Thankfully, the answer is no.  Even the most severe cases of nail fungus are not life-threatening.  However, although toenail fungus is not a life-threatening condition, it is a distraction for your immune system that can lead to serious medical conditions.  Toenail fungus is an invader of the toenail beds and once entrenched the body naturally works to remove it.  Unfortunately, once the fungus has colonized the toenail bed, there is little the body can do on its own to eliminate the toenail fungus.  As long as the fungus is present, your body continuously attempts to fight it and this takes away some of the natural infection-fighting power used for other potential illnesses.  Toenail fungus is not only unsightly and sometimes uncomfortable, but it is also an infection or contamination that should be addressed so the body can be free to fight off other conditions.

So in conclusions, despite not being a life threatening disease, it is important to seek treatment as early as possible as the fungus is very unlikely to clear up on its own.  it also becomes far harder to treat with time.  If one is able to start using a quality toenail fungus treatment before the lanula (the white crescent shaped part of the nail near the cuticle) is affected, visible improvements should come quickly.  But remember that a condition can only be considered fungus free once a completely healthy nail has grown out.  This can take as long as 18 months for toenails and 12 months for fingernails.

Toenail fungus is rare in children but the incidence increases with age and it is estimated that nearly half of entire United States population having at least one toe affected by the time they are 70 years of age.

Wearing tight-fitting shoes and layers of nail polish increases the risk of developing nail fungus.  In addition, simple wear and tear of the skin around that feet can invite skin fungal conditions that can then turn into toenail fungus infections.  It can also be spread person-to-person in public areas, such as locker rooms and showers.  Having a chronic condition that affects your circulation, such as diabetes, or HIV also increases your risk.

The initial symptoms begin with the affected nail becoming discolored (yellow or brown) and then eventually thick and/or overgrown.  If the infection becomes particularly intrenched, there may be a foul-smelling debris under the nail.  The nail can eventually crumble and completely fall off, or it may become so thick that it is very painful to wear shoes.

Toenail fungus often becomes a chronic condition, and if it is not painful, many people do not get treatment.  However, people with chronic illness like diabetes should see a doctor if they notice changes in their nails as it may be an indication of more serious problems.  If the nail becomes very thick and makes wearing shoes and walking painful, you should see a medical professional.

One of the most important aspects of treating a nail fungus infection is to begin treating it at the onset of infection.  Once any of the above conditions are detected, the nail in question should be immediately treated with a quality toenail fungus treatment.  We suggest using Funginix, our powerful and extremely effective topical solution.  Treatment with Funginix has proven to be an effective treatment for people in different stages of infection and is a very powerful yet easy to use treatment.

The fungus starts by attacking the nail and causing the nail plate to turn yellow, cloudy or dark colored as it dies.  It is at this time where it is critical to use a top notch nail and toenail fungus treatment immediately to fight the fungus while it has yet to spread and grow.   If the fungus is not attacked quickly, the nail fungus will multiply as the condition worsens and will cause the heavily affected nails to either thicken, darken or become brittle and crumble apart.  Once a fungal infection has reached this stage, you can expect treatment periods of up to a year and beyond even with the best nail fungus product.

Once this heavily affected, nails must be treated for a substantial period of time before all of the fungus has been eliminated.  The suggested treatment time to kill all of the nail fungus in even a medium level infection is 6 months.  This is to insure that ALL of the fungus has been eliminated.  People with mild to medium cases often make the mistake of using a nail fungus treatment only until the nail has shown signs of improvement.  If a toenail fungus infection is not treated  to full elimination of the dermatophytes (fungus), the infection will more than likely return at some point.  Fungal infections only need a trace amount of fungus to flare back up so be sure to continue to treat your nail fungus infection well beyond the time when you first see improvement.

Funginix is the best combination of anti-fungal agents, essential oils and fungus-fighting extracts available. In order to create a solution that can penetrate the infected areas of a nail fungus infection, we came up with our unique blend of active ingredients like undecylenic acid, herbal remedies like camphor and essential oils like tea tree oil.

Through trial and error, we discovered that this particular ingredient mix was not only a very powerful anti-fungal but also absorbed extremely quickly into the skin under and around the nail bed.  The quicker a treatment can get to the root of a fungal infection, the faster that the solution can start attacking which reduces treatment times.  Once the solution has penetrated the infection, it is important to keep the infected areas under attack which is why you should apply Funginix in both the morning and at night.  Get your bottle of Funginix and start fighting fungus now!

Nail fungus, or Onychomycosis, is a condition that is caused by the presence of a fungus living in and underneath the nail bed of a finger or toe.  The fungus houses itself within the nail bed making it difficult to reach and therefore difficult to eliminate.  The cool and protected area underneath the nail provides the ideal growing conditions for fungal agents.  AND REMEMBER, SKIN FUNGUS ON THE FEET CAN BE (AND VERY OFTEN IS) A PRIMARY CAUSE OF TOENAIL FUNGUS!  The skin on both feet needs to be kept clean and dry as well.

The fungus starts by attacking the nail and causing the nail plate to turn yellow, cloudy or dark colored as it dies. If the fungus is not treated quickly, the fungus will multiply as the condition worsens and will cause the heavily affected nails to either thicken or become brittle and crumble apart.

Once affected, nails must be treated for a substantial period of time before all of the fungus has been eliminated. The suggested treatment time to kill all of the nail fungus infection once the nails have been affected is 6 months at a minimum. This will allow for a topical nail fungus treatment such as FUNGINIX to eliminate every last fungal agent around the affected area while a new nail grows in healthy and strong.

Fungal infection under the nails or between the toes is caused by a fungus that grows best in warm, moist areas.  The best way to prevent the Onychomycosis fungus is to keep feet dry at all times.  So here are some great ideas to keep your feet safe:

- Wear a fresh pair of socks every day.  Socks should be made out of natural fibers such as silk, wool or cotton.  These fibers allow moisture to pull away from the foot and circulate air around the foot and toe area.  If your feet become damp during the day or your socks become soaked by sweat, take them off as soon as possible, dry your feet with a clean towel and put on a fresh pair of socks.  It is best to avoid wearing socks and shoes all together when trying to prevent foot fungus.  This leads us to our next step in fungus prevention.

- Wearing the same pair of shoes, day after day can take it’s toll on your feet and expose you to bacteria and fungus.  When storing shoes make sure they stored in a well ventilated area for complete drying time.  Consider owning multiple pairs of fitness sneakers and rotate those pairs for optimal drying time.  Lastly, wear flip flops or slippers when entering a gym locker room or shower area.  This is a breeding ground for mold and fungi that cause toenail fungus and other bacterial infections.

- There are ways to help your nail technician do their best in preventing toenail fungus before it starts.  The first suggestion is bring your own nail polish.  This is an easy way to regulate what fungi goes directly on your nail bed.  You avoid serious fungal infection and get to pick out your favorite polish color.  The second suggestion is make sure all the equipment the nail technician is using on you is sterilized.  Each instrument should be disinfected and properly stored.  Lastly, avoid the pedicure whirlpool bath.  This is a pool of germs and bacteria just waiting to inhabit your toenails.  Unless you can be certain that the tub was cleaned with the proper disinfectant or bleached after every client.  Our recommendation is to avoid it at all costs.

- Recurrent fungal infections are a common sign of a depressed immune system.  Supplementing your diet with nutrients and vitamins can certainly help prevent and keep “bad” bacteria at bay.  Introduce more garlic into your meals.  Garlic tablets can be ingested 2-3 times daily helping to neutralize most fungi.  Tea tree oil is also a natural anti-fungal cleanser.  Clean the foot and toenail area with a full strength tea tree oil formula.  Black walnut extract can work as well in preventing foot fungus externally.

- Sharing items can lead to toenail fungus infections.  Fungi can spread from person to person and other areas of the body when an item is shared and not disinfected first.  For maximum prevention, do not share towels, shoes, clippers or scissors with anyone else.

Our nails act as extremely resistance barriers to this sort of infection. However, once a fungal infection has taken hold that barrier works against us and makes treating the infection difficult. It is critical to begin treatment with Funginix the moment that you see an indication of nail fungus beginning. This is because the fungus lives under the nail and the nail acts as protection for the fungus.

Approximately 10% (30 million people) in the United States have nail fungus. On average 3:10 people will develop fungal infection of the nails in their lifetimes.

Fungi will often cause the area around the nail to become red and irritated. Initially a fungus will take hold at the base or edges of the nail. Once the infection continues to spread you’ll notice changes in your nail and nail bed. You may experience mild discomfort, itching, or perhaps even sharp pain around the cuticle which is the skin surrounding the nail. Bleeding may begin to occur and often detachment from the cuticle to the nail may result. The nail will begin a slow transformation to perhaps a yellow, brown, or white coloration. Nails will often become thicker and extremely brittle. You may experience discomfort when you put weight on any fungal infected nail.

Why Is Funginix A Topical Treatment For Nail Fungus: High quality topical nail fungus treatments are very easy to use and generally have no side effects whatsoever.  When we first developed Funginix, this was a major deciding factor.  Oral medications are often effective as a treatment for fighting toenail fungus infections.  However, there are too many potentially dangerous side effects for us to feel comfortable creating and selling such a product.  Laser treatments have also been effective in some cases but the price is far too high and not within the budget for many nail fungus sufferers.  Our line of thinking led us to creating a highly effective topical toenail fungus treatment that is both easy to use and sold at a reasonable price.

Quality Ingredients: Funginix is the most complete and effective of all topical toenail fungus treatments because of the extensive, high quality list of ingredients.  These ingredients are a proprietary combination of organic elements, proven active ingredients and herbal anti-fungal agents that been used to fight fungus for years.  We have simply come up with a formula and balance of these ingredients that makes for the most effective topical nail fungus treatment.  Our active ingredient, undecyclenic acid, is an FDA-approved anti-fungal and when blended with our unique combination of organics and herbals results in a wonderful topinail fungal treatment that we stand behind 100%.

Why Is Funginix A Topical Treatment For Nail Fungus: High quality topical nail fungus treatments are very easy to use and generally have no side effects whatsoever.  When we first developed Funginix, this was a major deciding factor.  Oral medications are often effective as a treatment for fighting toenail fungus infections.  However, there are too many potentially dangerous side effects for us to feel comfortable creating and selling such a product.  Laser treatments have also been effective in some cases but the price is far too high and not withing the budget for many nail fungus sufferers.  Our line of thinking led us to creating a highly effective topical toenail fungus treatment that is both easy to use and sold at a reasonable price.

Quality Ingredients: Funginix is the most complete and effective of all topical toenail fungus treatments because of the extensive, high quality list of ingredients.  These ingredients are a proprietary combination of organic elements, proven active ingredients and herbal anti-fungal agents that been used to fight fungus for years.  We have simply come up with a formula and balance of these ingredients that makes for the most effective topical nail fungus treatment.  Our active ingredient, undecyclenic acid, is an FDA-approved anti-fungal and when blended with our unique combination of organics and herbals results in a wonderful topinail fungal treatment that we stand behind 100%.

An infection with nail fungus may be difficult to treat, and infections may recur.  That makes it all the more important to begin treatment with Funginix as soon as you become aware that you indeed have a toenail fungus infection.

You more than likely have a nail fungus infection — also called onychomycosis (on-i-ko-mi-KO-sis) — if one or more of your nails are:

• Thickened
• Brittle, crumbly or ragged
• Distorted in shape
• Dull, with no luster or shine
• A dark color, caused by debris building up under your nail

Infected nails also may separate from the nail bed, a condition called onycholysis.  You may feel pain in your toes or fingertips and detect a slightly foul odor.

Fungi are microscopic organisms that don’t need sunlight to survive.  Some fungi have beneficial uses, while others cause illness and infection.

Nail fungus infections are typically caused by a fungus that belongs to a group of fungi called dermatophytes.  But yeasts and molds also can be responsible for nail fungal infections.

All of these microscopic organisms live in warm, moist environments, including swimming pools and showers.  They can invade your skin through tiny invisible cuts or through a small separation between your nail and nail bed.  They cause problems only if your nails are continually exposed to warmth and moisture — conditions perfect for the growth and spread of fungi.

Infection with nail fungus occurs more in toenails than in fingernails because toenails are often confined in a dark, warm, moist environment inside your shoes — where fungi can thrive.  Another reason may be the diminished blood circulation to the toes as compared with the fingers, which makes it harder for your body’s immune system to detect and eliminate the infection.

Nail fungus is more common among older adults for several reasons, including diminished blood circulation and more years of exposure to fungi.  Also, nails may grow more slowly and thicken with age, making them more susceptible to infection.  Nail fungal infections tend to affect men more often than women, particularly those with a family history of this infection.

Other factors that can increase your risk of developing nail fungus include:

• Perspiring heavily
• Working in a humid or moist environment
• Having the skin condition psoriasis
• Wearing socks and shoes that hinder ventilation and don’t absorb perspiration
• Walking barefoot in damp public places, such as swimming pools, gyms and shower rooms
• Having athlete’s foot (tinea pedis)
• Having a minor skin or nail injury, a damaged nail or another infection
• Having diabetes, circulation problems or a weakened immune system

Please visit us at www.Funginix.com to learn more about our wonderful nail fungus treatment and thank you for reading our blog!

Because of the potential psychological and physical discomforts, patients must be very cautious when considering oral prescriptions as a toenail fungus treatment.  All oral antimycotic (antifungal) treatments used for onychomycosis have the potential to damage the liver.  In fact, if the patient has any history of liver disease whatsoever, oral prescription treatment for onychomycosis should not be used and will not be prescribed by a physician.  Even without a history of liver disease, it is usually recommended that the treating physician check liver enzymes before starting oral antifungal onychomycosis treatment.  For some treatments, liver function should be checked again after four weeks.  Also, any sign of liver disease such as jaundice (yellow skin or whites of the eyes), dark urine, pale colored stools, upper abdominal pain, fatigue or malaise should be reported to the doctor immediately.

Historically, Griseofulvin was the only oral treatment for onychomycosis.  While it worked reasonably well it was associated with a lot of side effects, especially at moderately high doses.  Griseofulvin also required long treatment courses and the nail fungal infection would often come back once the drug was stopped.  Fortunately there are newer, more effective oral antifungal onychomycosis treatments.  In fact, there are three main prescriptions in use today.

1)  Terbinafine, also known as Lamisil, has become the most popular of the prescription treatments.  Terbinafine is given as a 250 mg pill once a day for six weeks if treating fingernails and twelve weeks if treating toenails.  Pulse therapy has been effective in some cases.  Pulse therapy delivers a higher Lamisil dose but separated by times that no drug is administered. A complete blood count and liver function tests should be performed before treatment is started and after four weeks of therapy.
2)  Itraconazole (Sporanox) is usually administered in pulse dosing. The most common treatment schedule is 200 mg orally, once a day for one week per month over three months.  Itraconazole can interact with a number of other medications so you must tell your doctor about all of your medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.  Liver function tests should be performed before treatment is started and after four weeks of therapy.
3)  Fluconazole (Diflucan) is administered once per week (150 or 300 mg) until the symptoms resolve.  Treatment times may be six to nine months long before results are seen.  This antifungal may interact with several other medications and must be used judiciously.  Fortunately no blood tests are required when using fluconazole (though they may be performed anyway).

Topical prescription onychomycosis treatments are of limited usefulness and are usually combined with oral or surgical treatments. One of the more effective topical prescription products is ciclopirox (Penlac).  This 8% topical solution is applied once a day, usually at night.  While it is safer than oral antimycotics, complete cure was achieved in about 5% of those treated with ciclopirox alone and the cost of this treatment is extremely high.  One of the primary reasons for the creation of Funginix was that there was no truly effective topical treatment available that was drastically overpriced.  Log on to www.Funginix.com and learn more about the best topical solution for nail and toenail fungus infections.

The first symptom you may notice is a small white or yellow spot on the nail in question.  This spot may be very small making it hard to notice so look diligently if you are suspecting a toenail fungus infection.  The small spot on the nail is the beginning indicator of the fungal infection and with time will more than likely grow and progress to a much larger area, sometimes engulfing the entire nail.  Sometimes the lack of any real discomfort and the use of nail polish can allow this minor change to go by unnoticed until the infection is already entrenched.

After awhile, the small yellow spot will gradually become larger and the remaining areas of the toenail that are not discolored may become extremely dull.  It is at this point you may notice a darker center in the yellow coloring on your toenail, or around the edges of your toenail.  This darker brownish black discoloration is not a classic symptom of the condition and often only occurs in severe cases of infection.  A loss of the toenail may occur if this darker coloration occurs in conjunction with separation of the nail and skin.

The thickening and yellowing of the toenail is often referred to as a classic toenail fungus symptom.  Another common symptom is the flaking of the toenail due to brittleness or weakness of the nail.  Sometimes if the fungus is severe enough, it can actually cause parts of your toenail to flake off which disfigures the toenail substantially.

The only definite way to know if you actually have a nail fungus infection while still in the preliminary stages is to seek medical advice.  There are a few steps included in the diagnostic process which usually includes a physical examination of the infected toe, a series of questions, and finally a culture of the infected toe.  Observation of symptoms is a very large part of the diagnostic process and this is due to the fact that fungal infections usually always present with the same set of symptoms.

Treatment with Funginix is best started during the most preliminary of stages.  It is at this point that the infection is not heavily entrenched and can be attacked most easily.  If you have more specific questions about nail fungus or the treatment process with Funginix, please visit us at www.Funginix.com and read the helpful information found all over our website.