Among several nail infections toenail infection or onychomycosis is the most common of all. Toenail infections are caused by the microbes that live upon the keratin of the nail and eventually bring damage to the entire nail formation. The nail becomes abnormally discolored and changes from pale yellow, brown to black. Not only the appearance of the nail becomes unpleasant but also the infection gives rise to severe pain and irritation. If kept untreated, the infection spreads to rest of the nails and degrades the appearance of the feet. It is always recommended that one should immediately consult the doctor or take effective remedial steps to combat with the fungal growth.

It is the toenail that gets easily infected by the fungi. Exposure to warm and moist environments is ideal for the fungus to grow. There are mainly three types of fungal infections that affect the human toenail.

Distal Subungual Onychomycosis - Distal Subungual Onychomycosis or DSO occurs when the fungus grows in between the tip of toe's skin and the tip of the nail and the skin folding along the side of the nail as well. As the fungus growth spreads the toe turns yellow and ultimately separates from the nail bed.

White Superficial Onychomycosis - WSO, also known as White Superficial Onychomycosis is characterized by formation of white specs and powdery substance on the nail surface. The affected area of the nail plate tends to become flaky and brittle. This type of fungal infection is easily curable. Application of an effective therapeutic solution will definitely heal your nail.

Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis - Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis or PSO occurs rarely in comparison to the other two types of fungal diseases. A white or a yellowish spot appears on the cuticle and steadily spreads to the other nail parts. This type of fungal infection can easily be healed with proper medication.

To ensure healthy appearing nails one should take up preventive steps even before he/she gets affected by the fungal infection. The following are the precautions that we can take up to check fungal growth.

• Walking barefoot should be avoided in public bathrooms, showers, especially the locker rooms.
• Keeping the feet dry
• Wearing clean absorbent socks and shoes that allows your foot to breathe well
• Cleansing with treatment solutions and powder on a daily basis are quite helpful for the maintenance of the nails.