Inflammatory nail disease: What you need to know

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When there is inflammation of the nail folds, the patient may have pain, swelling, and redness in the folds. The main cause is usually caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses, so the treatment of nail fold inflammation or some nail diseases is mainly antibiotics against staphylococci and drainage of pus.

1. Structure of the foundation

Nails have a protective function, helping the neural network in the extremities not to be damaged and increasing the sensitivity of touch at the fingertips and especially reflecting the health status of the human body.
The main component of nails is a tough protein called keratin. Besides protein, the composition of nails also has small amounts of sulfur, calcium, fat and water. The nail surface has the role of protecting the base of the nail underneath. The skin folds around the nail are responsible for protecting the sensitive nail layer underneath, however, when the patient has inflammation of the nail or foot folds, it will also affect that sensitive nail layer. In addition, the cuticle is located inside the nail and the cuticle is responsible for connecting with the nail folds, the nail surface and the white crescent at the base of the nail.
Nails will grow from the bottom of the cuticle every month. The case of healthy nails will grow continuously, but if the body suffers from serious diseases, it will leave recognizable signs on the nails. The most common nail problems are uncomfortable and unsightly such as: Inflammation of the nails, peritonitis, fungal nail or toenail diseases... these may not be serious conditions, but if the person Patients see yellow nail syndrome, brittle nails may be caused by a serious disease in the body.

2. Inflammatory nail disease

Healthy people will have pale yellow nails, smooth and shiny, when infected with nail fold inflammation, the patient may have pain, redness, and swelling in the nail folds. The cause of the disease can be nail fold inflammation, onychomycosis .... mainly caused by fungi, viruses or bacteria (eg Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococci, Proteus spp... .). These organisms have the opportunity to penetrate through the broken cuticle when the nail is scratched, nail fold trauma, cuticle loss, infection when biting or sucking the fingers.... Besides. This condition is also common in people who have their hands in contact with water for a long time.
Symptoms of the disease are easy to recognize as follows:
Inflammation will develop along the nail margin such as the lateral or nearby margin, causing pain, heat, redness and swelling. Presence of pus along the nail edge or possibly underneath the nail. The infection spreads to the soft tissue at the tip of the finger, causing macular degeneration. The treatment of nail fold inflammation or some nail diseases is mainly antibiotics against staphylococci and drainage of pus. Specifically:
Use antibiotics to fight staphylococci, should be selected based on the results of the antibiogram. In patients with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, monitoring for signs of cellulitis or worsening infection is recommended. In case of swelling with pus or seeing pus, an incision must be made to drain the pus. Use a thin gauze to insert for 24-48 hours to drain the fluid.

3. Some other nail-related diseases

Green nails: Signs of lack of oxygen in the body, the pathology of lung disease or cardiovascular disease. Wavy and pitted nails are an early sign of psoriasis or arthritis. Cracked or split nails that are dry and brittle, if frequent, can be a factor in thyroid disease. But if the nail is cracked or split with a yellow color, it could be a fungal nail disease. Pale nails: This can be a sign of serious medical conditions such as anemia, congestive heart failure, liver disease, malnutrition. Yellow or white nails with dark edges: This is a sign that the patient has liver diseases. Yellow fingernails are the most common cause of yellowing nails due to fungal infection, thyroid disease, lung disease, diabetes or psoriasis. In severe fungal infections, nails can shrink, thicken, and break. Nails are spoon-shaped, concave in the middle, where the surrounding area is raised to resemble a spoon, but usually has a thin horny layer. This is a sign that the body has an iron deficiency. In addition to the spoon-shaped nails, the lack of iron also causes the nails to have a pale color. Swollen nails, red and swollen skin around them, this is a sign of lupus erythematosus or other connective tissue disorder. In case you have a black streak under your nail, you need to see a medical facility as soon as possible, because it can be a warning sign of melanoma, which is a dangerous type of skin cancer for the patient.
In short, when there are signs of finger fold inflammation, the patient needs to go to a reputable hospital for immediate examination and treatment. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the leading prestigious hospitals in the country, trusted by a large number of patients for medical examination and treatment, not only equipped with modern and advanced equipment. nationally as well as in the region. The department has 6 ultrasound rooms, 4 DR X-ray rooms (1 full-axis machine, 1 brightener, 1 synthesizer and 1 mammography machine), 2 DR mobile X-ray machines, 2 cutting rooms. multi-row computer class with receiver (1 128-series and 1 16-series), 2 Magnetic Resonance imaging rooms (1 3 Tesla machine and 1 1.5 Tesla machine), 1 interventional angiography room with 2 planes and 1 room Measuring bone mineral density.... Vinmec is also the place to gather a team of experienced doctors and nurses who will greatly assist in the diagnosis and early detection of abnormal signs of the patient's body. The space is designed according to 5-star hotel standards, giving patients the most comfort, friendliness and peace of mind.

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