Symptoms of Onychomycosis

What is onychomycosis?

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection that affects the fingernails and the toenails making them to disfigure, to discolor, thicken and to split. Failure to get treatment may lead to the toenails becoming thick thus pain and irritation when you put on shoes. One should be careful with fingernail infections as they mlead to social and unemployment related problems. Adults are the most victims of onychomycosis than children with many cases of the diseases coming from them. Onychomycosis is in different subtypes. The main one is distal lateral subungual onychomycosis, proximal subungual onychomycosis, endonyx onychomycosis, white superficial onychomycosis and candidal onychomycosis. However, a patient of onychomycosis may have the combination of all this subtypes in them. This state is the most advance state of onychomycosis and it is refered to as total dystrophic onychomycosis. Then one should get to know the symptoms and signs of onychomycosis so as to be cautious incase they may start showing up on them.


  What are the signs and symptoms of onychomycosis?

  Signs and symptoms are different depending on the subtypes of the the onychomycosis;

  a).Distal lateral subungual onychomycosis.

In distal lateral subungual onychomycosis, the nails thicken and become cloudy making the nail bed to thicken and harden. With  time, the nail separates itself from the nail bed.  The nail color turns to anywhere from white to brown  while nail edge turns ragged.

  b).Endonyx onychomycosis                                                                                            

With endonyx onychomycosis the only symptom that is shown is the nail color which turns to milky white. The nail bed does not thicken while the nail is not separated from the nail bed.

  C).Proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO).                                        
                                                                             
The signs and symptoms are streaking, formation of white spots and discoloration of the nail commences at the fold of the hard skin that overlaps the base of the toenail and slowly permeates the nail.  The white discoloration is adjacent to the cuticle, while the rest of the nail retains the normal color.

  d).White superficial onychomycosis.

In white superficial onychomycosis (WSO), the nail  becomes rough and crumbles so easily.  The nail surface will portray small white spots that are speckled.

 Yeast infections  cause toe nail fungus which have many different forms of signs and symptoms. In any way the yeast infection becomes a chronic infection to the mucous membrane and to the skin, the entire nail will be infected by the fungus, the nail bed thickens and hardens causing inflammation on the nail bed.

Dystrophic onychomycosis, which is the advanced state of combination of all the subtypes, causes the nail to change to yellow-brown, opaque and and becomes thick.

 More symptoms of the disease.


When the disease has advanced to a more complicated state, you may experience difficulties in walking, exercises and standing because of thickened toenails.  There may be a tingling or creeping sensation thet re felt in  your feet. Discomfort and pain may develop and your agility will be affected.  Many people go through thorough emotional upset, such as embarrassment and loss of apetite and seft esteem and even leads to problems related to social and unemployment problems.


  Conclusion.

 One should seek quick medical care incase they realize such of this signs on them. Onychomycosis can be very dangerous if no attended to in time.