At least once in their life, almost every person has encountered a problem when pus forms under the fingernail or toenail.
However, not everyone knows the cause of this disease, what it is called and how to act in such cases.
As a rule, most of us, having discovered pus under the nail, decide what to do ourselves, without seeking help from doctors, and only in case of serious complications, when changing the situation is sometimes quite difficult even for qualified specialists, “sound the alarm.” However, all this can be avoided if you have certain knowledge and know how to behave in each specific case.
Purulent inflammation of the skin under or near the nail plate on the fingers or toes is called panaritium. Often the cause of its development is infection of wounds of various origins by pathogenic microbes.
This disease occurs as a result of microtraumas, abrasions or cuts of soft tissue, and can also be caused by ingrown corners of nails, allergic reactions to chemicals, poorly performed hygienic manicure (pedicure), and also if a splinter gets under the nail.
In addition, felon can develop independently, without any previous injuries, especially if certain conditions contribute to this, including:
Also, similar suppurations are often observed in children, especially those who bite their nails and pick hangnails, and adults of certain professions - carpenters, joiners, agricultural workers, etc.
In addition to the main symptom of panaritium, a purulent formation, this disease is accompanied by other signs, among which are most often noted:
Of course, if you discover symptoms of panaritium, you should consult a doctor, especially if your finger hurts badly, the temperature has risen, or pus has accumulated under the nail. He will determine what to do by assessing the real clinical picture and prescribe appropriate conservative treatment.
However, there are times when it is not possible to get to a doctor for some reason and you have to act on your own. In such situations, you should remember that the sore finger must first be provided with complete care. In addition, you should make warm disinfectant baths from a weak solution of potassium permanganate or furatsilin 2-3 times a day, and also apply special applications with Levomekol ointment to the affected area and fix them with tight gauze bandages.
Self-medication of such a disease can be carried out only in the early stages of inflammation. In advanced forms, accompanied by pronounced symptoms, you should definitely seek qualified help from a surgeon in order to avoid possible serious complications.
Among the serious complications, there are three main ones:
As noted above, purulent inflammation under a fingernail or toenail in the early stages is treated exclusively with conservative methods.
The patient is prescribed daily warm baths with a solution of salt, soda, potassium permanganate or furatsilin, as well as bandages with antiseptic or antibiotic ointments.
In addition, local therapy can be supplemented with complex therapy and consist of taking appropriate antibiotics in this case.
Provided that conservative treatment has not yielded results, and the abscess under the nail is growing, the doctor resorts to surgical intervention, as a result of which the formed purulent bags are carefully opened, all the pus is removed from them, and the affected areas of the epidermis are removed. If it is not possible to leave the nail, then the nail plate is first removed.
This procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia. After removing the infected area, a bandage with antibacterial agents is applied to the wound. The postoperative healing period usually lasts 5-7 days. All this time, the patient's bandage is changed daily using wound healing and antiseptic agents.
In order to prevent the moment when pus comes from under the nail, it is important to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner, namely, thoroughly treat the damaged areas of the skin around the nail plates with any antiseptic - iodine, hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green, etc.
If a splinter gets under the nail, it must be removed as soon as possible, on your own. After which, treat the wound accordingly or with the help of a qualified doctor, because eliminating such a problem will take much less time than further treatment of an inflamed and festered nail.
In addition to traditional therapy, treatment of panaritium can also be carried out using traditional medicine, but it is better to do this under the supervision of a doctor or by correctly comparing traditional and folk medicine. Below we present to your attention several effective and proven recipes.
Recipe No. 1. To eliminate an abscess under a fingernail or toenail, you need to take in equal proportions dried flowers of medicinal chamomile and sage, as well as leaves of St. John's wort, plantain, lilac, pour it all with 1 liter of cold water, put on fire and bring to a boil .
After this, let the broth boil for another 3-5 minutes, remove it from the heat, add a teaspoon of baking soda, cool slightly so that the bath is not hot, but pleasantly warm, and immerse the sore finger in it.
The procedure in the bath should be carried out for 15-20 minutes, and then, carefully pre-treated with alcohol or any other antiseptic with a small spatula, lift the nail plate itself and alternately press several times on the nail, then on the fingertip, thus releasing all the contents from the purulent pocket.
Carrying out such a procedure under unsterile conditions and without prior steaming is strictly prohibited; this can lead to serious complications and the most unpredictable consequences.
Recipe No. 2. To extract only the pus that has formed under a toenail or fingernail, you must first prepare a warm bath of a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and hold the inflamed finger in it for at least 15 minutes. Then you should gently press several times on the nail plate, trying to remove the accumulated pus from under it.
After such a procedure, the finger and nail should be treated with iodine solution or any other antiseptic and a paste of finely grated raw beets should be applied to it. The compress must be secured with a tight gauze bandage and left for 4-5 hours.
Recipe No. 3. An abscess under a toenail or hand can be cured with propolis. To do this, you need to take propolis tincture and warm water in a ratio of one to five and make baths for the sore finger based on this solution, immersing it 3-4 times a day for 15-20 minutes. Within 3 days, all the pus from under the nail will come out and a rapid healing process will begin.
Recipe No. 4. In the initial stages of the disease, when pus under the fingernail or toenail is just beginning to accumulate, you can try to provide first aid as follows. You need to take a glass of hot water, dissolve 2 tablespoons of ordinary kitchen salt in it and dip your sore finger into the solution for several minutes for an hour. When the water has cooled and the temperature becomes acceptable, your finger must be held constantly. Upon completion of the procedure, you need to thoroughly lubricate the nail and the skin of the finger around it with iodine solution. Such emergency treatment should be carried out at least 3 times a day, thanks to which the problem will be successfully resolved. In addition, propolis helps well against nail fungus and many other unpleasant diseases.
Panaritium is a disease of an infectious nature. The main symptom of the condition is the accumulation of pus under the nail plate. The inflammatory process affects the soft tissues of the fingers. An abscess under the toenail causes pain. If measures are not taken to remove it, a complication develops. Inflammation reaches the bone tissue.
Pus under the toenail begins to accumulate due to the pathological activity of microorganisms. Bacteria enter through existing small wounds or cracks. Factors provoking the development of panaritium can be:
The appearance of pus under the nail is a consequence of the work of the protective system. Essentially it is a mixture of living and dead white blood cells. Such blood cells accumulate in areas where the inflammatory process occurs. The immune system ensures the destruction of pathogens that have penetrated under the nail plate and into the soft tissues.
Inflammation on the toes develops quickly. This is due to the difficulty of maintaining absolute purity. High humidity is a favorable environment for the development and activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
Treatment of pathology is associated with stopping the inflammatory process. It is also important to draw out any existing pus from under the nail. If you suspect the presence of panaritium, you should consult a doctor. It is not possible to remove pus yourself in all cases.
Pathology has its own characteristic symptoms. Based on these characteristics, it is differentiated from other conditions.
Subungual felon may not show other visual signs. As it develops, large amounts of pus accumulate. The nail gradually changes. The plate may thicken or crumble. Pathogenic microorganisms destroy the nail bed.
If there is a lot of pus, then the symptoms intensify. The pain becomes unbearable. An accumulation of leukocytes is noticeable in the corner of the damaged nail. It is visualized as a yellowish spot under the top layer of skin. In severe cases, when the inflammatory process spreads throughout all soft tissues, a person experiences an increase in body temperature. This is a reason to contact a specialist.
In the early stages, panaritium on the big toe can be cured at home. The main task is to draw out the pus. Experts advise using ointments. An overview of the most famous drugs is given in the table.
Many people repeatedly experience inflammation of the toe throughout their lives. Damage to the nail in adults usually occurs after a pedicure, in children - with various bruises and injuries. How to cure suppuration around the nail?
The condition in which the finger near the nail festers is called felon in medicine. This disease rarely occurs out of nowhere. Most often, a finger abscess occurs in the following situations:
The most common cause of nail inflammation is considered to be an incorrectly done pedicure. When the cuticle is damaged by careless actions, pus accumulates around the nail plate. After a careless pedicure, an inflammatory process forms, which, if left untreated, leads to the appearance of an abscess near the finger. Essentially, a panaritium is an abscess of the tissue around the nail. The infectious agents are usually the familiar streptococci and staphylococci - microorganisms that live on the skin of every person. Another common cause of pus is a fungal infection of the skin of the feet.
Often, an abscess on the toe occurs when the body's defenses are reduced. Systemic connective tissue diseases, metabolic disorders, oncology - all this can lead to the development of panaritium. What to do if your finger is swollen and festered in the nail area?
Most often, this disease affects the big toe. Damage to several nail plates at once indicates a pronounced decrease in immunity against the background of serious chronic diseases. A fungal infection can also cause inflammation of two or more toenails. The symptoms of the disease are typical, and even a person without medical education can easily recognize a formed abscess:
Tip: Found an abscess on your finger? Consult a doctor!
Many people try to treat finger inflammation at home, wasting valuable time. Is it possible to do this? In no case! Attempts to cure felon with folk remedies often lead to dire consequences. If you are concerned about a nail abscess after a pedicure, consult a qualified doctor. The doctor will not only prescribe you medications to relieve pain and swelling, but will also take a pus test. Sowing the discharge from the finger will make it possible to accurately identify the pathogen and prescribe the most effective treatment for panaritium.
If inflammation of the nail plate is not cured in time, you can get many problems. Inadequate and untimely treatment of an abscess leads to the spread of infection to the deeper layers of the skin. The pus penetrates the muscles and ligaments, and eventually the situation ends with the entire finger being affected. Even experienced surgeons are not always able to save a finger from infection. Amputation of the phalanx or the entire finger may be the only method to stop the spread of the process.
Advice: your finger is swollen or there is severe pain near the nail? Don't delay your visit to the doctor!
What should you do if your nail is so swollen that you can’t move your finger? Of course, the first thing you need to do is get an appointment with a surgeon. If it is late at night or you find yourself far from civilization, you can try to relieve pain and swelling on your own. Remember that any measures at home are temporary and only help remove unpleasant symptoms, but do not completely eliminate panaritium.
What to do if these methods do not help and the nail becomes even more inflamed? Under no circumstances try to open the abscess and remove the pus yourself! Panaritium should be treated by a qualified surgeon in a sterile operating room. You can find help both at the clinic and at the emergency room. Don't forget to tell your doctor how you tried to treat your finger at home - this may influence the choice of treatment method for panaritium.
Surgical treatment of an abscess on the finger is performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon makes an incision in the skin near the nail, after which the accumulated pus is removed. During the procedure, dead tissue is cut out. Usually the nail needs to be removed as well. If the nail bed is not affected by the pathological process, over time a new nail plate will form on the finger. Broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs are injected into the resulting cavity. After all manipulations are completed, a sterile bandage is applied to the wound.
Further treatment of felon consists of daily dressings and treating the finger with antiseptic drugs. If necessary, remove newly formed pus. It is necessary to treat the nail in this way for 5 to 7 days. Treatment for panaritium of the big toe may take a little longer due to the characteristics of the blood supply and innervation of this area.
What to do if a child’s toes are inflamed? How to treat a baby who is crying in pain? First of all, it is worth remembering that treatment at home is out of the question. The spread of infection in a child occurs very quickly, and time should not be wasted trying to remove pus with the help of medicinal plants. This is especially true for children under one year of age, whose immune system is not yet fully formed. You can relieve pain with a warm solution of soda or potassium permanganate, after which you should immediately take the child to the hospital. Treatment of felon in children is usually surgical. Opening the source of infection and removing pus is no different from a similar procedure in adults.
Knowing that treating nail inflammation is not so easy, each person will try to take all measures to prevent this situation from happening again. What should you do to keep your nails healthy?
Do not forget about the available methods of increasing general immunity. Regular physical activity, a balanced diet and giving up bad habits will strengthen the body and reduce the risk of nail infection. In winter, it won't hurt to take multivitamins. When the first symptoms of panaritium appear, you should consult a doctor.
Pus under the fingernail or toenail is medically called felon. This unpleasant disease occurs for the following reasons:
1. Lack of disinfection of open wounds, cuts and other finger injuries.
2. Poorly performed pedicure or manicure.
3. Ingrown nail into the skin.
4. Foreign body under the nail (splinter).
5. Complicated course of fungal diseases.
6. Diabetic circulatory disorders.
Most often, suppuration under the nails occurs in children who have the habit of biting their nails and hangnails on their fingers, as well as in people engaged in manual labor (for example, cooks or mechanics).
Panaritium can give a person a lot of unpleasant sensations. The patient first feels itching, and then a throbbing, twitching pain in the affected area. The skin in the nail area swells, the purulent sac becomes clearly visible. It appears as a white or yellow area in the nail area. Sometimes pus leaks. As a rule, the affected finger is quite difficult to bend, and in some cases the patient’s temperature rises.
As with any other purulent inflammation, you should be extremely careful with panaritium. The occurrence of suppuration is caused by pathogenic microorganisms that penetrate the skin and begin to divide intensively, thereby aggravating the inflammation.
Pus is, roughly speaking, a product of their vital activity. Naturally, the greater the concentration of harmful microbes, the more complex the disease and the more severe its consequences. A neglected panaritium is fraught with immobility of the affected finger, and even gangrene, in which you can easily lose the diseased organ. Therefore, at the first signs of suppuration, measures should be taken.
First of all, under no circumstances should you violate the integrity of the lesion in any way: pierce the abscess, try to cut it yourself, cauterize it, etc. Such self-medication can only aggravate the course of inflammation. Also, advanced forms should not be treated with external means: compresses, poultices, rubbing, etc.
The best option is to consult a surgeon. The specialist must establish an accurate diagnosis, as well as the type of microorganism that caused the inflammation. Depending on this, treatment is prescribed.
Therapeutic treatment of the purulent process is possible only in the early stages of felon. The patient is prescribed local antibacterial drugs and antibiotics. But most often, people turn to the doctor with an advanced form of panaritium, when the purulent sac grows, the body temperature rises (more than 37.5 degrees) and the swelling around the nail spreads beyond the phalanx of the finger.
In this case, surgical treatment is indicated. The doctor opens the abscess and releases the pus so that it does not get under the nail. After this, the wound is disinfected and a sterile bandage is applied, which must be changed regularly. During the incision, the nerve endings are not affected, so the operation is performed without pain relief. Antibiotics are prescribed as maintenance treatment, usually ciprolet or amoxiclav.
Of course, the best prevention is to avoid injuries to your nails and fingers at all: follow safety precautions at work, perform a manicure correctly, wean yourself from the habit of biting your nails, etc. However, if an injury has been sustained, already in the first minutes the wound
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial or regular toilet soap.
2. If the cause of inflammation is a splinter, immediately pull it out with a sterile needle.
3. Gently squeeze out some blood from the wound.
4. Treat the affected area with hydrogen peroxide.
5. Lubricate the edges of the wound with iodine and brilliant green.
6. Cover the wound with an adhesive plaster or bandage it.
7. For 1-2 days, refrain from gardening work and contact with meat and blood.
Abrasions, small cuts, wounds, scratches, injuries and bruises - we have to deal with all this throughout our lives. The situation is complicated by the fact that various microorganisms, and sometimes even foreign bodies, inevitably penetrate into the wounds.
All this contributes to the development of a disease such as panaritium, which manifests itself in acute purulent inflammation of the tissues on the fingers and toes. In order to prevent complications and the possible development of sepsis, it is necessary to begin timely treatment.
Treatment of acute purulent inflammation (felon) at home comes down to steaming and applying effective agents that promote the release of pus.
Treatment of felon at home is possible only at the initial stage of the disease, when the purulent sac is not yet fully formed. Subsequent stages require specialized medical care, since advanced purulent inflammation can cause partial disability.
In order to draw out pus from under the nail, you need to mix chamomile, plantain, sage and lilac leaves, add a little baking soda, then pour it all with a liter of water and put it on the stove. As soon as the broth boils, remove it from the heat and cool to 15°C. Then pour the contents into a basin and lower the sore arm or leg into it for 10 minutes.
To get rid of pus, you need to lift the nail with a spatula and press on the pad of the finger or on the nail itself. Pus will begin to gradually come out from the finger. Upon completion of the procedure, even if the pus has not yet completely come out, you need to apply half an aloe or plantain leaf to the sore spot. After 12 hours, this procedure should be repeated again so that the pus comes out completely and the wound begins to heal.
An ingrown nail is the ingrowth of the lateral edge of the nail plate into the adjacent soft tissue, which promotes rubbing of the skin along the nail and inflammation at the base. If a purulent sac has formed on a finger with an ingrown nail, this is a sure sign that a foreign body has entered the damaged area of the skin. An introduced infection can lead to subcutaneous panaritium. If the pus has not yet begun to accumulate, then you can do without surgical intervention, starting to quickly respond to the problem that has arisen.
To treat a problematic nail, you can try hot foot baths with a small amount of potassium permanganate and baking soda. This procedure should be carried out 2-3 times a day for 10-20 minutes. However, if pus has already begun to accumulate in the wound, then you cannot steam the sore finger.
When the nail becomes a little soft under the influence of the hot solution, you can try to carefully trim off a piece of the ingrown plate. This procedure must be repeated until the nail is completely healed.
To treat a problematic nail, you can use ointments that draw out pus. These are special means that prevent the development of the sore. The ointment should be placed on a bandage and pressed tightly onto the sore finger, and the whole thing should be wrapped in plain polyethylene. Apply a bandage on top again and put on a sock to secure this entire “structure.” This procedure is best done at night. In the morning, after removing the bandage, you can again try to trim the problematic nail, and then apply the ointment again.
After receiving an injury, first aid must be provided to prevent the injury from growing. To do this, apply cold to the bruise. Small bruises can be treated at home using alcohol compresses. To do this, vodka or alcohol is diluted in the same ratio. Gauze is soaked in this liquid, applied to the leg, after which a piece of polyethylene is wrapped with a warm scarf on top.
If the bruise is large and suppuration has occurred, then in no case should you resort to self-treatment. To prevent unpleasant consequences, you need to consult a doctor, who will use a special drill or drill to make a small hole in the nail, and then use an aesculapian to remove the clot and wash the damaged area under the nail. In case of late presentation and severe pain caused by a large accumulation of pus, the surgeon will have to remove the nail plate.
Wound suppuration can be treated with special ointments that promote the formation of the head of the boil - a pustule. The formation of which leads to the fact that the abscess opens on its own and the pus comes out. You should not squeeze out the boil, as such actions can lead to the spread of infection. The list of pulling ointments includes:
You can prepare a similar ointment with your own hands. To do this you need to mix 1 tsp. corn powder with ? tsp ground ginger, add 1 tbsp. honey and a pinch of salt. The resulting ointment is placed on a piece of gauze, applied to the sore spot, and then covered with film and two more layers of gauze on top.
Various reasons can lead to suppuration of a finger: wounds, injuries, improper pedicure or manicure, etc. All this makes the damaged area vulnerable to pathogenic bacteria, which trigger the rotting process. How to remove an abscess near the nail and cure felon? You will find the answer to this question in the following video.
Many who are faced with this problem do not realize the complexity of the disease, do not take measures to eliminate it, and turn to specialists only when the nail is deeply embedded in the skin of the finger, the symptoms are pronounced, and a large inflammation or abscess forms on the finger.
Improper nail care and wearing shoes that are too tight lead to the development of a disease such as onychocryptosis, or a more popularly known condition - an ingrown nail.
In such cases, it is quite difficult and almost impossible to do without surgical treatment. You can prevent all sorts of complications and progression of the disease in the early stages, when slight discomfort is felt in the area of the finger, and slight pain appears when pressing on the skin near the nail.
If the inflammatory process is minor, and the first signs of an ingrown toenail are noticeable immediately, the disease can be stopped at home using simple and proven methods of traditional medicine, which have been able to get rid of onychocryptosis for decades.
Treatment of ingrown toenails at home using folk remedies is necessary at the first symptoms or to prevent relapses of the disease. There are quite a few ways to remove an ingrown toenail.
Most of the products used for procedures to remove nails are found in every home and do not require significant financial costs.
It is important to remember that folk remedies will be effective only at the beginning of the disease. If inflammation affects the deep tissues of the skin near the nail or purulent foci of the disease are noted, folk remedies will not bring the desired result.
Many doctors and specialists in the field of dermatology and cosmetology recognize traditional medicine and assure that with its help you can really stop the disease in the early stages and prevent its progression.
Onychomycosis in the early stages of ego development can be cured with iodine, with the help of various herbal plants, essential oils, vegetable oil, soap solution, ordinary kitchen salt and other means.
Let's look at several recipes using improvised means to remove an ingrown toenail.
An ingrown toenail can be softened and removed using a paste of aloe leaves. To prepare the recipe, you will need 1 aloe leaf, which needs to be washed and crushed to a smooth paste. After that, the finished mixture should be applied to the nail, wrapped in plastic, put on a warm sock and left overnight. In the morning, you need to wash off the paste from your toe and try to lift the ingrown toenail to trim it. If it was not possible to soften the nail, you can repeat the procedure or take a bath with sea salt.
An ingrown toenail can be softened and removed using a paste of aloe leaves.
A fairly effective and common way to remove an ingrown toenail. To prepare, you will need regular kitchen or sea salt in the amount of 1 tablespoon. The salt should be diluted in fairly warm water and the nail should be soaked for 15 - 20 minutes. It is recommended to carry out this procedure once a day for 3 to 4 days. Water will help soften the skin around the finger, and salt will reduce inflammation, relieve swelling, and make the nail softer. Such procedures can be used for both children and adults.
A simple and convenient method to treat onycocryptosis with butter. To carry out the procedure, just take a small amount of butter, apply it to the nail, and bandage it with a sterile bandage for the whole night. Butter will help soften the nail and trim it in the morning. You can do this procedure every day until the ingrown toenail is completely removed.
A simple and convenient method to treat onycocryptosis with butter. To carry out the procedure, just take a small amount of butter, apply it to the nail, and bandage it with a sterile bandage for the whole night.
A good result for an ingrown toenail can be obtained by using a soap bath. To prepare, you will need to dissolve a small piece of soap in hot water and soak your feet in the prepared solution for 20 minutes. After the procedure, you need to dry your feet and treat them with any disinfectant (you can use iodine 1:1 diluted with water). Then you need to try to lift the nail a little and put a piece of sterile cotton wool under it. This action will allow the ingrown nail to come out of the skin and reduce pain.
You need to do this procedure until the edges can be trimmed.
Lemon zest and a small amount of vegetable oil will help get rid of the problem. To prepare, you will need to grind the lemon zest, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, mix and apply to the affected toe. Place a clean gauze bandage on top and secure firmly. You need to keep the compress for several hours. In cases where the nail has entered deep into the skin or small wounds are observed, it is better to refuse this procedure.
You shouldn’t use onion itself for an ingrown toenail, but you can mix it with honey. To prepare such a compress, you need to take a small onion, chop it in a blender, mix with a teaspoon of honey, mix and apply to the nail for 8 hours. After the time has passed, you need to wash off the slurry and try to lift the edges of the nail. If it was not possible to soften it, you can repeat the procedure. As in the case of lemon, you should not make a compress if there are wounds on the skin.
You can get rid of an ingrown toenail using folk remedies, using lamb lard and laundry soap. To cure the disease and soften the nail, you need to grind the lard, heat it a little, add soap shavings, mix and apply to the sore toe for 5 - 6 hours. Place a clean cloth on top and wrap your finger in polyethylene, then put on a warm sock. After time, the nail plate can be slightly raised and the edges trimmed.
You can also treat an ingrown toenail with a milk compress. To prepare it, you need to soak cotton wool in warm milk and apply it to your finger for 3 – 4 hours. Wrap the top with foil and put on a warm sock. After 4 hours, you need to remove the compress, wash your feet and trim your nails.
Onychocryptosis can be treated with iodine, which disinfects the skin well and prevents the development of all kinds of complications. In addition, wild meat can be treated with iodine. During treatment with iodine, you need to take several ordinary threads, moisten them with iodine and stretch them under the nail. Such procedures need to be done several times a day.
If a nail grows into your finger, you can get rid of it using propolis tincture, which not only has an antibacterial and antimicrobial effect, but also allows you to heal the nail faster. When using propolis, you can make compresses at night, you can wash your sore finger with it, or you can soak a cotton swab in the tincture and place it under the nail. Both adults and children can treat their nails with propolis until the pain goes away and the nail plate itself lifts and is trimmed.
There are other folk remedies that can soften the nail and get rid of the disease, but in any case, any of the recipes will bring positive results only at the first signs of the disease. When nails grow deep into the skin, inflammation of the soft tissues occurs, “wild meat” appears, and folk remedies cannot solve the problem.
Treating an ingrown toenail at home should be abandoned in cases where folk remedies are not effective or the disease progresses, the nail goes deeper into the skin of the finger, and it is painful for a person to walk and difficult to make the slightest movements.
Ingrown toenail: how to get rid of it yourself at home
Treatment for ingrown toenails at home
How to treat an ingrown toenail with folk remedies. Treatment of an ingrown toenail
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A truly large number of different ailments can affect our body. Diseases do not bypass any organ, and, it would seem, even where there is nothing to hurt, pain and malignant formations arise. One of these formations can be called pus under the nail, which can be found on the hands and has different causes.
As a rule, when we find pus under a fingernail, we do not rush to go to the hospital, but try to deal with the problem ourselves. The reasons why suppuration occurred under the stratum corneum can be different:
It is also worth noting that suppuration on a child’s finger most often develops when he bites his nails. Carpenters, joiners, agricultural workers are professions whose employees are predisposed to the fact that the fingernail festers.
In scientific circles, suppuration under the nail is called felon. Among the main symptoms, the patient exhibits the following signs:
If you notice similar symptoms on your finger, you should consult a specialist as soon as possible. Self-medication is allowed only at the initial stage of development of the disease, when the nail is just festering. Otherwise, more serious consequences than pain and stiffness may occur:
That is why it is so important to start treatment on time, not to miss the moment when the fingernail festers. In severe cases, it is necessary to perform surgery and completely remove the nail plate.
The reason why a finger on the hand festers is often a fungus. In this case, suppuration is often preceded by other signs. Firstly, it is an unbearable itching, which is often accompanied by redness near the nail.
Secondly, a fungus on the hand can cause a change in the color of the nail plate. It can become black, gray-green, covered in spots and acquire other shades.
Typically, the fungus first affects the edges of the nail plate, where it forms a focus and begins to affect the entire finger.
These are just the first signs that you have been infected by a fungus. But they are often enough to determine the cause of the formation of pus. Particular attention should be paid to the treatment process in this case. To do this, a specialist doctor must determine whether your finger is actually affected by the fungus - samples are taken and a series of tests are performed.
If the result is positive, additional tests are carried out to determine what type of fungus has infected your body. Treatment is determined accordingly, because each type of fungal infection requires special medications.
It is worth mentioning separately about the damage to the child’s fingers by felon. The child’s body has not yet fully formed - its immune system is weakened, the skin and tissues are very delicate and very easy to damage. Meanwhile, the disease does not make concessions for age and affects the body as destructively as it does on an adult.
In view of this, parents should carefully monitor the condition of their fingers and skin near the nails and prevent any possibility of suppuration. To reduce the risks, you should pay attention to the previous symptoms, because a purulent abscess develops in stages:
If you notice the very first symptom on a child’s finger, you should consult a doctor, especially if this was preceded by an injection or a cut near the redness area.
Treatment, if the nail has become infected, consists of several measures, which, when combined with each other, have a complex effect:
In cases where the nail festers for a long time, and conservative treatment does not produce results, surgical intervention is resorted to.
To do this, small incisions are made in the area where the finger is festering, and dead cells are squeezed out, and the keratinized layers of the epidermis are removed.
To remove large suppuration, it may be necessary to remove the nail plate. A similar procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and the postoperative period is about a week, during which disinfecting dressings are periodically applied.
To exclude or prevent large formation of pus under the nail, you must follow certain hygiene rules:
These simple precautions will allow you not to worry about the formation of pus under the nail. If, however, trouble does occur and pus has accumulated under the nail, you should immediately go to the doctor.