Toenail Fungus a Sign of Bad Health?

As the world watches the trial of Michael Jackson’s death, the intimate details of his health are being revealed. It was exposed to the public that among many problems, Michael Jackson had fungal infections and calluses on his feet so bad it made it difficult for him to perform. One testimony stated his toenail fungus was so bad that doctors thought his flesh was rotting. Do we care about the late Jackson’s feet? Is this any indicator of his health or were his feet no different than any other 50 year old man?

Toenail fungus, or onychomycosis, is most commonly caused by the same fungus that causes athletes’s foot. Trichophyton rubrum is a fungus that is present throughout the world and is transmitted exclusively from human to human. Animal infections have only been rarely reported for this specific species. Though predominately a human infection, T. rubrum can survive 18 months without a human host. Thus, infections can be transmitted indirectly. Though fungus is a universally accepted cause of deformed and thickened nails, studies are revealing that only 50% of dystrophic nails have a fungal infection. Thus it is still necessary and recommended to have a laboratory or microscopic diagnosis.

In the US and UK, the incidence of toenail fungus is 3% of the population but increases to over 80% in persons over 70 years of age. Different subgroups have a higher incidence of onychomycosis. In communal shower environments injections are near 20%. Onychomycosis in persons with diabetes have been reported to be higher than the general populations with studies reporting 20-50% of diabetics having nail fungus. 13% of psoriasis patients have nail fungus. Patients with HIV, peripheral vascular disease, Down ’s syndrome, and leprosy also have higher incidence of fungal infections. Males are also more susceptible to infections most likely due to hormonal and hygiene differences. Children have a uniform low incidence of nail fungus with only 0.3% being infected. Research is now even showing a genetic component to fungal infections. Some people may have a genetic makeup that makes them more susceptible to fungal infections!

Since the general incidence of onychomycosis is relatively high, it is hard to use onychomycosis as an indicator as general health. Though many systemic and chronic diseases have a high incidence of nail fungus, many healthy individuals still get infected. Though nail fungus in adults is often overlooked or deemed insignificant, a child should bring suspicion of an underlying disease compromising the immune system due to the significantly lower incidence in this age group. Though his nail fungus was so bad doctors thought the feet were decaying sounds dramatic and significant, I can say with confidence that his nail fungus was not significant in the death of our late pop king.

Stinky Feet Lead the Way in Mosquito Research

Summer is here! The blissful summer nights full of beaches, camp fires, smores, camping, and bugs!!! Nothing ruins a beautiful night better than a swarm of mosquitoes or the multitude of off smelling mosquito repellants. We have all been bitten by a mosquito in almost every place imaginable. Don’t you dare walk through long grass after dark in flip flops! Your feet will look like a teenage boy’s face before proactive! . Now the world of mosquito research is turning to feet to find the answers to keep these bugs away from our leisure activities. New research is developing and scientists are discovering that many mosquito species actually prefer the foot! Daniel Kline was one of the first to focus on the mosquito and feet and found that many females preferred dirty 3 day-old-socks!

There are a million mosquito tales we take to the outdoors with us. We know that they are heat seekers and the warmer we are the hotter the target. Don’t wear anything sweet smelling, don’t eat bananas, avoid lactic acid products, avoid beer and stinky cheese, spray doorways with Listerine, and now you should wash your feet and change your socks! There is a multitude of bacteria that live on the human body and produces odors. These odors are attractants or signals that help guide mosquitoes to their prey. The stinkier you are, the more you attract! For some of us, stinky feet are just a part of who we are. Your Hygiene may be pristine but for some reason you can’t knock that stink off your socks and shoes!!! For those of us with the stink on, is there anything we can do to curve the mosquitoes away?

The odor we all smell and dread is actually coming from bacteria. Bacteria love warm, moist, dark places. A sweaty shoe is paradise. The best way to fight the bacteria is to fight the sweat. There are a number of anti-perspirants available for the feet. Socks can also make a big difference in foot odor. 100% cotton is not recommended. You should look for a sock that has a combination of materials. Cotton absorbs sweat fast, but it also dries very slow and you will stay saturated and stinky longer.

Stinky feet are just another attractant to those vampire bugs and I am beginning to think they are attracted to EVERYTHING! If you do venture out, the best way to stay bitten free and feet happy is too stay covered. As much as we want to show off our sassy toes, it is best to cover the feet up on the cool nights and avoid the mosquito bite. Diabetics should be extra careful because a bite leads to scratching, scratching leads to abrasions, and abrasions lead to sites at risk for an infection. If you do get bit, use anti-itch cream or topical steroids to help you avoid the itch to scratch!