How Does a Toenail Get Infested With Fungus?

Understanding Fungus

Determining and understanding how a toenail gets infested with fungus the nature of fungus is brought to the forefront.
Fungus is, by definition , "a single-celled or multicellular organism without chlorophyll that reproduces by spores and lives by absorbing nutrients from organic matter. " (Encarta World English Dictionary).
Fungi also called yeast, mold, fungus, mildew known as dirty bacterium all have similar traits and appear to be part of the same family of organisms in which they survive in different arenas of life. These organisms are pathogenic parasites, which means they are able to cause symptoms leading to disease in need of medical attention in humans, if left unattended. A toenail gets infested with fungus when the conditions are appropriate for fungus to attach itself to a toenail. The conditions are that the spores from the fungus must exist and are able to be warm, eat and reproduce. The spores existing are a threat in itself because they are in a dormant state and begin to thrive and reproduce in a warm, dark, dirty, damp atmosphere.

Dormant Fungus Reactivated

Fungus in a dormant state will become reactivated when the conditions for it to thrive are met. When fungus is in the spore forming state, the spores are dormant and they develop a hard covering and are inactive, also called vegetative. The covering protects them until they can once again thrive as their life conditions are created and then they mutate into two different cells, a process called mitosis. People may step into a vegetative pile of fungus and slip their shoe on their foot and contract a toenail fungus, or be in a un-sanitized gym shower, hot tub, salon spa, tanning bed. The infected toenails will become discolored and as the fungus matures and soon the nail will turn black and fall off. Mold that attaches itself to a toenail, the nail appears yellow and green during the early infection of mold spores and the same conditions must be present, such as trapped moisture and spores present.

Contamination and Contagious

Fungus is known to be contagious, in a spa setting the contaminated nail can be filed by a pedicurist or manicurist and if the implements are contaminated they can spread from one person to another. Under no circumstance should a manicurist or pedicurist give a client a manicure or pedicure if toenail fungus is present. Athletes' foot, which is also known as ringworm is a common condition that many spas and manicurists overlook when serving people. A physician should treat the toenail that is infected with fungus. Fungus can survive and thrive in warm gym shoes, a gym shower, hot tub, a pedicure station, a tanning bed, a bathtub and practically anywhere. The key to keeping fungus under control is sanitization. Washing hands, feet, and using sanitary agents that are made to disinfect for such a purpose as fungus.