Toenail fungus is a common problem, affecting millions of people. While it might seem like just a cosmetic issue, it can lead to bigger problems if not taken care of. This article will explain why toenail fungus happens and what you can do about it, focusing on natural ways to get rid of it and keep it from coming back.
🎯Understanding Toenail Fungus: More Than Just an Ugly Nail
Toenail fungus, which doctors call onychomycosis, is super common. About 10% of people have it at any given time. For most folks, it just makes their nails look bad, maybe causing some embarrassment. But it’s not just about looks. If you don’t deal with it, it can lead to infections that might spread from your toe to your foot, or even further up your leg. Even if it’s just an ugly nail, it’s a sign that something in your body isn’t quite right.
Think about it this way: if you have a problem, does it mean everything is working perfectly? Probably not. It means something is off. And if something is off, we should try to fix that underlying issue, right? That’s what we call addressing the root cause.
In our current healthcare system, we often go to the doctor with a symptom, and they give us something to treat that symptom. But does that treatment actually fix what’s causing the symptom? Most of the time, it doesn’t. It just blocks or interferes with the symptom. If we remember that there’s a root cause, something missing or interfering, then we can start asking the right questions and deal with that instead.
💡The Real Reason You Get Fungus: You’re Too Attractive (to Pathogens!)
We often hear that microbes cause disease. And it’s true, viruses, bacteria, yeast, mold, and fungus are everywhere. They’re even inside and on our bodies as part of our natural biome. When it comes to toenail fungus, it’s usually yeast, mold, or a specific type of fungus called dermatophyte. This fungus loves keratin, a protein found in your hair, nails, and skin.
But here’s the thing: these microbes are normal. They don’t cause the problem; they take advantage of a problem. The real issue is an imbalance in your body. If these microbes are everywhere, why doesn’t everyone have fungus on their nails all the time? It’s because some people create an environment where these opportunistic organisms can thrive. Simply put, if you get toenail fungus, it’s because you’re too attractive to these pathogens.
So, the solution is to become less attractive to them. How do you do that? You need to understand what they like:
- Dark, Moist, and Warm Environments: Fungus loves these conditions. They want protection and to be left alone.
- Weak Immune System: The number one thing they want to be left alone from is your immune system. Your white blood cells are like little Pac-Men that gobble up invaders and keep things in check. But for your immune system to work, it needs good circulation, especially to places like your toes, which are far from your heart.
- Sugar: Pathogens love to be fed, and their favorite food is sugar. This goes for pretty much anything you don’t want in your body, whether it’s a pathogen, cancer, or a parasite. They all love sugar. This also explains why we get more fungus on our toes than our hands. Our toes are often enclosed in dark, moist shoes, and the circulation there is usually worse than in our hands.
➡️The Path to Clear Nails: Patience and Persistence
Getting rid of toenail fungus takes time and patience. You can’t heal a nail like you heal a cut. It’s like hair; it doesn’t heal. You have to get rid of the old, damaged nail and grow a new one. This means you first need to change your lifestyle to become less attractive to the fungus. Once you do that, a new nail will start to grow. This can take a while. On your hands, a nail might grow from start to finish in about three to six months. But on your feet, it can take much longer, anywhere from 6 to 18 months. This timeframe depends on your age, overall health, circulation, and how well you’re getting nutrients to your nails.
Consistency is key. If you keep going back to old habits, the fungus will likely return. Here’s what you can do:
Key Takeaways
- Lower Blood Sugar: Fungus loves sugar. It feeds off the sugar in your bloodstream that gets delivered to your tissues. Primitive organisms like fungus don’t have complex systems to break down different foods, so they rely on sugar for energy. By lowering your blood sugar, you cut off their food supply.
- Trim Your Nails: Keep your nails short and trimmed straight across. Long nails create a space underneath where dirt, debris, and gunk can get trapped. This gunk holds moisture and provides a perfect environment for fungus. Trimming them also helps prevent ingrown toenails, which can lead to more infections.
- Brush Your Nails: After showering, use an old toothbrush to gently brush underneath your nails. This helps clear out any debris that might be hiding there.
- Dry Your Nails Thoroughly: After showering, be extra careful to dry your nails completely, especially underneath the edges. You can use a towel, a paper tissue, or even a blow dryer to make sure they are really dry.
- Go Barefoot: Fungus loves dark and moist environments. Wear shoes when you need to, but try to spend several hours a day barefoot. This exposes your nails to air and light. Fungus really doesn’t like light, especially sunlight and UV light. If you have a UV lamp, a few minutes of exposure can also help.
- Improve Circulation with Exercise: To heal and grow a new nail, you need good circulation to deliver nutrients, blood, and oxygen. Aerobic exercise is a great way to boost your circulation. Even a brisk walk that doubles your heart rate can significantly improve blood flow to your hands and feet. If you keep it up for more than 20 minutes, you’ll notice your hands and feet getting warm, which means tiny blood vessels are opening up and getting good blood flow.
- Practice Breathing Exercises and Meditation: This might seem too simple, but it’s very powerful. Your body has an autonomic nervous system that handles everything behind the scenes, like your heartbeat, breathing, and growing new tissue. It has two branches: the sympathetic (fight or flight, stress response) and the parasympathetic (rest and digest, healing). When you’re stressed, your sympathetic system is active, which constricts blood vessels, especially in your extremities. This reduces blood flow to your toes. Breathing exercises and meditation help activate your parasympathetic system, which widens blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow to your hands and feet. This also strengthens your immune system, as the parasympathetic system is responsible for immune function.
✅Additional Helpers for Stubborn Fungus
While the lifestyle changes are the most important for long-term success, there are a few other things you can do to help:
- Foot Soaks: Soaking your feet in Epsom salts or apple cider vinegar can help soften the nail and create an environment that fungus doesn’t like.
- Herbal Compounds: Certain essential oils and herbs have anti-fungal properties. Tea tree oil is known to be aggressive on fungus. Garlic and oregano oil are also strong anti-fungal and antibacterial agents. You can apply these topically.
- Homeopathics: Homeopathic remedies can also be helpful, though finding the right one can be tricky. They can be taken as pills or liquids, and liquids can be applied topically or ingested.
In some severe cases, especially for people with conditions like type 2 diabetes where circulation is already very poor, more extreme measures might be needed. A doctor might surgically remove a severely damaged toenail to allow a new, healthy one to grow. There are also medications like Lamisil. If you consider this route, it’s best to start with a topical cream. The oral version of Lamisil can be very harsh on your liver, so it’s usually considered a last resort, and your liver enzymes should be monitored if you take it.