Thick Toenails Can Be A Nail Fungus Symptom

Thick toenails can make you want to hide your feet. But, it doesn't have to be that way.

Nails are composed of dead skin cells all stacked together. When a nail is injured or infected by fungus, the tissues around the nail root, where the nail grows from, can become inflamed - causing the nail to thicken and grow thickly.

Toenails may become so thick that it is difficult to wear shoes. Thick toe nails can press on your shoes or dig into your other toes.

You can develop thick nails on single or multiple toes.

What Causes Thick Toe Nails?

Thick toe nails can be caused by many factors - by inadequate nutrition, poor health, injury, fungal infections, or genetics. Even poor fitting shoes, tight shoes or skin conditions can cause thick nails. For example, psoriasis and eczema may distort nails and cause nail issues.

Sometimes, people don't even realize that they have injured their nail. Athletes, particularly soccer players, and dancers can injure their toenails very easily without knowing it.

This nail damage to the root of the nail can cause temporary nail thickening. But, severe or repeated injury can cause permenant thickening of the nails.

An underlying fungal infection, like onychomycosis, can get into the roots of the nailbed. The fungus can cause the nail to come loose from its' nailbed. Fungus can disfigure and can destroy the nail.

The fungus that causes the thicker nails, grows under the toenails and in the toenail itself - this is why it can be so hard to get rid of.

Who Gets Thick Toe Nails?

Men are more likely to get fungal nail infections, likely due to their footwear, but women can certainly have thick toenails too.

This type of toenail trouble is more common in seniors - adults older than 60 years. And, can be more common in people with diabetes or circulation problems.

Thick Toenail Warning Signs?

There are some warning signs to watch for. Watch for yellow toe nails and other discolorations. If the thick nails are caused by a fungus, you may see some yellowing of your toenails or you might see some nail bed separation.

What You Can Do:

Please note: Some people like to file their nails a bit before they soak them, so you can try either method to see which is most effective for you.

There are many nail fungus cures. The three top methods of how to cure nail fungus, such as thick nails which are caused by fungus are: tea tree oil, vinegar or vicks vapor rub.

The above steps will help not only help your nail look better, it will also help it to absorb and receive treatment better

Even though nail fungus is one of the most common reasons for thick toenails, try to figure out what the cause of your thick nails was. This will help it from reoccurring and help you to know how to treat it.

Tell us about your thick toenail experiences. Read what other's say about their toenail problems.

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Thick Toenails
by Lisa Geary B. Ed., M.A. Health Researcher
www.yeast-infection-answers.com

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