have already had to deal with onychomycosis once in their life.
Those who wear uncomfortable shoes for several hours a day can suffer from onychomycosis, even if they are in perfect health. If this infection is not treated properly, the nail will slowly come to detach itself and will hardly return to its former state once healed.