If you noticed your nails seeming brittle or turning a strange shade of white or yellow, would you feel alarmed? If you’re noticing these symptoms, it’s possible you’re already researching to find out what does toenail fungus look like in the early stages.
Toenail fungus is unpleasant. It causes your nails to look yellow in color. Over time they become brittle and prone to breaking.
The good news is that if you have toenail fungus, you can treat it in the early stages without losing nails or going through surgery and expensive treatments. Learn more about how easy it is to handle it on your own before it escalates.
What Does Toenail Fungus Look Like in the Early Stages? Yellow Nails!
If you’ve never experienced the beginning stages of toenail fungus, it’s hard to know what to look for. If you choose to paint your nails or never look closely at your feet, it’s even harder to figure out.
One of the first symptoms of early-stage toenail fungus is yellow nails. This doesn’t start out as a bright yellow, and if it’s still early in the process, it’s possible you’ll see white spots at first.
Yellow toenails are common, but that doesn’t mean this is the only color they turn. Depending on you and how your body reacts to fungus within the body, your nails could change colors such as brown or green.
Any weird color on your nails deserves to get evaluated to ensure there’s no fungal infection. Take off your nail polish if you wear it, and look closely so you don’t miss anything.
If you notice such symptoms and have diabetes or an autoimmune disease, seek treatment right away. Getting proper treatment is a matter of preventing a greater problem from occurring.
Ridges on the Nails Offer Another Sign of Infection
If color isn’t the first thing you notice, that doesn’t mean the nail beds aren’t affected. Most nails develop ridges on them when an early fungal infection sets in.
The ridges often appear as raised lines and look deep, sometimes even jagged. These can appear on your big toe where they’re the most noticeable but pay attention to each nail bed.
Sometimes a vitamin deficiency or other problem causes issues with ridges developing on your toes. If that’s the case and you’re unsure, look at other symptoms.
These include how the nail feels in terms of strength, and if you notice a strange smell coming from your nails. While foot smell can happen to anyone, toenails that have a fungus infection smell bad, sometimes almost like rotten cheese.
If your nails smell like this even after you’ve cleaned your feet, it’s possible there’s an infection brewing.
Seek treatment for your nails so you can put a stop to embarrassing smells and feel confident when you go out. If you catch the toenail fungus early on, this is easy to solve and won’t take as long to clear up.
Injuries to Your Feet Can Encourage Toenail Fungus
Foot injuries happen to anyone. If you’re athletic, work outdoors, serve as a combat soldier, or have a job that requires being on your feet a lot, it’s possible you’re getting foot injuries more often than normal.
Wearing shoes that constrict your feet and feel tight means you’re sweating, trapping in heat, and not having enough room to move. Your feet cannot breathe properly.
If you’re wearing this type of footwear for many hours with an injury, your nail bed can become prone to cracking. This causes the toenail to lift from the bed, creating further problems and opening the door for toenail fungus to seep in.
If you’re noticing pain that’s emerging from your toenail beds, evaluate your feet and see how they look. Take note of the above-mentioned symptoms, such as color, smell, and what the bed itself looks like.
Even if you can’t change the circumstances, you can seek out footwear that’s comfortable and offers you greater protection. Look for ways to avoid further foot injuries, so you aren’t making yourself vulnerable to further toenail infections.
This is the first step in helping your nails recover and preventing further growth that spreads across your feet.
Both Brittle and Thicker Nails Point to Signs of Fungus
If you’re trying to figure out how to tell if you have toenail fungus, and you don’t see obvious signs in relation to color, ridges or smell, check the texture of your nail. This is an obvious sign that something’s wrong, and it gets worse when left untreated.
Brittle nails can start by peeling from the sides, or even get caught on something and snag. Over time, the nail becomes even weaker and can sometimes get ripped off.
In contrast, some people develop thicker nails. If you’ve had brittle nails that started getting thicker and you’re noticing a change in color and other symptoms, seek help right away,
Contrary to popular belief, these nails aren’t healthy and put you at risk of having an advanced case of toenail fungus that’s hard to get rid of. Folks who let their toenail fungus progress find it hard to wear shoes or anything that puts pressure on this part of their feet.
Take notice of weak or overly thick nails once you discover changes. Other causes exist that lead to brittle or thick nails, so it’s important you find the right solution for your issue.
Learn More
If you tried to learn what does toenail fungus look like in the early stages, you now know there’s a variety of symptoms associated with the disease. If you find these affect you, start treatment today, to prevent the problem from spreading to others in your family or getting worse.
To learn more read our in-depth article “how to get rid of toenail fungus fast” as well as our review about our top rated nail fungus treatment EmoniNail.
Contact us today if you have questions, and see how you can start feeling better and put a stop to toenail fungus.
