Are Fungal infections of nails common?
Yes, the infection causes thickened and unsightly nails which sometimes become painful. Medication often works well to clear the infection, but you need to take medication for several weeks. Antifungal nail paints can also help in the early stages.
Who gets fungal nail infections?
Between 3 and 8 out of 100 people in the UK will have a fungal nail infection at some stage of their lives. the infection is just in one nail, but several may be affected.
At first the infection is usually painless. The nail may look thickened and discoloured (often a green-yellow colour or have white lines across the nail. White or yellow patches may also appear where the nail has come away from the skin under the nail; sometimes the whole nail comes away. The nail may become soft and crumble. If left untreated, the infection may eventually destroy the nail and the nail bed, and may become painful. It is important to treat any signs of infection quickly to prevent it spreading.
