Diabetes and Nail Fungus

Nail fungus and diabetes often go hand in hand, and treatment of this annoying disease is often put on the back burner for more serious medical issues.  Unfortunately, this may not be such a good idea as nail fungus can sometimes indirectly lead to a more pressing concern for the diabetic foot.

Nail fungus is caused by the same fungus involved in Athlete's foot infection, they are essentially one and the same.  Unfortunately, they cannot be treated the same as the nail provides a natural shelter for the fungus from most topical medications.  Athletes foot infections pose little general health risk, and on their own are a benign and usually chronic infection.  They are usually easily treated with 2-4 weeks of over-the-counter or prescription topical creams or gels.  Nail fungus required specialized topical preparations or oral medication s to kill the fungus.  Nail fungus is often caused by Athlete's foot infection.  Unfortunately, nail fungus on its own often causes chronic Athletes foot fungus to follow as it serves as a sort of fungus reserve, constantly seeding fungus onto the skin even after the skin infection is destroyed with medication.

The fungus constantly infecting the skin does not spread far, but the destruction and fissuring it creates in the skin, especially between the toes, can lead to an intrusion of bacteria capitalizing on the skin's immune system's preoccupation with the fungus.  This can potentially lead to cellulitis, and possibly a deeper infection.  Bacteria is different than fungus, and more dangerous to human tissue.  Although I have yet to amputated a diabetic's toe due to fungus infection, it is a contributing factor in bacterial infections that do lead to amputations.

So, as you can see, controlling skin and nail fungus, if not outright curing it, may be fairly important in the diabetic foot.  Although nail fungus may simply seem like a cosmetic disease, in reality it can lead to far worse things.

Until next time,
Scott R. Kilberg DPM

www.inpodiatrygroup.com - foot surgeon, podiatrist in Indianapolis
myachingfoot.blogspot.com -  foot pain explained
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A foot doctor in Indianapolis Noblesville Fishers Carmel Westfield and Fortville Indiana.