Horrible-smelling toenails are something that actually plagues many people across the world. Foot odor, in general, is an even bigger problem. This general condition usually involves improper hygiene. However, bad-smelling toenails are a more specific subset of foot odor problems. They are much more difficult to treat. This is because bad-smelling toenails normally come from a toenail fungus. Toenail fungus can infect even the cleanest and most hygienic of people. Toenail fungus infections are a medical problem that can be frustrating to treat effectively. They may persist for long periods of time. The longer that the fungus is under your nail, the more likely it is to start having a horrible smell.
Social effects of horribly smelling toenails
Horrible-smelling toenails are something that can cause a lot of distress. The smell from this condition can be strong. This can make friends and family try to avoid close proximity to you. Additionally, it can be a social detriment as new people you meet may dislike you because of the smell. Many people with this condition have even been told by their friends and family that they need to improve the smell of their feet. Unfortunately, many people in society don’t understand the plight of toenail fungus and may jump to the conclusion that badly smelling toenails are due to poor hygiene. Toenail fungus can infect anybody. However, this fact doesn’t minimize the negative stigma that others may have around your smelly toenails.
Identifying the cause of the problem
The most common symptom of a toenail fungus infection is discoloration of the nail. This discoloration can appear in a few different colors, ranging from white to yellow to brown to black. In addition to the discoloration, the fungal infection is likely to cause the nail’s composition to change in ways that vary from brittleness to cracking to crumbling and more. The nail can also become detached from the nail bed because of a fungal infection interfering with the connection the nail has to the bed.
The first step to determining if your horrible-smelling toenails’ fungal smell comes from a toenail fungus is to look for other symptoms of a toenail fungus, as listed above. If you notice other symptoms, it is likely that the smell is also coming from a toenail fungus. One other key sign that the smell is caused by a toenail fungus is the location of the smell itself. Toenail fungus will cause a smell that originates from the nails. If the smell is caused by something else, like athlete’s foot or improper hygiene, the skin of the foot is more likely to smell. By pinpointing the smell of the nails, you can determine if it is caused by a fungus or not.
Possible reasons for nasty-smelling nails
Nasty-smelling toenails frequently develop from a nail fungal infection. Fungal infections of the nails are common and spread between people in close proximity. The fungus is very contagious, so it can be difficult to pinpoint where it originated. The mystery of the origin of the condition can cause people to assume that the fungal smell is caused by a lack of cleanliness. While it is easy to come to that conclusion, toenail fungus can infect even the cleanest of people. Spores are infectious organisms that grow because of their ability to find new hosts. And they could potentially infect any nail bed. While an immune disease can make it easier for the fungus to proliferate under the nail, this is a condition that can develop in anyone.
Toenails with Fungus
Toenail fungi can be the root cause of nasty-smelling toenails. To determine if your nasty-smelling toenails are from a fungal infection or not, there are a few signs you can look for. For one, if the smell is coming from the toenails themselves and not the skin of the foot, this is a sign that a toenail fungus could be the root cause. Bad-smelling feet that aren’t caused by a fungus should wash the smell away easily, while the scent of toenail fungus will not wash away. To test this, wash your feet well in the shower every day (this is a habit you should do every day, regardless of toenail fungus) to see if you notice an improvement in the smell of your feet.
If the toenails still smell, the fungus could be the root cause. Simply washing your feet won’t be able to completely clean the nail bed of fungus, and the fungal scent will still be there because of this. Also, try to notice if the smell from your feet gets worse immediately after you trim them. The fungus grows in the nail bed, which is agitated during trimming, so grooming the nails can dislodge fungal debris into the environment.
Common places to cause nail fungus infections
Nasty-smelling toenails can be worse in certain environments. Fungal organisms love environments that are dark and moist, so the summer is their favorite time to breed and grow. Shoes and socks are more sweaty and humid during this time, which allows the fungus to thrive. The smell coming from the nail infection will become stronger as the fungus grows more. Additionally, the climate of summer makes any bad smell stronger. Hot weather will make scents project over further distances, so the nasty smell under your toes will be worse on a hot summer day.
To find out if your nasty-smelling toenails are from a fungal infection or not, there are a few places you can look. Firstly, if the smell isn’t coming from the skin of the foot but rather the nail itself, this is a sign that a toenail fungus could be causal. Additionally, nasty-smelling feet caused by other reasons should smell better after a thorough wash with soap and warm water. Wash your feet well in the shower every day to see if this improves the smell of your feet. If not, the fungus could be the reason. Just washing your feet won’t remove the fungus from under the nail bed, and the scent will still be there because of that. Also, try to notice if the smell from your feet gets worse after you trim your nails. The fungus grows in the nail bed, so grooming the nails can dislodge fungal debris into the environment.
Treatment options for nasty-smelling toenails
Nasty-smelling toenails from fungus have multiple treatment options that are available to try. Using options like deodorant or scented antiperspirant can be helpful for temporary improvement. But to permanently improve the nasty smell, you will need to address the cause of the issue itself. However, treating the fungus under your nail bed isn’t an easy task, and it is common to become frustrated with many of the options available for treatment.
Common treatment options for fungus often have many downsides, so using them can feel pointless. For example, over-the-counter topical medications for fungus are often very ineffective at treating the fungus. Prescription topical medications are also available and slightly more effective, but they still sometimes take a year or longer to see any results if they ever appear at all. Oral antifungal medications prescribed by doctors are more effective than topical medications, but also carry the severe risk of bodily damage. These medications pass through the blood to arrive at the nail bed, passing through the liver in the process. While in the liver, they can cause severe toxicity, which can be especially dangerous for people with pre-existing conditions that affect liver function. For this reason, oral medications can require blood screenings before and during treatment.
Treatment options
Once you have determined the cause of your horrible-smelling toenails, treatment is the next step. Treating a smell caused by toenail fungus infection involves treating the toenail fungus itself. The only way to do this is with an FDA-approved treatment from a licensed podiatrist. While there are some DIY treatments recommended by online blogs, these are unlikely to have many positive effects on your toenail fungus. In fact, many of them may actually cause harm to the toe and toenail.
Podiatrists may recommend different antifungal options to treat horrible-smelling toenails. However, not all of these are made the same, and the levels of risk and benefit that come with each type of treatment are not equal. Many of the treatments prescribed by doctors are actually very ineffective at curing the fungus; this is especially true for topical medications like creams. Oral medications are slightly more effective but come with the risk of severe side effects like liver toxicity. These medications require blood work before and during the treatment course since they are so dangerous.
There are many treatment options for horrible-smelling toenails. For example, the nail fungus laser treatment is safe and effective. This means that it is the best treatment available to cure yourself of the smell under your toenails. After you receive treatment with the nail fungus laser, a new healthy nail that doesn’t smell should start growing behind the old damaged one. You can learn more about this treatment on our website and view before-and-after pictures of the treatment here.
