What is a Nail Fungus ?

A nail fungus is a disease that affect the nails of an individual, with the effect to discolor the nail, or give it a yellow, brown or dark coloration, and finally in the worst case it completely destroy the nails.

These phenomena can affect the finger nails or more frequently the Toenails.

The nail fungus is generally painless, except when the fungus spreads itself to proximal areas where it can become irritating.

The common name of this disease is Onychomycosis also named Ringworm Nail or Tinea Unguium.

It's one of the numerous human diseases partially caused by the Trichophyton fungal familly on the hair, skin and nails.

These diseases can be caused by other micro organisms than fungus. It's why a precise diagnostic must be confirmed by a laboratory examination. It was known as that only 50% of these diseases are caused by a fungus.

Several fungus can cause a nail infection, and it's not uncommon that an infection is caused by several fungus in the same time.

With the severity of the infection, the nails can be deformed and take a very unaesthetic aspect, which can caused a social difficulty for people who are reached by this disease (see Symptoms of Nail Fungus)

When a finger Nail or a Toenail are infected, the fungus reside between the nail plate and the nail bed.

For Toenail fungus, the cure is difficult because of it localization and the hardness of the nail tissues that prevent the effectiveness of many medications.

About these medications, consult my specific pages Nail Fungus Pharmaceutical Treatment, Natural Remedies for Nail Fungus  and Nail Fungus Home Remedies

For a better comprehension of what cause a Nail Fungus, consult Causes of Nail Fungus 

or give a look here:

Illustration by Selmedica Health Care