One of the most common infections of the nails and toes is paronychia. In most cases, this type of infection develops around the nails. Common symptoms associated with this type of infection include swelling of the infected toe or finger and redness. One may also lose the cuticle that surrounds toenails or fingernails. Take note that there are two types of paronychia and both cause redness as well as swelling. These include:
Chronic Paronychia
For people who expose their feet or hands to water repeatedly, the likelihood of developing acute paronychia is quite high. Exposing the hands or feet to irritants may also lead to the development of chronic paronychia. The infections agent responsible for this type of infection might be fungus or yeast. This makes treating acute paronychia quite hard. For a physician to categorize an infection of the toenails as chronic, it must have been ongoing for at least six weeks.
Acute Paronychia
Unlike chronic paronychia, acute paronychia develops as a result of trauma to the cuticle. Some of the ways nail trauma can occur include someone stepping on your toes, injuries caused by biting the nails, or injuries caused by manicure and pedicure. These cause the skin around the nail to break making it easy for bacteria to enter into the toes or fingers.
Although paronychia is quite different from an ingrown toenail, it is not easy to differentiate them. In general, most ingrown toenails tend to affect the big toe. However, any of the other toes can develop an ingrown toenail. In addition, an ingrown toenail will cut into the skin surrounding it. On the other hand, paronychia leads to the loss of the cuticle. Furthermore, paronychia largely affects women. Men are likely to develop ingrown toenails.
How to Treat Nail Infections
Whether one develops acute or acute paronychia, it is possible to treat such an infection. For the acute form of paronychia, one should use oral antibiotics. In cases where the infection has caused pus to develop, it is advisable to seek treatment and advice from a physician.
For the chronic form of paronychia, the rule of thumb is to use antifungals. The antifungals might be in the form of topical applications or creams. Additionally, one should keep the feet or hands dry and clean. The problem with chronic paronychia is it is not easy to treat and sometimes antifungals might not work.
Whether you are suffering from chronic or acute paronychia, it is wise to seek treatment immediately. We have qualified professionals who can treat nail infections using state of the art laser technology. The treatment is painless and effective. Once you undergo proper treatment, the nail will start to grow back, and after a few months, you will be able to see the difference.
