What is Paronychia
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 43, Word Count: 818,
Paronychia is a nail disease which is sometimes misidentified as whitlow (felon). This disease is often caused by bacteria or fungal infection at the spot where the nail and the skin meet at the side or the base of the finger or toe. The disease can start slowly or suddenly, leading to normal or acute cases. It is chronic paronychia when it starts gradually and acute cases have sudden start of the infection. This disease can happen anywhere at the sides of the nail in the 'U' shaped structure which is covered by the skin at the sides. It may start with a mild infection and later get severe or may get cured without further expansion. In severe cases it may have pus at the lining of the nail and skin attachment. If the infection is due to bacteria, it may get infected and affect the nails suddenly or it may take months to develop if the infection is fungal.
What is Paronychia
The cuticle of the nail acts as seal that protects it from infection. In cases when this protective seal is damaged by some means, the bacteria or the fungus gets access to the inner skin cells and cause infection leading to paronychia. This infection can bring much problem to the infected person as it leads to swelling, redness, and pain. Pus is also produced in the thickened skin near the discolored nail plate. Sometimes the quantity of pus may be enough that you may immediately need a doctor to get it released to stop further infection as well as severe pain and swelling.
As discussed above, there are two types of paronychia. First is the acute form which is caused by bacterial effect and the other is the chronic form which is generally caused by the fungal effect. Acute paronychia is believed to be caused by some types of medications done for acne or isotretinoin. In most cases, paronychia is treated by antibiotics. These antibiotics are either supplied orally to the patient or in the topical medication form (cream, lotion, etc.). Chronic infection can be caused by yeast infection in the soft tissues near the nail, but sometimes it may also result from bacterial infection. In the cases of bacterial infection, it may not expand or cause very serious problems. However, in fungal infection it continues for a long time and is responsible for greater damage to the tissues. This type of paronychia is treated by antifungal cream or paint.
Whitlows which are often misunderstood as paronychia are common in many people. It usually affects people who are in continuous contact with water due to their work or habit. Excess of water weakens the seal of the skin around the nail and the detergents and soaps remove the oils secreted by the skin which protects the skin from any damage. As a result the skin is left dry and can easily get split by the action of bacteria or fungus. In most of the cases, the infection at the first stage attacks the cuticle part of the nail. This spot is more sensitive and therefore gets affected easily. People who have the habit of biting and pricking at the cuticle are more prone to have this disease. People having a cold sore are advised not to place their fingers in their mouth, as the infection can get transferred and lead to herpes infection. People who work at places where they often need to wash their hands or work in water are generally prone to fungal type of infection.
Proper treatment of paromchia is essential to be done on time, so as to prevent any further expansion of the infection. In some cases, it may also lead to cancer in the nails. Therefore, it is necessary that you don't take it as a normal case and consult your doctor to get it cured within time. If you have got paronychia in your toes, you can use warm soaks to relieve pain. In most of the cases, acute paronychia is treated by antibiotics like cephalexin and dicloxacillin. It has been seen that topical medicines like cream and ointments do not have much effect on parynochia.
In cases where pus has accumulated in the swelling, it is important to get it incised and drained by a doctor. In some cases a portion of the nail may need to be removed if the infection has reached to a larger level. On the other hand, chronic paronychia is treated by antifungal medications that are applied topically. These medicines include ketoconazole cream. Hydrocortisone, which is a mild steroid, can also be added to the antifungal medication. It is however advised not to use steroid alone in the treatment of paronychia.
After going through the information provided above, you must have got an answer to your question as to what is paronychia and the ways in which it can be treated.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT
Advice Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote