10. Fungal Nail Infection
Mr Dr.
Fungal nail infections are usually not serious, but while they can be painful at times, they are also not very nice to look at. These infections are caused by a fungal skin infection on the foot – such as ringworm, tinea pedis, or athlete’s foot – that makes the nails look cracked, discolored, thick, fragile, and can even cause the nail to become separated from the nail bed. There are other times when the fungus is caused by other medical conditions such as diabetes, use of public pools or locker rooms, skin injuries near the toenails, or from contaminated nail instruments when cleaning the toes. While most nail infections can be treated using antifungal medication, sometimes a doctor will need to remove the nail completely, treat the infection and allow the nail to grow back – which may take an entire year to complete.