Nail Fungus Picture

If you suspect that you have a fungal nail infection, you will find it useful to view a nail fungus picture, as well as pictures of other nail conditions. This is because, although fungal infection is one of the more common nail abnormalities, it is only one of many things that can cause nails to look bad. Photographs can be very informative; however, self-diagnosis is risky. Even if you are sure you know what is wrong, have a doctor or a dermatologist look at your nail and make a proper diagnosis so that you can get the appropriate treatment. This article provides urls for several internet sites that have excellent photographs of fungal nail infections and other nail abnormalities.

Every one of the pictures at DermNet NZ, http://www.dermnetnz.org/fungal/onychomycosis.html, is a fungus nail picture showing the variation of this common infection. Some of the pictures provide the species name of the fungus that was isolated from that particular infection, but it is not possible to identify a fungal species by just looking at an infected nail or a nail fungus picture: laboratory culture of nail clippings to grow the fungus is required to get this information. You may notice that most of the pictures show nails that are yellowish or brownish in color, while one, with secondary bacterial infection, shows black nails. While dark green or black color is more typical of bacterial colonization, fungus can cause a black color as well.

Visit http://tray.dermatology.uiowa.edu/Onychomyco01.htm for an excellent fungus nail picture of an infection caused by the yeast Candida albicans. This yeast is the same one that causes oral and throat infections in some individuals and yeast infections in women. The difference between a yeast and a fungus nail picture can be subtle, but one typical feature is paronychia - involvement of the soft tissue adjacent to the nail. Although a fungus can also spread beyond the nail, fungal skin infections are generally quite superficial and do not cause deep tissue inflammation.

A photo gallery at Hooked On Nails, http://www.hooked-on-nails.com/naildisorders.html, has an excellent selection of pictures of nail abnormalities. The collection includes more than one nail fungus picture, but also superb photographs and comments on other nail conditions. For the average reader who lacks detailed medical knowledge, this is perhaps the most useful site of those mentioned here.

Another collection of both fungus nail pictures and other types of abnormalities can be found at Medline Plus, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003247.htm, along with some general information about the conditions covered.

Again, although your nail may look entirely typical of one of the conditions shown in these nail fungus pictures, have a physician examine it to get a professional opinion.