Do you have fungal nails? Are your nails yellow, thickened, discolored, crusty, creamy or stinky?

Many patients ask me if they have a case of “fungus the mungus” in their feet and nails. Nails are supposed to be clear, short, and shiny. When patients present with nails that are thickened, discolored, painful, or crumbly, these are all signs that can point to a more pressing health concern at play. In central Phoenix and the Biltmore area, many local folks are concerned about how their nails look- especially as summer is upon us and it’s about time to kick off our winter boots to show off our feet in the sun with our sandals.

Thick and discolored nails do not always necessarily mean there is a local infection of a fungal pathogen. Stubbing your toe can cause reactive changes to the DNA of your nail matrix leading to unwanted thickened nail growth. Other causes of thickened nails could be related to diet or even point to possible lung disease which manifests itself in the nails as one of the beginning early signs. “Frozen Turkey Syndrome” is when you drop a heavy object on your toes that can cause permanent thickened nail changes and growth that can affect the nails' presentation for years to come.

Before you start to waste hundreds of dollars on products to treat your nails, let a local trusted podiatrist with experience check out your feet and nails. Could it be fungus? Could it be an underlying immune system problem? Could it be psoriatic arthritis that is presenting itself in the nails? Do you have a greater health concern that is now manifesting in the nails? Let Dr. Stocks be your advocate to investigate and find out what is causing your thickened, discolored, and painful toenails today.