Background: Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail, affecting 5.5% of the population. Individuals affected by this disease experience increased anxiety about this disorder and a decreased quality of life. There are multiple available treatments across the globe, leading people to search online for information on the various therapies.
Aims: To analyze Google search trends of fungal infection and treatment keywords and the influence of different geographical locations, season, regulatory decisions, and advertisements on these trends.
Methods: In May, 2020 we used Google Trends to determine the relative interest of various fungal infection and treatment keywords worldwide and in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Notable peaks were investigated for contemporaneous news events.
Results: In general, searches for toenail fungus and associated treatment terms peak during the summer months. Interest in individual treatments peaks when a product is launched, is the subject of an advertising campaign, or becomes more available to the public through approval or reclassification. Yeast infection, thrush, and ringworm terms are consistently searched more often than toenail fungus, jock itch, or foot fungus; all terms are most popular in the summer months, with toenail fungus reaching annual popularity one month prior to jock itch.
Discussion: In general, interest in toenail fungus and treatments is the highest when social anxiety about toenail appearance and the occurrence of fungal infection is the greatest. Curiosity about treatment products increases with their availability and visibility to the public. Combining the power of seasonal interest and advertising generates the greatest search profile for onychomycosis treatments.
Keywords: Google trends; fungal infections; onychomycosis; patient interest; seasonal; tinea unguium.
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