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Nearly half of all nail changes are due to fungal infection. The term, onychomycosis refers to a fungal infections of the nail. Fungal infections of the nails are common around the world with men affected more often than women. Toenails are much more commonly affected than fingernails because fungus tends to become established in nails that grow slowly. More than one nail can be infected and a preceding fungal infection of the foot is common. Learn more on Fungal Guide.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
The disorder is can be more than just a cosmetic change. The infected nail can cause discomfort or pain, especially when cutting nails, and during athletic activities (i.e. walking, running, dancing).

The fungi live on keratin in the nail and multiply within the nail plate causing it to thicken and become yellow or white. There may also be opaque, crumbly, accumulations of hyperkeratotic debris below the nail and onycholysis (separation of the nail plate from the nail bed). With these changes, the nail environment becomes even more suited to fungal growth. Once infected, the nail may grow even slower, seldom requiring cutting.

WHAT IF IT’S NOT A FUNGAL INFECTION?
Not every thickened nail is a fungal infection. The following diseases can also cause nails that look like fungal infections: Learn more about facial rejuvenation center nashville

Skin diseases
Dermatitis
Lichen Planus
Psoriasis (See Psoriasis treatment and skincare patient portal)
Systemic diseases
Hyperthyroidism
External insults
Contact irritants
Ingrown toenails
Trauma
Your dermatologist may want to be sure of the diagnosis before deciding on treatment strategies. Nail clippings are taken for examination and culture.

AT HOME TREATMENT AND PREVENTION:
There are things that can be done at home to help prevent onychomycosis, or prevent it from spreading to other nails or to the feet:

Regularly use antifungal or absorbent powders
Wear cotton socks with protective foot wear
Discard old footwear to prevent re-contamination.
Thoroughly dry your feet after bathing, especially between the toes. Sometimes the use of a blow-dryer can help.
MEDICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS:
Treating onychomycosis is challenging to treat. Until recently, topical therapy has not usually sufficed as topical therapy has trouble penetrating the nail. A new formulation has been created that penetrates the nail (Penlac™ – drug name Ciclopirox). This lacquer that you paint on your nails, has been shown effective in the early stages of fungal infection and as conjunctive therapy with systemic medications.

Systemic antifungals (i.e. terbinafine, itraconazole, ketoconazole, fluconazole) are the most effective options for treating onychomycosis. However, these medications are prescribed with caution as they can have serious effects on the liver and can interact with other medications. Your dermatologist will ensure it is safe for you to take them, by knowing the contraindications, being aware of all your medications, and monitoring your liver function while taking these medications.
To learn more about anti-fungal drugs, click on

Nail infections are particularly challenging and can be frustrating to treat. They often require long treatment periods and in spite of this, recurrence of toenail …

John Feeney is a poker columnist for Poker Digest magazine who also holds a PhD in clinical psychology. Besides being a skilled poker player, this also gives him valuable insight into his own mind as a poker player, as well as the minds of his opponents. In Inside the Poker Mind we have a collection of essays which relate Feeney’s thoughts about poker and the folks who play it.

This book is divided into five sections. After some introductory material, Part One begins covering what Feeney calls “Technical Points”. These essays cover a variety of subjects, and I don’t really know what the section title refers to. Some of the topics covered are why people play too many hands and what that costs them, playing Ace-Queen in Hold’em, and some thoughts on tells. Most of the advice here seems pretty good to me, but occasionally, Feeney states some things in more of a straightforward manner than I believe is warranted. For example, in his essay titled “Do You Pass the Ace-Queen Test?”, he states, “Do you always play it, usually by calling the two bets cold? Then get into my game please.” While I agree that in many games, especially tougher games, that always cold-calling with AQoff is unwise, there are some games, such as the nearly ubiquitous loose low-limit games where nearly everyone plays poorly, where always playing AQoff for two bets probably isn’t very wrong. it’s true that Feeney says, “Of course it depends on the situation…,” but this dispenses with what sort of game one is in far too quickly for my tastes.

Part Two is titled “General Poker Slot Gacor Concepts”, and it covers luck, short handed play, and learning the game of poker. I really like most of these essays, and I think this section is the strongest one in the book. The third section, “Strategic Thinking in Hold’em”, covers what Feeney calls “The Strategic Moment”, how to play against maniacs, playing against a good card reader, and other strategies. Overall, most of the essays here are good, but less inspired in my opinion than those in Part Two.

The next section, “Poker and Emotion”, is the one where we expect the author to really shine, as he mixes his poker knowledge with his background in Slot Gacor psychology. He discusses having a professional attitude, tilt, and the benefits of therapy for poker players. I was a bit disappointed here, but I’m not sure I’m being fair. I have been doing a lot of thinking myself about what the “professional attitude” looks like and how it should affect one’s game, so it’s not surprising that I found Feeney’s general remarks on the subject to be simpler than what I was hoping for, and the details of some of his discussions sometimes emphasize different issues than what I think is most important. However, for the poker player that hasn’t given this much thought, the author’s analysis is almost certainly …