Easy ways to avoid fungal nail infections

"Be kind to your feet; they outnumber people two to one," so goes the slogan used by the popular Happy Feet sandals back in the ‘70s. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this simple advice. Despite their usefulness, feet often take the lowest priority when it comes to health. This makes them prone to a host of disorders like fungal nail infections that commonly affect the elderly.

Onychomycosis is the medical term for this serious malady that turns nails into monsters, making them dull, discolored, disfigured, distorted, and deformed. As the disease progresses, it can spread to your fingernails and make day to day activities like walking, typing, and writing painful and difficult.

To keep your nails happy and fungus free, here are some practical tips from the Mayo Clinic and WebMD:

1) Keep your hands and feet clean. Dry them thoroughly after washing or bathing and use a good foot powder.

2) Don’t walk barefoot around public pools, showers, and locker rooms.

3) Choose your footwear carefully. Wear socks that absorb moisture and change them as often as necessary, especially if you have sweaty feet. Avoid tight, enclosed shoes.

4) Don’t wear the same shoes daily. Have at least two pairs that you can wear alternately. Take your shoes off from time to time during the day. Disinfect your shoes with a good antifungal spray.

5) Use rubber gloves if you come in contact with water often. Dry the gloves afterwards.

6) Don’t bite your nails and keep them short.

7) Choose a clean nail salon if you intend to get a manicure or pedicure. Bring your own instruments if possible and don’t share them with others. Avoid harsh nail products, nail polish, and artificial nails.

8) Don’t cut your nails too short to avoid injury.

9) Control chronic conditions like diabetes.

10) Stop smoking.

If you’re a victim of onychomycosis, choose your medicine carefully. Most topical antifungal creams are ineffective and a waste of money while oral antifungal drugs are expensive and have many serious side effects. To protect your pocket and your health, switch to Somasin AFS, the practical herbal alternative that’s safe to use. Somasin’s unique dual action formula helps strengthen your immune system and penetrates the nail to eliminate fungal nail infections in just seven days. For more information, visit http://www.somasin.com.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com.