The Surprising Story Behind Your Thick Toenails

What is the cause of thick toenails?

If you’ve always had thicker toenails, you can breathe easy…that means that the cause of your own gnarly nails may be nothing more than genetics. If you’ve never had thick nails before and suddenly do, though, that’s a bad sign. It may mean that you have some kind of chronic illness or congenital disorder that is flaring up and causing your nails to thicken.

Most likely, though, your thick toenails are being caused by either psoriasis (which will affect more than just your feet) or onychomycosis, which is the fancy term for fungal infection. A study once found that up to eight percent of the population may suffer from these infections. As for the infection itself, it starts when yeast or fungus gets into vulnerable areas like cuts, cracks, or the intersection of your toenail and nail bed.

Fungal infection symptoms

The most obvious sign that you have the aforementioned fungal infection is that you have thick toenails. Of course, such thickness can be caused by a number of other things, including a family history of big toenails. To verify whether or not you have a fungal infection, you need to know what some of the other symptoms are.

Those with fungal infections in their feet often see the nails changing color or looking scaly. The nails may also start to smell and they may break or even crumble very easily. Finally, if the nails have debris or are starting to lift up from the nail bed, you likely have onychomycosis.

Who is likeliest to develop thick toenails?

Probability is kind of a funny thing when it comes to health matters. Globally, there are more people with these infections than you might think…if up to eight percent of the population might have onychomycosis, then we could have as many as 640 million people walking around with these infections. That’s still very low compared to the global population, so that brings us to the big question: who is most likely to develop thick toenails from onychomycosis?

Those with other health issues are likelier to get onychomycosis, including those with psoriasis, diabetes, or circulatory conditions. Otherwise, the ones who are most at risk are the ones who put their feet and nails at risk every week. Those who are very sweaty, who wear tight shoes, and who walk around barefoot are at a higher risk of infection. The same is true of those who frequently get pedicures, those who put their feet in the water often, and those who have athlete’s foot and/or chipped nails.

Why thick toenail treatment is so important

While many people simply live with their thick toenails, it’s important to treat a possible fungal infection sooner rather than later. That’s because this infection can cause major pain when walking around. That pain is made even worse if you try to cram those thick toes into some tight shoes. And if you have any other health issues, there’s always a possibility that the lingering infection will make them worse.

Fortunately, it’s easy to get a fungal diagnosis, either from your primary care doctor or a dermatologist. After such a diagnosis, you can get official medical treatments that range from medication and topical treatments to laser services and toenail removal. You may be able to treat things at home by applying tea tree oil or Vicks VapoRub to the infected area, but this is no replacement for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Thick toenail prevention is easier than you might think

It’s important to prevent thick toenails from coming back or, better yet, preventing yourself from ever getting them in the first place. Start by regularly cleaning your feet and keeping them dry whenever possible. That may mean changing out socks and applying footpowder.

Keep your feet and nails groomed and be sure to use disinfected tools. Throw out old shoes after you clear up an infection and wear flip-flops to areas like public showers or pools. Together, these tips can keep your feet free of fungal infections!