Why Nail Fungus Comes Back

Many people experience the frustration of wondering why nail fungus comes back after they’ve fought a long battle and thought they’d won. Sadly, nail fungus is not only hard to eliminate but notoriously adept at returning time and time again. Medical experts think that there are several reasons why this is so.

Recurrent nail fungus infection (onychomycosis) may actually be the same infection: a reactivation of a dermatophyte that was believed to be gone, but which actually remained alive in such small quantities that it was undetectable. When treatment ended, latent fungal elements had a chance to start growing once again and reestablish the fungal infection in the nail. This is likely to be a common reason why nail fungus comes back, because thorough and complete treatment typically takes many months – people receiving treatment grow tired of the effort required and may end treatment before it is actually safe to do so.

Another reason that some people are plagued by recurrent nail fungus infection is that they are, in some way, more susceptible. The fungi that cause onychomycosis are actually very common – many people come in contact with them and never develop nail infections, while others seem to develop these infections quite readily. If you are one of the people that is easily infected, this provides another clue as to why nail fungus comes back – one infection has nothing to do with the next; it’s simply a result of frequent exposure to an organism that you’re susceptible to for some reason.

Finally, certain occupations obviously provide more exposure to potentially infectious fungi than others do and thus increase the chances of recurrent nail fungus infection. The few saprophytic fungi (fungi that break down dead organic matter in nature and do not usually infect living organisms) known to cause onychomycosis are common in soil, humus, and sewage: people such as construction workers, gardeners, sanitary engineers etc. are at increased risk. Similarly, the more common dermatophytes are found in damp public areas and on human skin, hair, and nails: swimming pool attendants, spa employees, hair stylists, and other beauty experts are doubtless exposed more frequently than the rest of us and have more reason to ask why nail fungus comes back.