nail infection

Nail psoriasis usually appears in people that already have psoriasis on their skin. In rare cases nail psoriasis may appear before the skin manifestations. And in the rarest cases psoriasis will only appear on the nails of a person and will never appear anywhere else.

In the case when there are no psoriasis lesions on the skin of a person, and only the nails are damaged with psoriasis, it is sometimes difficult for a doctor to make a correct diagnosis. Nail psoriasis often resembles a fungal damage of the nails. In this case it is helpful if the person knows of her/his family history of psoriasis.

Nail psoriasis that is mistakenly diagnosed as a nail fungus will not receive a correct treatment, which is why it is very important to achieve the correct diagnosis.

Here are the most common signs of nail psoriasis:

- Point hemorrhage of the nails - your nails in this case may resemble a thimble. The surface of the nail plates is covered with tiny grains or pits. This happens due to the loss of some cells on the nail plate.

- Some of your nails may become loose and to partly separate from the place where they are connected to the finger. There will appear hollow white spaces underneath the nails. Usually these spaces first appear at the tip of the nail and then start progressing towards the root of the nail. These spaces will grow with time causing the nail to rise above the surface of the nail bed.

- The skin underneath the nail may become thick. This also leads to the separation of the nail from the nail bed and to the raising of the nail above the nail bed.

- There may appear a discoloration underneath the nail plate that resembles a blood or oil drop. It is usually of a yellow-red color.

- Sometimes there may appear lines going across the nails. These lines appear due to the inflammation of the skin underneath the nail affected by psoriasis.

- Sometimes psoriasis also appears on the skin of the finger right next to the root of the nail and next to the nail cuticle. The affected skin in this case looks like a usual psoriasis lesion - silvery-white scales on top of a red inflamed skin.

- The nail affected by psoriasis usually becomes brittle, thick and starts crumbling. It is especially uncomfortable when the toe nails get affected by psoriasis.

- Sometimes there may appear the so-called splinter hemorrhage - tiny black lines visible through the nail plate. Splinter hemorrhage appears when the capillaries on the tip of your fingers or toes bleed underneath the nail plate.

Due to the unhealthy state of the skin affected by psoriasis under the nail it may become infected with a fungus. Sometimes it happens the other way around - nail psoriasis occurs after a fungal infection of the nail.

With the correct diagnosis it is possible to treat nail psoriasis (with different degrees of success). Besides hormonal medicines and other drugs that your doctor may prescribe to you, there are some natural means that may help your nails to feel better.

Here are some of the natural ways that you can try at home:

- Try to eat more Calcium (milk, yogurts, cheese etc.) and gelatin.

- Before going to sleep soak your hands in a tray filled with sea water (you can collect the sea water at the sea and store it in a large bottle in the refrigerator).

- Before going to sleep soak your nails in warm vegetable oil (olive, sunflower etc.), herbal oil (chamomile etc.) or apply a plain fatty cream onto your nails and underneath of them.

Fungal or fungus infections, as most people do not probably know, are diseases. Many healthy and able-bodied people, like you and me, suffer from fungal infections. Many fungal infections are mild affecting such areas as nails, skin, hair, and other superficial areas. These fungal infections clear up eventually.

Nail Fungus

A person with a defective or impaired immune system may suffer from the infection for a longer period than usual. Let us dwell on a particular area of fungal infection, the nails. This kind of fungal infection happens when one or more of your nails are infected by fungi. You may not know it but you may be already suffering from nail fungal infection right now. If you notice a white or yellow area under your toenail or fingernail then what you have may just be nail fungal infection.

The nail infection almost always digs deeper or may spread into your nail (mind you, the infection chooses any of your nail that it fancies). The spread of the disease will make your nail change its color, become thick and later on, form deteriorating edges. Your infected nails become painful and as such, are not beautiful to see due to the infection.

Your Nail Is Under Attack

Nail fungal infection begin to form on nails that are always or continuously exposed to humid environment. By this, we mean warm and moist. One part worth looking into or checking is your shoes. Why, you may ask? Are they comfortable and dry or do you have a mini spa inside your shoe?

Your nail fungal infection may not even be alone because athlete’s foot, although not the same, can also come from the same fungus. So you see, nail fungal infection is something worth looking into. This kind of infection is not easy to treat, but it is treatable. Infections may come and go and come back again. Fortunately, there are medications for this kind of infection.

Onychomycosis

Your nail fungal infection, assuming you have one, also has another name, onychomycosis. You can detect if one or more of your nails have fungal infection. When you look at your nails, ask yourself have my nails thickened? Are my nails brittle or ragged? Have you noticed any deformation? Or do you see any dark spots under your nail? Dirt caused by not cleaning your nails regularly does not count as fungal infection.

If ever one of your nails, whether it be your fingers or toes, become infected, it may or may not lift up from the nail bed. Pain may be felt and a foul odor, although, slight, may be present.

Basically, sunlight is not needed by fungi for it to propagate. The fungi responsible for the nail fungal infection are called dermatophytes. Since sunlight is not an important part of their life, these very small organisms can live in warm, moist or humid environments. Some common places are public showers and swimming pools. These microscopic fungi enter your skin, through cuts that you and I don’t even see or notice. They enter through your nails, if ever your nail has already lifted from your nail bed. But bear in mind, they only start to create problems if you nurture them by always exposing your nails to warmth and moisture.

By doing these, you just gave the fungi a very good place to start. In no time, the fungi will grow and spread throughout your nail.

Does the term Onychomycosis (on-ee-koh-my-ko-sis) sound bad to you? Wait till you see it. But better make sure they won’t be on your own nails or you might not want to see your fingers for a time. To give you an overview, Onychomycosis is the scientific name for nail fungal infection. This type of nail abnormality is caused by the bacterium called dermatophyte or tinea unguium, of which sources include yeasts and molds. This bacterium is also the source of such skin infections as athlete’s foot, jock itch, and the common ringworm.

Onychomycosis is 50 per cent more common than other nail disorders. It consists of several subtypes: Distal Subungual Onychomycosis (this takes place when the fungus affects the nailbed); White Superficial Onychomycosis (happens when the fungus forms "white islands" on the outer layers of the nail bed); Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis (if the fungus seeps through the proximal nail fold); Candidal Onychomycosis (is caused by the bacterium candida, when the nails are overexposed in water); Total Dystrophic Onychomycosis (when the nail plate is completely ruined).

Normally, men are more prone to nail fungal infection than women. Nail fungi can actually infect anyone but those with diabetes or leukemia should take extra care, the same goes for adults especially ages 60 and above. Having declining immune system and troubled blood circulation is what makes them more vulnerable.

This infection is characterized by the thickening and discoloration (yellow, white, or black of the nails. Minor pain is felt in the infected area while the nail slowly detaches from its plate. This kind of fungus easily spawns in warm and moist areas, thus, always finding settlement under our toenails and seldom on the fingernails.

How does the nail get contaminated? Nail fungal infection are anaerobic microorganisms, which means that they thrive in warm and wet areas. The little supply of oxygen keeps them surviving making our nails the safest place for them to breed. They feed on the keratin substance of the nails and slowly destroy them.

Usually, walking barefoot in public swimming pools, communal shower rooms, and gyms gives them access to your toenails, while overexposing your hands to water and harmful chemicals allow the bacteria to grow in your fingernails. To cure the infection, consult a specialist at the early stages of growth. There are common oral and topical treatments that doctors commonly prescribe such as Lamisil, Penlac, Tinactin, and lacquer, among others.

If you are a fan of alternative medicines, vinegar works well as anti-fungal remedy. Soaking the infected part in vinegar for 15-20 minutes twice daily until the infection heals kills the bacteria because of its strong acid contact. Applying Vicks VapoRub on the area is also a popular treatment.

Meanwhile, the rules for preventing nail fungal infection are easy. Three simple ways: Keep your hands and feet dry and apply foot powder on your feet if you must; never walk barefoot in wet, public places; and most importantly, maintain good hygiene. Then, you are guaranteed to be fungi-proof but for awhile.

There are many hundreds of ways to cure toe nail fungal infection which has become a common pest in unclean nails. Though many cures are available, commonly people opt for a home remedy as a first step to get rid of the fungus. Below are some of the more direct ways that you can try today to get rid of that nasty yellow fungus.

Why choose a Home remedy: There are many reasons to opt for a home remedy. The cure is very simple and does not involve any drugs or harsh chemicals to be applied to the nail or skin. As the effect is as good as the drug treatment, many people use their house hold culinary items for a fast way to cure nail infection.

Home remedy top pick: Vinegar is one of most commonly used home remedies as a rescue for the fungal infection of the nails. White vinegar and apple cider vinegar are commonly used. Half water and a half vinegar dilution of the vinegar with water can be an effective concentration. Hot and cold nail baths alternatively of the infected nails with the vinegar dilution can be equally effective as well. The nail can be soaked for about 30 minutes. Some people also use a concentrated form of vinegar to treat the infections. Even, two drops of the concentrated vinegar, owing to its high acidic nature kills the fungus effectively

How vinegar helps to rid away the fungus: The acidic nature of the vinegar helps to reduce the inflammation and thus the associated pain. Vinegar when combined with hydrogen peroxide acts as an antimicrobial and antiseptic agent. The sour taste of the vinegar also helps to combat the microbes responsible for the fungal infection.

Listerine mouth wash treatment: Listerine has been used as a mouth wash liquid since many years. Do you know that the contents in the Listerine liquid can also help to effectively get rid of the toe nail fungus! Just by dipping the infected part in Listerine can drastically improve the infection cure. Since Listerine it self is an antimicrobial agent, it also helps to cure the finger nail infections.

Frequency of the treatment: Like the other drug treatments, there is no specific time period for the treatment. But generally if the nail dipping is done 3 times daily for an average period of 30 minutes for every session can cure the ailment.

The Cheap Easy way; Sun: Believe it or not, exposing your nails and feet to direct sunlight can do wonders for your nail fungus and infection. Fungus cannot grow in sunlight because of the powerful rays that are emitted. Optimal conditions for fungal growth are wet, damp, and a dark environment, just opposite of sunlight. SO go ahead, take off those shoes and socks and give your feet and toes a little tan. It not only helps fight the fungus, give you a nice tan as well as Vitamin D, but feels good too.

With all these remedies, most of the infections can be lost without any kind of side effects. But alternatively, when the infection still persists, it is better to contact the specialist. Since the infection can spread easily, care has to be taken for preventing the spread.