There are several causes of fungal nail infections. The most common causes are a fungal skin infection or damage to the nail or skin.
Athlete's foot
Fungal infection in the toenail is most commonly caused by a fungal skin infection, such as athlete's foot. Around a third of people with athlete's foot will also have a nail infection.
Athlete's foot usually affects the skin between your toes, causing it to be red, flaky and itchy.
Fungi grow easily in warm, damp environments, so an infection is more likely to happen after wearing sweaty trainers or if you often have hot, sweaty feet.
Other causes
Fingernail infections are most often caused by a yeast called candida. Occupations that involve a lot of handwashing, or having your hands in water a lot, are often the cause of fingernail infections. This is because the skin at the base of your nail can become damaged, and is more likely to become infected.
There is an increased risk of a fungal nail infection for those with certain conditions or health issues, such as:
Other factors that can increase the risk of nail infections include:
- using artificial (cosmetic) nails
- nail damage
- constant nail biting
- living in a warm and humid climate
- smoking
Nail infections are more likely to happen with increasing age. Sometimes, there is no obvious cause of an infection.
