How do you tell the difference between diabetic toenail and toenail fungus?

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diabetic
MamaBear asked:


I have a friend who is diabetic. He has one of the worst looking toes I have ever seen. It is yellow, REALLY thick, and flaking off. I mentioned it to a nurse, and she said it was that way just because he has diabetes! Will diabetes do that to your nails, without an underlying infection?

Valerie
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    • This entry was posted on Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 9:52 pm and is filed under Health & Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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    No Responses to “How do you tell the difference between diabetic toenail and toenail fungus?”

    1. Diane D Says:
      April 3rd, 2009 at 9:29 am

      They are usually the same thing. You are right.

    2. PuttPutt Says:
      April 4th, 2009 at 12:38 am

      He needs to have a doctor look at it. It could be the diabetes, and, if it is, it can lead to gangrene if the circulation in his feet is bad. Only a doctor can rule out fungal infection.

    3. heather Says:
      April 4th, 2009 at 6:59 am

      No. If it is thick, flaking and discolored it is likely a fungal infection. Sometimes old trauma can also cause the nail to be thick and dyscolored but not usually flaky. Persons with diabetes are more prone to catching the fungus so the nurse you spoke with was just giving you the “dumbed-down” version.

    4. dudette Says:
      April 7th, 2009 at 8:21 am

      If your friend hasn’t had his doctor look at the toe, he should do so ASAP.

    5. jmiller96003 Says:
      April 8th, 2009 at 1:47 am

      Diabetics are actually more suseptable to fungus infections of the nails. Soak the foot in White Vinegar for ten minutes each day. It will get rid of the fungus naturally, although like any treatment for fungus of the nail, it will take time. This is something that will not go away by itself.

    6. magicwriter65 Says:
      April 8th, 2009 at 7:29 pm

      You should have a doctor look at it. Sounds gross…
      I’ve never had anything go funky with my nails, except when I dropped an icepack on my foot, and I put on bad nail polish. But, that sounds like a fungal foot infection. He should see a poditrist (foot doctor).

    7. M T Says:
      April 9th, 2009 at 9:59 pm

      Sorry but the nurse is not trained in that enough to make that call a foot doctor must be seen.