5 Methods to Prevent the Spread of Toenail Fungus

Fungal toenails are a contagious infection, so when your spouse or one of your kids comes home with it, it can easily spread to you or other members of your family. No one wants to deal with a family-wide epidemic of unsightly, discolored toenails. To avoid this, you need to take steps to stop the fungus in its tracks and keep it from spreading. Fortunately, with a little effort, you can prevent the spread of fungal infections in your family.

Toenail fungus is caused by a stubborn microorganism that thrives in warm, damp environments. Sweaty feet and toes can be one of the best hosts for the pathogen, and unfortunately, it easily spreads to just about anything it touches. That includes socks, shoes, towels, the shower, your floors, and so on. In a family, that means it’s easy for one family member with the infection to pass it on to just about everyone else.

Fortunately, some preventative measures can help keep the fungus from getting passed around:

• Don’t share footwear – You may want your kids to share in general, but this time, don’t let your family share or swap socks or shoes.
• Practice good hygiene – Make sure everyone carefully washes and dries their feet every day. Help your children keep their nails trimmed properly, too.
• Wear good socks and shoes – Encourage your family to wear shoes that allow air to circulate around their feet, and choose socks that wick moisture.
• Clean potentially contaminated surfaces – Places like showers are a breeding ground for fungus, so clean them often.
• Pre-treat healthy feet – Even if only one person has fungal nails, use anti-fungal sprays, powders, and more to pre-treat everyone’s shoes and feet.

Toenail fungus is one thing you don’t want to share, but since families share so much, it’s easy for one member to pass it along to all the rest. Active prevention is the best way to keep the infection contained and prevent the spread of fungal nails through your whole family. Our team with Foot & Ankle Center of Oklahoma can help you with this, as well as treat the unlucky family member who brought it home in the first place. Contact our Oklahoma City office today by calling (405) 418-2676 for more information or to schedule an appointment so you don’t have to worry about family fungus any more.