SPORTS INJURIES – TRAUMA TO TOES, HEEL, ANKLE or FOOT
When it comes to foot fungus, many of my patients have been told myths about fungal infections that are completely untrue (such as the idea that you have some terrible fungal disease that you can spread to family members or whatever). Completely false.
CAUSES
So, let’s start off on what causes a fungal infection in toenails. I tell my patients, there’s some good news and bad news with foot fungus. First, pressure is really the culprit behind some of the thick dark toenails included the dreaded black toenail. And, 9 times out of 10, it’s the pressure against the shoe. For instance, my runners or folks with tight shoes, that constant beating on a toenail will make it thicker because toenails are the same protein as callouses and if you have pressure on a certain area, it will make a thick callous. So, if you have pressure on a toenail, it will respond and get thicker and darker even when there’s not a fungal infection.
Next, and this is a little bit of bad news, there’s a little bit of genetics involved with who is going to get fungal infections. So, for example, if grandma and grandpa have thick discolored nails, there’s a chance that it’s going to passed down to you. And, some of my patients that have more pigment in their skin or darker colored in their skin coloring will produce stripes and also little veins of darkness in the toenail. Remember, this has nothing to do with some sort of some dreaded fungal infection. It’s just from pounding on the toenail again and again over time.
Often, the toenail can actually lift up or become so thick the layers are spread out and then the foot fungus gets in. Before we recommend any procedure or topical medicine, we test samples from the toenail area in question. Then, depending on whether there is or is not a fungal infection, we can make the appropriate medical recommendation (whether that’s a change in their exercise routine or use of one or more foot fungus medications).
On this point, if we determine that you have a fungal infection, I’m a firm believer in the oral anti-fungals. As a foot doctor in Houston for the past 25 years, one of the most frequent concerns that I hear from patients is about these anti-fungal medications and if they will damage the patient’s liver. Here’s the deal on that. First, these medications have come a long way and improved over the years in terms of how they impact the liver and overall body. Second, yes, these antiviral medications do make the liver work harder. But, to put you at ease, so does alcohol. So does Tylenol. And, a lot of these drugs that make the liver work harder just means that it detoxifies the drug and for