Common nail problems include paronychia, pseudomonas, tinea unguis, leukonychia, and beauty lines. Paronychia is treated with soaking in antibacterial soap, pseudomonas requires cutting the nail short and minimizing moisture, tinea unguis is treated with topical or oral medications, leukonychia is an inherited abnormality, and beauty lines can be caused by trauma or indicate other health problems.
There are many types of diseases and disorders that can affect nails. Of the dozen or so nail problems that doctors encounter, there are a few that are considered to be very common. This list includes paronychia, pseudomonas, tinea unguis, leukonychia, and beauty lines. The first three need to be treated with medications, while the last two do not require any treatment.
Paronychia is one of the nail problems that causes pain and requires treatment, in most cases. It is usually the result of a tear in the skin folds around the nail. The bacteria make their way under the nail and cause pain, redness, and swelling. It is most commonly treated by soaking the nail in a solution of 50/50 warm water and 50/50 antibacterial soap, three to four times a day, for about 15 minutes each time.
Some nail problems are caused by improper nail maintenance. Pseudomonas is a bacterial infection that eats away at nail tissue and is usually seen in patients who wear false nails. Many patients believe they have mold growing under the false nail because they see a green hue under it. This discoloration is in fact caused by iron deposits and human by-products of decomposition. The nail becomes colored and softened when it dies, and in the worst cases it can lift completely off the nail bed. Treatment consists of cutting the nail very short and keeping moisture to a minimum, although more extreme cases need to be treated with prescribed medications.
Tinea unguis is a fungal infection, sometimes called ringworm of the nail. It causes nail thickening, nail deformity, and discoloration, and without treatment, will eventually cause nail plate loss. Those who suffer from athlete’s foot infection are more likely to get tinea unguis. It can be treated with a topical solution or oral medications when the infection is severe.
Many people get concerned when they see white spots on their nails. These spots are one of the least concerning nail problems and one of the most common. The technical term for them is leukonychia and they are simply an inherited abnormality.
Beau’s lines are horizontal lines on the nail. They are usually caused by trauma to the nail or nail bed, but can sometimes be an indicator of other health problems. People with malnutrition often have them. There is no treatment for these benign nail problems. If the cause is unknown, however, the patient should be evaluated to see if there is another health problem that may have caused the lines.
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