Painful yellow toenails

The problem of the yellow nails on the toes

When the nails of the toes turn out to be of the yellow color, this change can be the indicator of several different underlying conditions. However, the most common cause of this phenomenon is the infectious process provoked by the fungal infection, and this condition is frequent among the sportsmen. That is because their feet are forced to spend a lot of time trapped in the socks, which because of the increased sweating (and therefore, more humidity) is the beneficial environment for the settlement of fungi and the fast multiplication of them.

This condition is, however, popularly known as the athlete’s foot. The most prominent additional indicator of this condition, besides the yellow color of the nails, is the pain when wearing the tight footwear and when stepping. As far as the aesthetic point of the problem is concerned, the nails usually become more prone to break easily and there is certain flakiness of them.

Having in mind that any infection provoked by fungi is very stubborn, constant and thus very difficult to be treated (especially because there is always the great likelihood of the fungal recurrence), it is always better to prevent this condition, of course, if it is possible.

If not treated, this infection can turn into somewhat more serious problem, which is usually manifested as: the darkening of the nail (sometimes the little white spots are included, too), the loss of the nail (if it becomes extremely damaged), the altered shape of the nail (which sometimes results in the severe troubles with every step), the specific unpleasant smell discharged from the nail area, or as the accumulation of the dead tissue beneath the nail (and that is the reason why the nail affected by fungi sometimes doesn’t look as thin as the other nails).

Healing the problemWhen it comes to the treatment, besides the artificial medications, fortunately, there are a lot of naturally made remedies based on the beneficial herbs. Dealing with such infection is also commonly based on immersing the affected toenails into the mixtures which could be made easily at home. So, among the most effective such remedies, is the one based on the apple cider vinegar, which should be diluted in the 2 dl of the lukewarm water. The Listerine could also serve for the same purpose. After this process, it is extremely important to dry the feet thoroughly, since the humidity is the beneficial surrounding of the fungi.

Also very successful in getting rid of the toenail fungi, is the oil from the tea tree, which should be used as the massaging agent (it is powerful antiseptic). Also, the paste could be made of the juice from lemon and the baking powder and put on directly over the affected spot. Of course, the proper foot hygiene mustn’t be neglected.