Six to nine million Americans are affected with toenail fungus and athletes tend to be affected at a higher rate. Toenails can become thick due to: genetics, fungus infections, some systemic diseases, poor circulation, natural aging process, or injury. The toenail fungus creeps underneath the nails and causes ugly discoloration and crumbling. It's the same fungus that causes athlete's foot, jock itch and toenail fungus, but it generally affects the scalp, body, feet, or nails. One of these complications is when the fungus toenail is allowed to become abnormally thick. If your toenail fungus is so bad that your nails are 1/4" thick and curling, you will need to have them surgically removed. Keeping toenails clean and trim is important because fungus can make a home under the toenail. While there's no sure way to prevent growth of toenail fungus, be sure to keep your feet dry and clean. It also may be necessary to discontinue using toenail polish as it can trap moisture under the polish and encourage the growth of fungus. As the fungus grows, it will continue to spread until the entire toenail becomes thick and yellow with crumbling edges. Fungus Home Treatments Infection with nail fungus occurs more often in toenails than in fingernails because toenails are often confined inside dark moist socks and shoes. It is best to treat toenail fungus or nail fungus from the inside out. Garlic powder can also be used to combat toenail fungus. Tea tree oil has recently received much attention for its ability to combat toenail fungus. Sporanox is the first advance in the treatment of toenail fungus. More often than not, a month of daily effort is needed to rid yourself of the toenail fungus. But like most topical agents, the toenail fungus ointment alone has never proven effective against persistent nail fungus. The best form of treatment is prevention and preventing the fungus from spreading to other toenails may be the best treatment option. A medical professional can prescribe powerful drugs for treating toenail fungus the most common of which is: LamisilTM (terbinafine hydrochloride tablets).