When considering how to avoid toenail fungus, three main actions are key:
- Washing your feet with soap and water every day. Keep nails trimmed, and use a soft brush to clean under them. Be gentle, because the microorganisms can enter through any small break between skin and nail.
- Protect your feet in danger zones. This means wearing flip flops or shower shoes in gym locker rooms, around public pools, or even in your own bathtub if a family member has an infection. It also means not sharing socks, shoes, towels, and pedicure tools with others.
- Be proactive, especially if you’ve had problems in the past. Keep feet as dry as possible with socks that draw away moisture and shoes that breathe. At the first small sign of infection, get treatment to keep it from spreading. You can also sprinkle antifungal powder in your shoes to keep them fungus free.
If you want to learn more about this condition and how to protect yourself, call the office of Yuko Miyazaki, DPM in Berkeley, CA at (510) 647-3744, or contact us online for an appointment. We’ll join your fight to prevent a fungal infection from ruining your nails, and provide treatment if you lose the battle. We’re here to help!