What happens if I leave toenail fungus untreated?

Treating toenail fungus takes time. It can be a frustrating process, with results appearing slowly, over the course of weeks or months. As such, many patients avoid or give up on the process, wondering, “What happens if I leave toenail fungus untreated?” Here’s what you need to know.

What happens if I leave toenail fungus untreated?

In short, avoiding treatment will allow your fungal toenail infection to worse. The nail could crumble, split or even detach from its bed. Without treatment, the infection could also spread to other nails or to the skin, causing an athlete’s foot infection.

When you fail to treat toenail fungus, you may experience:

Permanent damage to your nail, leading to deformity or even nail loss
Odor may emit from the nail, causing embarrassment
Pain due to nail thickening, possibly interfering with your ability to comfortably walk or even wear shoes
Additional infections, caused by bacteria that penetrates your nail bed and spreads to the bloodstream
If you have diabetes, an untreated fungal toenail infection could also increase your risk for ulcers and limb loss.

Now, if you’re hoping that the fungal infection will clear up on its own, with time, it’s important to know that this rarely happens. (If ever.) Instead, in order to resolve toenail fungus, you’ll need to seek treatment from a professional like Marietta podiatrist Dr. Alvin Cowans.

What kills toenail fungus fast?

As we mentioned early, fungal toenail infections take a long time to resolve, even with treatment. There are several available treatment options to resolve your infection; to kill toenail fungus at a faster rate, your podiatrist may combine one or more options.

Toenail fungus treatments include:

Topical medication, applied directly to the nail. These may be effective for mild infections. However, since topicals don’t penetrate beneath the nail to the bed, where infection can reside, topicals often fail to fully resolve toenail fungus.
Oral medications such as Lamisil. More effective than topical medications, oral antifungals must be taken for a long time period, typically 12 weeks, and patients must be monitored to screen for rare but possible complications, including liver damage.
Laser nail fungus treatment. This treatment option is highly effective at killing toenail fungus, and can be combined with oral medications to speed healing or used as a stand-alone option.

How long will it take for my toenail fungus to go away?

If you leave toenail fungus untreated, your infection will worsen and spread may occur. But even when you seek treatment, it can take between 6 and 18 months for your toenail fungus to fully resolve and for a healthy new nail to appear. The treatment and recovery timeline varies depending on the severity of your infection, and the course of treatment you selected.

Toenail fungus treatment timelines:

Oral medication: Typically taken daily for 12 straight weeks. After the treatment course is complete, you’ll still need to wait for your healthy nail to regrow. Remember that toenails only grow about 1-2 millimeters each month, so it will take time for the uninfected toenail to emerge.
Topical treatments: Daily applications are recommended for between 9 months and one year. Again, this treatment option is usually not effective on its own, but may be combined with a course of oral medication to speed fungal clearing.
Laser treatment: At our Powder Springs podiatry practice, we typically recommend three laser treatment sessions for toenail fungus, spaced apart by several weeks. You will still need to wait several months for a fully clear nail to grow out, but this treatment option is the only one that doesn’t require taking or applying a prescription medication each day.

Other factors that impact recovery time

In addition to the treatment option you select, recovery time for a fungal toenail infection will also be affected by:

The severity of infection at the time treatment begins
How consistent you are with your prescribed treatment course
The presence of underlying conditions, including diabetes