4 Tips to Avoid Sharing Fungal Nails with Your Family

Halloween is around the corner, which means stores and houses everywhere have spooky ghosts and skeletons peeking out from windows and decorating front porches. People will soon be indulging in scary movies and frightening costumes for parties and a night out trick-or-treating with kids. One frightening thing that you won’t find on any costume rack is a nail fungus infection. Imagine waking up and looking down at your feet to discover unsightly fungal nails!

Fungal toenails are contagious as well as embarrassing. The pathogen that causes the infection lingers and grows in your footwear, and can contaminate floors, towels, and bed sheets. That makes it all too easy to pass on to your family members. You shouldn’t have to spend this Halloween in fear that the infection will spread, however. There are ways you can help prevent others from developing a problem. Here are a few tips to keep your family fungus-free, even if you have an infection already:

• Don’t go barefoot – Wear shoes around the home to keep a layer of protection between your toes and the floor. Moisture-wicking socks and breathable shoes help absorb your sweat, too, reducing the fungus-friendly environment around your toes.
• Don’t share footwear – Don’t let others in your family borrow or use any old socks or shoes. Because fungus lingers and festers in footwear, sharing them may pass on the problem. Instead, wash out old socks and let your shoes dry between uses.
• Don’t share foot care tools – Don’t let others borrow your nail clippers, emery board, or other foot care supplies unless they have been sterilized after you used them last. The pathogen can linger on the surface of the tools.
• Treat the problem – The best way to prevent others from getting the infection is to eliminate it entirely. Use any medications you’ve been given for your own feet, as well as sprays or powders on your shoes to help eradicate the condition. If you’re able to have a nail laser procedure, that’s even better.

Preventing the spread of fungal toenails takes work and understanding the disease. If you’re concerned about spreading this real-life spooky substance to your family, don’t wait to seek treatment. Contact the West Lawn Podiatry Associates team for more information before others develop the infection. You can make an appointment at our West Lawn, PA, office by calling (610) 678-4581, or use our online contact page to reach us.

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