A smelly toenail can be a side effect of having toenail fungus. In general, toenail fungus can be something that is a cause of embarrassment, shame, and discomfort for people who have it. People with visible toenail fungus can be uncomfortable showing their toes at all. This is because of the discoloration and thickness of the nails. Sometimes the nails look like tree bark. The build-up of fungus inside and under the nails can also cause a foul smell. These symptoms can be pretty obvious and can make people stop doing activities that they highly enjoy. This will result in a decrease in enjoyment of life and can be one of the worst parts of toenail fungus.

Cause of smelly toenail

If you have a smelly toenail problem, you may not even know what is actually causing it. Nail fungus is one of the most common causes of smelly toenails. The fungal spores infect the nail bed and use this bed to grow their colonies. Fungal growth occurs when fungal spores from the environment get into contact with the nail and attach to the nail bed. After the initial attachment has formed, some people will develop a full-fledged infection more quickly. This is particularly more common with people who wear closed-toed shoes, exercise frequently, or sweat excessively. Fungus loves dark, moist, humid environments; sweaty shoes are perfect for them! 

The cheesy smell from toenails=fungus?

Smelly toenail causes can usually be narrowed down to fungus by identifying a few factors. The similarity of the smell to cheese is a big one of these factors. If the smell coming from your toes has a cheesy odor emanating from your nails, it is likely that a fungal infection is the culprit. Fungal nail smells will also get worse when the nails are trimmed since the nail clippers will loosen up fungus from the toenail into the environment.

Signs of nail fungus

However, the biggest sign that a toenail fungus is the cause of the smell is if you have noticed other visual signs of a fungal infection. Frequently, this will include discoloration of the toenails that are black, white, yellow, or brown. Fungal infections can also cause the nail to detach from the nail bed and fall off. Also, make the nail surface become brittle, hard, crumbly, or cracked. Fungal infections can also cause what looks like debris buildup under the nail, which can actually be fungal spores themselves and can be a cause of the smell. While looking for signs like this can help you narrow down the cause of your funky smell, only a licensed medical professional will be able to give you a true diagnosis. The best medical professional to seek care from is a podiatrist. They are licensed doctors who specialize in feet and will be able to give you answers on the condition you have.

Should I get treatment?

If untreated, a fungal smelly toenail problem will get worse. Fungus usually won’t disappear without actual treatment. To cure the smell coming from your nails and avoid it becoming worse, you should seek an FDA-approved treatment from a podiatrist as soon as possible. At-home treatments for fungus are not the best idea and are just a waste of time. Some of them can even be very dangerous, like using bleach on the toenail. Because of this, seeking medical treatment for smelly toenails is a much better option. A medical professional will be able to diagnose your fungus and recommend the best treatment option for you.

However, not all smelly toenail treatments and prescriptions are the same and many are much worse. For example, topical treatments are actually very weak, making them ineffective at treating fungus. Topical medications like these, including both over-the-counter and prescription forms, aren’t good at penetrating into the nail bed well enough to eliminate the fungus. They are also made relatively dilute so that bad reactions to the chemicals in them don’t happen. Oral antifungal medications are another prescription option for fungus, but these pills come with more downsides. They actually carry big risks of dangerous side effects like liver toxicity, and they are unsafe for many patients. Our nail doctors in Indianapolis do not recommend taking oral medication due to the dangerous side effects.

The most effective option to treat smelly toenail

There are other options to treat a smelly toenail problem that aren’t topical or oral antifungal medications. In fact, some of the best options for treating a fungal infection don’t include chemicals at all! The safest treatment for toenail fungus is the fungus laser treatment. Our laser treatment has no side effects. Additionally, our laser is the most effective laser on the market to treat toenail fungus. This treatment only requires one session to completely eliminate the fungus, so most patients don’t need to come in for multiple treatments. Our laser treatment also has great reviews, and patients are generally very satisfied with their results. Call us today to schedule your free consultation with one of our nail doctors.