If toenail fungus is left untreated, it can spread to the surrounding skin on the foot, causing another condition known as athlete's foot. An athlete's foot is a condition resulting in itchy, red, and cracked skin, which can become very uncomfortable.
Fungal nail infections typically don't go away on their own, and the best treatment is usually prescription antifungal pills taken by mouth. In severe cases, a healthcare professional might remove the nail completely. It can take several months to a year for the infection to go away.
Nail fungus is not a health risk to most people. But anyone with a compromised immune system, such as a diabetic who contracts nail fungus, is at risk of developing serious complications like foot ulcers.
The problem with not treating toenail fungus goes beyond continued discomfort and discoloration. If the fungus is allowed to continue growing, it can penetrate the skin under the nail and ultimately infect the toe itself. From there, the infection can spread to other parts of the body.
Toenail fungus, after all, is hardly life-threatening. “It feeds on the skin; it doesn't go into the bloodstream, doesn't spread to other parts of the body,” says Dr. Richard Scher, nail specialist and professor of dermatology at Columbia University.
A severe case of nail fungus can be painful and may cause permanent damage to your nails. And it may lead to other serious infections that spread beyond your feet if you have a suppressed immune system due to medication, diabetes or other conditions.
How does a fungal infection in the foot have the potential to damage your heart? The answer lies in your circulatory system. When a fungal infection gets into the blood stream, it can spread throughout your body—including your heart, since all blood eventually passes through the heart.
Toenail fungus actually lives not only on the nail but also on the nailbed itself. If the toenail is removed, this exposes the nailbed so that topical medications can penetrate the nail bed as the nail is growing back, which may result in a better efficacy of topical nail medications.
These drugs are often the first choice. One option is itraconazole (Sporanox). These drugs help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected part. You typically take this type of drug daily for 6 to 12 weeks.
Vicks has a little impact on toenails. Vicks Vaporub softens and lightens toenails. This makes it look like the fungus is being treated. Vicks may have some antifungal qualities, but it is unable to penetrate the toenail well enough to cure the infection.
One type, distal subungual onychomycosis, can be a lifelong infection and hard to treat. Another type, white superficial onychomycosis, can be easily treated. Even after treatment, your nails may continue to look irregular in shape and appearance. It can take a year or longer before they return to normal.
Research has found that fungus can imitate signals from our immune system and prevent our body from responding to infection.
The Nail Fungus and Candida Connection
However, when it overgrows and gets out of control it can lead to a variety of symptoms, from skin issues such as nail fungus, itching, psoriasis, and rashes, to brain fog, chronic fatigue, mood issues, bloating, constipation, seasonal allergies, and even autoimmune conditions.
There are several risk factors for developing nail fungus: tight shoes; damaged nails; walking barefoot in moist areas like swimming pools, saunas, and public showers; poor blood circulation in your legs; a weakened immune system; and other skin conditions, such as psoriasis.
Fungal Nail Infection Symptoms
They usually start mild and get more serious. At first, you may only see a white or yellow spot under your nail. Over time, this spreads and can turn your whole nail white, yellow, green, or black. The nail may thicken and could be hard to trim.
Treating Toenail Fungus Medically
In white superficial onychomycosis, for example, the white patches of fungus that form on the nails can sometimes simply be filed off and an over-the-counter antifungal topical medication can be applied to the nail to kill the fungus.
The best type of vinegar to treat toenail fungus is apple cider vinegar, a very acidic and strong solution that destroys toenail fungus at the source. To take full advantage of this, mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with at least 2 cups of water – this will dilute the vinegar so that it won't burn your skin.
When used topically, tea tree oil is believed to be antibacterial. Tea tree oil is commonly used to treat acne, athlete's foot, lice, nail fungus and insect bites.
After nail removal, the wound can become infected. You can reduce the risk of infection by keeping the area clean. The fungal infection may not be killed and may infect the new nail that grows.
A lot of people believe that if the fungal nail is removed and allowed to grow back it will be normal. This treatment is a common recommendation from primary care doctors who do not see a lot of this problem. Unfortunately, the nail will grow back the same as before the procedure.
Antifungal treatment will permeate the nails more slowly if non-medicated nail polish is used. If you want to use non-medicated nail polish, give your toenails a chance to breathe and take the polish off as soon as you can.
Oral fungal medication does put your liver at an increase risk of damage, but when used properly the risk is minimal. For this reason, activities like consuming alcohol are prohibited while taking the medication because it intensifies the risk of liver damage.
You may have a higher risk of getting toenail fungus if you have: Athlete's foot (tinea pedis). Diabetes. Hyperhidrosis (a disorder that makes you sweat a lot).
You can get it if your nails are frequently moist or you often wear sweaty socks and shoes. The fungi usually infect a nail by getting into a: Small cut in the skin surrounding your nail. Crack in your nail.