Although toenail fungus isn’t very common in young children, it can occur. Getting rid of the fungus once it has taken root can be very difficult. Children don’t want to sit still while you apply medicine to the infected nail. Often this is what the pediatrician will recommend though, along with oral antifungal medication. Although oral medications take months to work, they do help, but come with side effects which must be discussed with the pediatrician. Topical creams may or may not work. With toenail fungus in children, preventive measures work best. What can you do to prevent toenail fungus in children?
Ensure your children keep their nails short and dry. Have them trim their nails straight across and help them if necessary. If any areas of the nails have become thick, file them down and have the children dry their feet thoroughly after bathing. Make sure they get between the toes when doing so.
Use an antifungal spray or powder in their shoes. Have them alternate shoes instead of wearing the same pair every day. This gives the shoes the opportunity to air out between wearings. They can also spray or sprinkle the feet for further protection.Try to have the kids alternate open and closed toe shoes.
Tell them never to pick at the skin around their nails. If they have loose skin, have them come to you. Toenail fungus can enter the skin and the nail bed in cuts and open sores.
Synthetic socks are best for preventing toenail fungus. Synthetic socks pull moisture away from the skin so your feet stay dry. Cotton or wool socks tend to hold the moisture in. Make sure your children change their socks at night and in the morning to keep feet dryer and have them change their socks more frequently if their feet sweat a great deal.
Kids, once they reach a certain age, may shower in public places, such as pools or locker rooms. Shoes of some type, such as flip flops, are good for this purpose as they can easily be taken on and off, making it more likely for kids to wear them. Toenail fungus can be picked up in places such as this so shoes should always be worn.
If a nail becomes infected, make sure your children wash their hands every time they touch it. The infection can spread from nail to nail and hand washing helps to prevent this. Remind them of this every time they touch their nails.
If your child gets a fungal infection, consider toenail fungus laser removal in Houston. This procedure is painless, takes very little time and has no side effects. Having this treatment done ensures the problem is quickly resolved and the infection is gone.