Fungal Nail Infection is more common in people who have an immunosuppression illness. Those living with Diabetes and other conditions that affect the body’s response to infections are more susceptible to fungal infection.

Other risk factors for Fungal Nail Infection are living in a warm, humid environment. A previous injury or trauma to your toenail will allow the fungal spores to enter the nail.

Inappropriate drying and not changing socks daily, therefore drying the feet well can also alleviate this problem.

Athlete’s Foot Infection (Tinea) also increases the risk of Fungal Nail Infection, due to the fungal spores on the foot itself can then infect the nails on the feet.

Nail infections can be caught through cross-contamination. Using nail files and nail clippers that have not been thoroughly sterilised. Using the same equipment without first being sterilized can pass on the infection to someone else.

Infection from pedicures, can causes long lasting issues and trauma or infection of the nail due to unsterilised equipment or poor hygiene.

Always check your nails regularly to ensure you are aware of any changes to the nail bed that can then be treated promptly.

In our clinic we can supply the following:

• Emtrix fungal nail topical treatment which is suitable for diabetics and available in the clinic
• Topical ointments for fungal nails
• PACTMed treatment
• Fungal nail test - we perform this test by removing small parts of the infected nail to confirm if you have fungal spores within the nail - this is completed in clinic by our qualified podiatrist and the results are given to you on the same day.
• The reason for testing the nail to ensure it is fungal is that we can then advise you accordingly and give you the best advise and course of treatment to help rid of the fungal nail.