Fungal nail infection

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Fungal nail infections, or onychomycoses, are very common. Around 3 in every 100 people in the UK will have a fungal nail infection at some point. They affect the toenails more often than the fingernails.

Like bacteria, fungi are always present in our environments. They usually only become a problem and cause infections when we are vulnerable (for example, if our immune system is lowered) and they get into our bodies.

Fungal nail infections are most common in older people (over 55s) and in people who share communal shower facilities (such as swimmers or members of sports teams).

There are several different types of fungal nail infection. The most common is distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (infection underneath the nail, at the tip and the sides), usually due to infection with dermatophytes (a type of parasitic fungi).