Dermatophytes are fungi that can cause infections of the skin, hair, and nails due to their ability to utilize keratin. Once detected, it is critical to start using a toenail fungus treatment in order to minimize the severity of any infection. The organisms colonize the keratin tissues and inflammation is caused by host response to metabolic by-products. These infections are known as ringworm or tinea, in association with the infected body part. Occasionally the organisms do invade the subcutaneous tissues, resulting in kerion development.
The organisms are transmitted by either direct contact with infected host (human or animal) or by direct or indirect contact with infected exfoliated skin or hair in combs, hair brushes, clothing, furniture, theatre seats, caps, bed linens, towels, hotel rugs, and locker room floors.
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The best way to fight a case of toenail fungus is to begin applying a nail fungus treatment as soon as you detect the infection. The longer you wait to start treatment, the more time it give the dermatophytes (fungal agents that cause nail fungus) to dig in, multiply and spread. However, a person needs to understand what the primary symptoms of nail fungus are in order to detect the infection in its earliest stages. So, the remainder of this post is a list of common symptoms that indicate the presence of a nail fungus infection.
