Fungal nail infection
Overview
You may have a fungal nail infection if your nail is brittle, discoloured or thicker than usual. These types of infections are not serious but they can take a long time to treat.
Symptoms
Fungal nail infections usually affect your toenails, but you can sometimes get them on your fingernails, too.
Treatment
A GP can prescribe antifungal tablets if you have a fungal nail infection and treatments from a pharmacy have not worked. But before they give you tablets, they should take a sample of your nail and have it tested, to find out what type of infection you have. You may also need to have a blood test before starting treatment and during treatment to check your liver is working properly. You may need to take antifungal tablets for up to 6 months. The tablets can have side effects, including: headachesan itchy rashstomach achefeeling sick and diarrhoea You cannot take antifungal tablets if you have certain conditions, such as liver or kidney disease. They may also not be suitable if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Badly infected nails sometimes need to be removed. It's a small procedure done while the area is numbed (underlocal anaesthetic).
Prevention
You can get a fungal nail infection if your feet are constantly warm and damp. You're more likely to get an infection if you wear trainers for a long time and have hot, sweaty feet. There are some things you can do to help prevent fungal nail infections. treatathlete's footas soon as possible to avoid it spreading to nails treatathlete's footas soon as possible to avoid it spreading to nails keep your nails short keep your nails short keep your feet clean and dry keep your feet clean and dry wear clean socks every day wear clean socks every day wear flip-flops in showers at the gym or pool wear flip-flops in showers at the gym or pool wear shoes that fit well and do not have high heels or narrow toes wear shoes that fit well and do not have high heels or narrow toes throw out old shoes throw out old shoes do not wear shoes that make your feet hot and sweaty do not wear shoes that make your feet hot and sweaty do not share towels do not share towels do not wear other people's shoes do not wear other people's shoes do not share nail clippers or scissors do not share nail clippers or scissors