Paronychia is a condition where the surrounding regions of the nail become infected. The bacterium responsibe for this tends to be staphylococcus which causes the base and distal regions of the nail to become red, inflamed and swollen.
If the area is left inflamed, pus starts to accumulate, forming with a yellow colour. When the region is untreated or pressure is applied, there is an uncomfortable release of discharge. This may actually allow the inflamed area to recover overtime.
However, accumulation of pus can cause even more discharge to build up, eventually the granulated tissue can cover the nail. At this stage the condition becomes very hard to treat, which makes taking early action very important.
There are a variety of causes for paronychia
Many causes can lead to this condition. The most common case is when a hangnail is removed and the open wound is infected. Hand eczema are also known to cause this condition.
Eczema in children and adults are caused by external stimuli such as sand, water and washing liquid inducing an infection or inflammation. Inflammation can also be caused by the infection itself.
The accumulation of fungus known as candida around the nail causes inflammation, prominent hangnails and invasion of bacterium such as yellow staphylococcus which causes extreme inflammation. There are many cases where this occurs in parallel with eczema, fungi and other infections. Paronychia can also lead to hangnails.
How to deal with it
This condition can be dealt with by keeping the surrounding area of the nail clean and sanitary. For those with habit, please avoid biting the nails.
The most common method of treatment is using antibiotics if the infection is caused by bacteria. If the cause is a fungus, then an anti-fungul drug is used. If the cause is eczema, then hormone and steroid insertion can control any swelling and inflammation.
In reality it’s very difficult to ascertain the cause for the condition. Treatments change depending on the symptom of the condition, therefore it’s recommended to visit a medical professional for the correct method of treatment.
Prevention
The cause can be range from bacteria which has invaded after the removal of a hangnail, to openings made from biting the nail. Nail art should be avoided until it’s examined by a medical specialist.
Furthermore, this condition can lead to ingrown toenails. Walking becomes very difficult as ingrown toenails and paronychia become worse. It’s crucial for the condition to be examined by medical professional as soon as possible.
