Protecting Your Feet: Preventing Toenail Fungus Around Pools and Damp Areas

Protecting Your Feet from Fungal Infections

Fungal infections plague many people's toenails, feet, and give off an unpleasant odor. Contraction tends to occur more easily in shared areas like locker rooms, showers, pools, and saunas where warmth and moisture allow rapid spread. By understanding proper prevention and treatment, you can spare yourself considerable discomfort.

Causes and Risk Factors

Dermatophytes fungi types trigger most issues by releasing keratin-digesting enzymes attacking nail beds and skin. Tinea pedis "athlete's foot" and onychomycosis toenail infections commonly arise from:

• Damp locker rooms, pool decks, showers
• Shared use of uncleansed pedicure tubs in salons
• Wearing tight, non-breathable shoes and socks
• Walking barefoot in warm public places
• Reduced immunity from illness or medications
• Diabetes and peripheral circulatory disorders
• Minor skin or nail injuries
• Using other's infected towels, shoes, or nail clippers

Children and seniors face increased susceptibility to skin infections. Once contracted, warmth and darkness inside shoes fosters spread across toenails or skin. Avoiding transmission comes down to protective foot hygiene.

Inhibiting Spread Around Pools

Vigilance matters at public pools, locker rooms, and showers. Toenail fungus easily passes between bare feet via damp surfaces. Reduce infection risks:

• Wear flip flops or pool shoes except when swimming
• Thoroughly dry feet before putting on shoes
• Apply antifungal spray after showering
• Keep feet dry using antiperspirant spray
• Disinfect pedicure equipment after each client
• Use your own clippers and files, not shared ones

Towel off immediately when exiting pools, hot tubs, or saunas. Change out of wet swimsuits promptly to stay dry. Most importantly, shower using antifungal soap and wash all traces of pool water from feet to prevent contagion spread.

Early Signs to Watch For

Catching fungal infections early makes treatment easier. Be alert for key indicators like:

• Flaky, broken, thickened or distorted toenails
• Crumbly nail debris building up
• White, black or yellow nail discoloration
• Foul foot odor, even after washing
• Blisters, cracked skin, redness, peeling, itching
• Sudden worsening of nail appearance

Also inspect children's feet closely for any abnormal changes which tend to progress rapidly if untreated. Schedule medical care promptly at first signs to avoid complications.

Prevention Fundamentals

Proper hygiene remains the first line of defense against fungal spread. In public areas, wear shower shoes whenever possible and avoid direct barefoot contact with damp floors. Disinfect personal pedicure tools after each use. At home or the gym, never share used towels, shoes, socks or clippers with family members.

Keep feet clean and dry daily, wearing moisture-wicking socks and rotating shoes. Clip toenails straight across to prevent ingrown risks. Treat minor cuts immediately and keep feet exfoliated to prevent cracking. Let shoes airdry between wears and use antifungal sprays or powders in socks/shoes routinely to inhibit microbial bloom.

Treating Existing Fungal Infections

Several over-the-counter and prescription options treat stubborn fungal infections localized to feet or toenails.

Non-Prescription Antifungal Creams

For mild to moderate athletes foot or nail fungus, antifungal creams containing miconazole, clotrimazole, or similar compounds work well. Apply small amounts to clean dry skin and nails twice daily after washing and exfoliating.

Look for spray powder or dusting powders to put inside socks and shoes also to limit recurrence. It may take 3-6 weeks to see infection clearing. Keep using daily until all skin or nail symptoms resolve fully to prevent revival.

Prescription Oral Medications

Doctors often prescribe oral antifungal pills to treat stubborn or widespread fungal infections not resolving with topical therapy alone after 2 months. Medications like terbinafine or itraconazole prove highly effective combatting nail fungus and athletes foot internally but carry risks.

Potential side effects include headache, diarrhea, rash, liver inflammation and interactions with certain other medicines. Consequently, lab testing every 6 weeks checks on liver function and blood counts for safety. One course averages 12 weeks but toe nail fungus may require repeated cycles due to slow nail regrowth.

Clinical Antifungal Lacquers

Applied regularly by podiatrists or dermatologists, medicated nail polishes allow stronger topical dosing showing efficacy against moderate infections. Ciclopirox and amorolfine lacquers often penetrate better than over-the-counter drops or creams.

Brush on lacquer evenly to all affected nails and surrounding skin daily. Monthly visits remove buildup layers until nails heal normally again. Combining oral and topical treatments often boosts outcomes for stubborn nail fungus cases.

Laser Therapy and Photodynamic Treatment

Using specialized lights and photosensitizing solutions, podiatrists can activate antifungal properties directly inside infected toe nail tissue. By disrupting fungal cell walls, focused light beams attack infections minimizing oral medication side effects.

Typically, photodynamic therapy performs during normal clinic visits with pre-treatment sensitizer application beforehand. Advanced laser tools also destroy nail fungus safely with several quick exposures on consecutive weeks until infection resolves.

Preventing Recurrence

Without diligent prevention methods, fungal infections frequently return requiring repeat treatment every few years. Apply these tips to stop perpetual reinfection:

• Discard old shoes and socks harboring fungi spores
• Use daily antifungal sprays/powders preventively
• Take oral probiotics to limit return infections
• Get pedicures less often to avoid salon contamination
• Dry feet thoroughly after baths and swimming
• Alternate pairs of shoes daily to dry each pair fully

Pay special attention during warm weather or before visiting damp public venues. Consistent prevention allows healthy, clear nails and infection-free skin long term.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.