How to get rid of smelly Toenails? Why do my toenails smell bad? These are very common questions among people who experience nail fungus. Smelly toenails are usually associated with sweaty feet and poor hygiene. The smell would usually go away with a thorough wash. In some cases, the foul smell may have a medical cause. White smelly gunk under the toenails that have a similar smell to cheese is likely to be toenail fungus.
Smelly odor coming from your nails can be alarming. Usually, a bad smell coming from the feet can be easily washed away. When the nail itself emits an odor, this may be because of an infection. If you have also noticed that there is a buildup of dirt or another residue that is emitting the odor, you likely are infected with a fungus.
Reasons to get rid of smelly toenail fungus
Smelly toenail fungus can be a very distressing condition for many people. In general, toenail fungus can be something that is a cause of embarrassment, shame, and discomfort for people. People with visible toenail fungus can be uncomfortable showing their toes at all because of the visual symptoms and damage that toenail fungus can cause. These symptoms can be pretty obvious and can make people stop doing activities that they enjoy like going to the beach or wearing sandals. The resulting decrease in enjoyment of life can be one of the worst parts of toenail fungus. When the fungus causes a lingering or emanating smell, it can cause even more embarrassment, shame, and discomfort. This particular symptom is usually more noticeable than the other, aesthetic, changes it causes in the nail’s surface, and people are more likely to both smell the fungus and to make a comment on the smell.
Causes of toenail fungus
Toenail fungus or Onychomycosis usually causes the toenails to smell like cheese. The unpleasant odor is caused by the organism, tinea unguium. Other symptoms of toenail fungus include discoloration and brittleness of the toenail. This condition is common in people who wear closed shoes for long periods of time. The feet are unable to breathe and become sweaty. This becomes the perfect environment for fungus to grow. The fungus thrives in dark and damp environments. It can be worse when you do not wear socks. This makes it extremely hard to get rid of smelly toenails.
To get rid of smelly odor from your nails, you should take preventative measures against fungal growth. If you are an athlete, change your socks and shoes immediately every time you exercise. Wash your feet when you shower and dry your feet well immediately after washing them. If the smelly odor from your nails is persistent, try wearing foot deodorant or antiperspirant.
You can follow this routine to get rid of the smelly toenail fungus from your feet and prevent toenail fungus:
- Dry your feet after washing. Don’t leave your feet damp because this encourages fungus to grow
- Wear antifungal socks
- Change socks regularly, especially if you have sweaty feet.
- Use foot antiperspirant or antifungal shoe spray on your shoes.
- Wear proper-fitting shoes that allow your feet to breathe
- Clean under your toenails
- Keep your toenails trimmed
- Apply the antifungal solution to your feet and toenails twice a day after washing.
In truth, it is not the nail fungus that causes the smell of cheese. There is a type of bacteria called Brevibacterium that is responsible for the odor. Brevibacterium is used to mature certain types of cheese, which is what causes the commonly known funky smell. The same bacteria live on your feet and cause a cheese-like smell.
So you may now be wondering what this has to do with nail fungus, and why the smell and fungal infection so frequently occur together. This is simply because both fungus and Brevibacterium thrive in the same conditions, meaning dark, moist places like inside sweaty shoes.
What happens if the smelly toenail fungus is not treated
If left untreated, toenail fungus would just get worse along with the smell. The fungus can also spread to the foot and cause the athlete’s foot. You should take care of your feet and clean them on a regular basis to avoid infection. If you suspect to have toenail fungus, you should seek treatment as soon as possible to prevent it from getting worse. Otherwise, if treatment is not sought out it will get worse over time.
Best treatment option for smelly toenail fungus
To get rid of smelly toenails and prevent the cheesy, smelly odor of toenails from becoming noticeable to other people, the root cause should be treated as quickly as possible. A podiatrist will be able to tell you if the smell is because of a toenail fungus, or some other issue. The nail doctors in the San Francisco office will be able to treat your toenail fungus with the PinPointe laser immediately. To schedule a consultation with a licensed podiatrist for the PinPointe laser treatment, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.
