Overcoming Onychomycosis™ By Scott Davis If you want a natural and proven solution for onychomycosis, you should not look beyond Overcoming Onychomycosis. It is easy to follow and safe as well. You will not have to take drugs and chemicals. Yes, you will have to choose healthy foods to treat your nail fungus. You can notice the difference within a few days. Gradually, your nails will look and feel different. Also, you will not experience the same condition again!
What is the impact of aging on the risk of onychomycosis?
Aging substantially increases the likelihood of onychomycosis (fungal nail infection) due to a combination of lifestyle, physiological, and environmental causes that occur normally as people age. The following explains how aging affects the development of onychomycosis:
1. Changes in Nail Growth and Morphology
Reduced Nail Growth:
With increasing age, nail growth becomes slower. More damaged and vulnerable to invasion by fungi are nails that grow slowly, especially if they have a slight injury or trauma to the nail. Thickening and dullness of nails that are frequently seen with advancing age can also predispose to fungal growth.
Nail Thickening:
Old individuals have a tendency to get thickening of the nails (especially toenails). This thickening along with slowing down of growth rate can predispose to simpler colonization by fungi and can also make early detection of infection harder, increasing the likelihood of severe onychomycosis if not treated.
Alteration in Nail Texture:
Aging can also cause nails that are more prone to breaking or splitting and are more brittle. This increases the risk of fungal infection entry through a break or a crack in the nail.
2. Reduced Blood Flow
Poor Circulation:
With age, circulation, especially in the extremities (the feet and hands), is slower. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is more common with increasing age, reducing circulation to the feet. Reduced circulation means the body is less able to clear infection, like fungal infections, and nails can take longer to heal if damaged.
As one ages, the immune system weakens, a phenomenon called immunosenescence. Immunosenescence can cause older people to be more susceptible to fungal infections such as onychomycosis. The body is no longer able to mount an effective defense against fungal pathogens, resulting in increased and more severe infections.
3. Reduced Skin Elasticity and Water Loss
Dry and Brittle Skin
Aging skin will be less pliable and drier, so the skin around the base of the nail is more likely to split or crack. These cracks will provide a point of entry for fungal invasion, so onychomycosis will be more likely.
Increased Susceptibility to Skin Diseases
The reduced capacity of the skin to retain moisture and with age-related skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis weaken the protective barrier of the skin, and conditions favorable to fungal infection develop.
4. Reduced Sensory Perception (Neuropathy)
Loss of Sensation:
Older people are more susceptible to diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), especially among those with diabetes. Neuropathy reduces the perception of injury or infection in the feet so that any early warning signs of onychomycosis, such as discoloration or thickening of the nails, are missed. This delay in noticing symptoms can allow the infection to advance before it is addressed.
Higher Risk of Injury
As a person ages, there is more chance of sustaining falls or trauma to the foot, which might lead to slight fractures or trauma to the nail. These sorts of injuries will create an access point for fungus to infect the nail bed.
5. Medical Conditions and Drugs
Chronic Conditions:
Many elderly persons suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and immune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), all of which are risk factors for onychomycosis. Diabetes mellitus, for example, can weaken immune function, raise blood sugar (which is a fungal nutrient), and cause neuropathy, all of which are risk factors for fungal infections.
Drugs:
They also employ drugs that carry a high probability of increasing the vulnerability to fungal infection. For instance, immune-suppressant drugs such as corticosteroids, or drugs that alter the ratio of microorganisms within the body (such as chemotherapy or antibiotics), facilitate a situation where overgrowth of fungus becomes a desirable likelihood. Antibiotic use especially tends to predispose to the acquisition of a fungal infection because antibiotics often displace resident skin microbiota.
6. Reduced Hygiene and Nail Care
Difficulty with Personal Care:
With age, the ability of a person to perform personal care activities, such as nail cutting or daily foot checking, may decrease. Older persons suffering from visual impairments, arthritis, or mobility problems can be unable to properly take care of their nails, thus making fungal infection a probable outcome.
Shoeing Choices:
As people age, they may wear poorly fitting shoes or poorly ventilating shoes. Tight shoes, which are often worn by elderly people, can provide a warm, moist environment that is favorable to the growth of fungi, especially in the toenails.
7. Environmental Exposure
Long-Term Exposure to Moist Environments
Older individuals can have been exposed to environments that are at higher risk of producing fungal infections, including communal showering facilities, gyms, or swimming pools, for decades. The extended exposure, in addition to the natural aging changes in the nails and skin, heightens the cumulative risk of onychomycosis over time.
Fungal Exposure in Care Facilities:
Many elderly patients live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities in which infection with fungal diseases is more likely due to close proximity and shared equipment. Onychomycosis is often more prevalent in such settings.
8. Effect of Aging on Treatment and Healing
Slower Healing Rate:
With age, the body’s healing capability slows down, and so does that of skin and nail injuries. If a senior citizen gets infected with a fungus, its treatment becomes time-consuming, and infection becomes more difficult to treat or becomes severe if not treated in time.
Aged patients are vulnerable to drug interaction and side effects upon being treated for onychomycosis, especially if they are on multiple medications. Oral antifungal drugs, for example, will interact with drugs used for cardiovascular conditions or hypertension, thereby diminishing the effectiveness and safety of treatment.
9. Impaired Nail Hygiene and Excessive Nail Trauma
Infrequent nail care:
As people age, they may be less careful about regular nail care, including proper nail trimming, washing, and nail filing. Debris buildup or nail damage caused by poor hygiene or improper care creates an opportunity for fungi to develop.
Prevention Tips for Older Adults
Regular Nail Inspections:
Elderly individuals need to examine their nails regularly for infections, such as discoloration, thickening, or texture, and should be diagnosed early to prevent severe fungal infections.
Moist and Protected Skin:
Maintaining moist and protected skin around the nails can prevent cracks that allow entry of fungi.
Correct Footwear:
Wherever it is possible, wear well-fitting shoes that keep the feet ventilated and switch the socks from time to time so that the moisture does not pile up and fungal growth is prevented.
Foot Hygiene:
Proper foot hygiene, i.e., washing and drying the feet clean, especially between the toes, is very crucial in preventing onychomycosis.
Consulting Healthcare Providers:
Trips to a healthcare or podiatry expert for periodic foot care and treatment of the fungal infection, especially for older adults with other complications like diabetes, are specially helpful.
Aging substantially increases the risk of onychomycosis due to structural nail changes, reduced circulation, reduced immune function, and other age-related factors like reduced skin elasticity and sensitivity. Elderly people should be highly careful about foot and nail hygiene, practice good foot and nail care, and seek immediate medical attention if infection symptoms arise to prevent onychomycosis from becoming a dangerous condition.
Would you like more specific advice on the prevention or treatment of onychomycosis in older people?
Trauma to the nail predisposes to onychomycosis (fungal nail infection) by allowing a habitat for fungi to enter the nail bed and infect it. The following is how trauma to the nail can result in the onset of onychomycosis:
1. Breaking of the Nail’s Protective Barrier
Nail Integrity: The nail acts as a protective covering, shielding the underlying nail bed from harmful pathogens, including fungi. When the nail is damaged or traumatized through physical trauma (e.g., kick to the toe, ingrown nail, or repetitive compression), the cover is broken, providing an opportunity for entry by fungi.
Open Wounds or Cracks: Any break, cut, or abrasion in the nail, especially if it occurs along the nail bed, offers a direct pathway for fungal spores to penetrate into the skin and infect it.
2. Increased Moisture and Fungal Growth
Moisture Trapping: Disturbances of the shape and structure of the nail due to nail injury may result in lifting of the nail plate away from the bed or creating voids. The voids allow water accumulation, and thus, a warm, damp environment develops which becomes favorable for the growth of fungi. Fungi thrive most conveniently in dark, humid, and moist conditions, and hence nail injury becomes a fertile ground for infection.
Hematoma Development: In some traumatic situations, blood can form under the nail (a subungual hematoma). The sequestered blood can create a very conducive environment for the development of fungi as it can confine moisture and heat and permit onychomycosis to form.
3. Inflammation and Reduced Blood Flow
Inflammatory Response: The nail injury is likely to cause an inflammatory response in the body. Inflammation has the potential to disrupt normal growth and healing of the nail and increase the vulnerability of the nail to fungal infections. Inflammation in the area can also compromise the immune system’s ability to fight infection in the nail bed.
Impaired Circulation: Fungal infection could also impair the blood supply to the infected part. Normal circulation is required in order to offer immune cells that fight infection. With impaired circulation, the immune defense of the body is reduced, and one becomes more vulnerable to onychomycosis.
4. Nail Deformation and Misalignment
Deformed Nails: Deformity or misalignment of the nail due to trauma may result in abnormal growth of the nail. An example would be trauma that makes the nail thick and deformed, resulting in crevices or cracks where fungi may invade and infect.
Ingrown Nails: Trauma to the nail can cause ingrown nails, a condition in which the nail curls into the surrounding skin. This offers an entry point for fungi to penetrate and cause infection.
5. Repeated Trauma and Chronic Nail Injury
Chronic Repetitive Trauma: Individuals who repetitively traumatize the nails, such as those who run, play sports, or work with their hands, are more prone to develop onychomycosis. Chronic injury over time may weaken the nails and create small cracks or breaks through which fungi can more easily enter.
Nail Bed Injury: Trauma to the nail bed (e.g., from dropping on the toe with a heavy object) may result in permanent damage that inhibits nail growth and predisposes the nail to fungal infection.
6. Compromised Nail Hygiene
Nail Care Difficulty: When there is trauma to the nail, the area becomes painful or swollen and thus difficult for individuals to clean and take care of their nails properly. In bad hygiene or when cleaning up after an injury in a wrong manner, material is left behind, water or bacteria that further weakens the risk of fungal infection.
Scratching or Picking at Nails: Damage to the nail will make one more prone to scratch or pick at the area, and this will put more germs or fungi on the nail bed.
7. Greater Risk in Immunocompromised Individuals
Weakened Immune System: Those with a compromised immune system (e.g., diabetic patients, HIV/AIDS patients, or on immunosuppressive therapy) are at a higher risk of developing infection, including onychomycosis. Minimal trauma to the nail can be enough to allow fungi to penetrate and infect the nail bed in individuals with compromised immunity.
Prevention and Management
Proper Nail Care: To reduce the risk of onychomycosis following nail trauma, it is necessary to keep nails clean and dry. If blood or open areas are present, disinfect and cover the area with a bandage to keep out fungal spores.
Prevent Additional Trauma: Try to prevent additional injury to the affected nail. Wearing protective footwear or padding the affected area can reduce the chances of additional trauma.
Treatment of Injury: When trauma leads to hematoma or nail separation, it becomes important to treat the injury. Draining a subungual hematoma or getting proper medical attention for severe injury can prevent complications leading to infection.
Topical Antifungals: If you notice any of the symptoms of onychomycosis (i.e., discoloration, thickening, or change in texture), start topical antifungal treatment early to prevent aggravation of the infection.
By avoiding nail trauma and using proper care and hygiene, the risk of getting onychomycosis can be reduced. Do you wish for more specific information on treating nail trauma or fungal infection?
Overcoming Onychomycosis™ By Scott Davis If you want a natural and proven solution for onychomycosis, you should not look beyond Overcoming Onychomycosis. It is easy to follow and safe as well. You will not have to take drugs and chemicals. Yes, you will have to choose healthy foods to treat your nail fungus. You can notice the difference within a few days. Gradually, your nails will look and feel different. Also, you will not experience the same condition again!