There is a huge variety of nail diseases. All of them are divided into two large groups - fungal and not related to the activity of fungi. As a rule, the disease leads to deformation of the nail plate, a change in its color, shape, size. Such a problem brings discomfort, makes you feel insecure.
general information
More than half of all cases occur in fungal diseases. Doctors say that nails are a kind of mirror that gives an accurate idea of human health. Often it is on the nails that you can notice that there is some kind of problem in the body. Judging by the statistics of specialized clinics, their portfolio and the photos published by them, diseases of fingernails are most often fungal. Different stages of the disease are accompanied by larger or smaller changes.
Some nail health problems reflect systemic diseases. Often, nail plates suffer if a person is sick with eczema, contracted with lichen. Possible damage to the nails with psoriasis. Regardless of the cause, any pathological condition requires adequate treatment.
Onychomycosis
Such nail diseases are explained by infection with pathological fungi. Over time, the gloss of the nail plate is lost, the color is broken. Colored spots or streaks may appear in some areas. Thickness grows, deformations are observed. For nails affected by onychomycosis, crumbling and destruction are characteristic. Perhaps a complete rejection of the bed of the nail.
Lichen
Damage to nails with lichen planus is possible. Such a disease leads to a violation of the shade and a decrease in the thickness of the plate. The free edge is prone to delamination. Over time, it is possible to separate the nail bed. The structure of the rollers is broken. Subsequently, the nails become smaller, and the surface is covered with ribs, cracks.
At present, it has not been possible to determine exactly why the disease develops. Doctors know that several factors act in a complex way at once, but not all of them are identified, and already known by many scientists are disputed as unreliable.
Psoriasis
If you study the portfolio and medical history of patients in specialized clinics, you can see a lot of expressive and not very pleasant photos. Disease of the nails on the hands, leading to deformity, producing a strong negative impression - psoriasis. Its reasons at the moment are not exactly established, but it is known that a complex of factors plays a role. The development of psoriasis is possible in the presence of failures in the immune system.
Violation of the appearance and health of the nail plate is one of the early signs of psoriasis. Plaques on the skin appear much later. Medical practice shows that changes in nails are often left unattended, the patient consults a doctor only at the stage of formation of large plaques on the body. This approach is wrong, because the therapy is more effective the sooner you can start it. Over time, the nail matrix is increasingly violated, and this affects the appearance.
Some features
Psoriasis is such a disease of the nails, when at first there are recesses-points. The nail looks like it was being poked with something. The nail bed is gradually separated. As the condition progresses, smoky lines can be observed. The plate becomes dry, brittle, keratosis is localized under the nails.
Secondary psoriasis leads to a change in shape, the formation of scales on the surface of the nail plate. Over time, furrows appear here, the shade becomes unhealthy. In many, psoriasis is accompanied by peeling of the nail, lamination of the plate.
Eczema
As described above, this disease is provoked by numerous factors. When the nail is damaged, the plate gradually exfoliates, the anatomically correct shape is violated. The surface of the nail tarnishes, loses smoothness. Transverse furrows appear. The damage level of the nail matrix determines the thickness of the plate. With this disease, foci of inflammation often appear on the nails, under the influence of which the nail skin disappears. The area is covered with cracks, non-healing wounds appear.
Harmful factors
Is it possible to identify a specific nail disease from a photo? Some cases are quite characteristic, so a detailed photo is really enough to make a preliminary diagnosis, but usually an examination by a specialist is required. In addition, the pathological condition is not always explained by the disease. For example, if the nail crumbles, breaks, flakes, the plate is fragile, but there is no obvious pathology, it is possible that this condition is provoked by the influence of chemical factors, toxic substances, cosmetics, or dirty water.
Sometimes a violation of the integrity and health of nails indicates improper functioning of the thyroid gland. In the elderly, a change in the nail plate is one of the signs of age. Fragility can be triggered by chronic psoriasis. It leads to crumbling of the plate. In some cases, psoriasis is congenital. It is also accompanied by such symptoms.
Trahnonychia
This name of nail disease is familiar to few, although a pathological condition is relatively common. Often it accompanies psoriasis, eczema, lichen, neurodermatitis. With trachnonychia, the nail plate is brittle, loses its luster, dry, and peels off. The pathological condition can be expressed by the presence of pinholes. The free nail edge is covered with notches. On visual inspection, numerous cracks can be seen.
Onyhorexis, onychosis
These names are used to denote the state in which the nail plate is folded, broken, broken. Onyhorexis is a term used to describe the appearance of longitudinal splits accompanied by increased fragility. Onychoshizis is a nail disease, in the description of which the emphasis is on the presence of transverse violations of the integrity of the plate.
Often, both of these violations are due to frequent injuries. This is characteristic, for example, of musicians playing instruments using nails. Pathological conditions are also possible for those who too often do manicures. Sometimes splitting of the plate is accompanied by lichen, eczema, although cases of a congenital disorder are often found. Onyhorexis is often a sign of aging.
Longitudinal furrows
Treatment of nail disease on the hands in this case is not required. As a rule, furrows are only a change in the state of the nail plate, due to the age factor. But such cases are known when the condition was provoked by deprivation, a metabolic disorder. Frequent and severe stresses can play a role.
Sometimes longitudinal grooves can be observed on the nails of a perfectly healthy person. Combs, furrows reflect the structural features of the lower surface of the nail plate.
Canal-like dystrophy
Often, this particular nail disease can be determined quite accurately from a photograph. Its characteristic feature is the area of localization. First of all, the plates on the hands, on the thumbs, suffer. A wide channel is formed in the central part. More rarely, such a formation is observed with a shift from the center to the outer edge.
There are cases when grooves formed after injury. A possible source of the problem is the malfunctioning of the autonomic NS. The disease is transmitted genetically; if among close relatives there were people suffering from such a pathological condition, it is highly likely that sooner or later it will manifest in a person.
Transverse furrows
The doctor, explaining how to determine the disease by the nails, will definitely pay attention that somatic health problems are often expressed by the presence of transverse stripes on the plate. In some cases, this phenomenon is provoked by external aggressive factors. The level of damage to the nail matrix can be estimated by calculating the depth of the furrow.
Often, grooves are observed if a person suffers from a skin disease. Heart attacks, chemotherapy, sharp temperature drops and hypothermia can lead to such consequences. There are cases when longitudinal grooves arose against the background of Raynaud's disease.
Status Nuances
Perhaps lateral damage to the nail plate. This is observed during infection with a fungus or due to fibroma under the nail.
Even on a healthy nail, a crack may suddenly appear. As a rule, this is explained by excessive efforts applied to the surface during manicure. Often the use of acute tools leads to this.
Against the background of some pathological conditions, the thickness of the nail plate may become larger. This often causes fungal infection, psoriasis. Possible changes in thickness with eczema. Sometimes an increase in thickness as part of the definition of disease on the nails suggests a lichen or wart. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe special tests or studies.
Tick-shaped nail
A photo, a description of the disease of the nails on the hands can be found in specialized medical guides and portfolio of clinics involved in the treatment of the nail plate. The disease is quite unpleasant, characterized by a change in the shape of the nail. The edges of the plate grow into the tissue roller around the nail. This provokes inflammatory processes, leads to the appearance of crusts. Surfaces whose integrity is impaired often bleed, granulations, purulent compartments are observed. The disease is characterized by a constant heavy odor surrounding a sick person. The patient himself suffers from severe pain. If the disease is localized on the legs, this leads to lameness. Medical statistics show that tick-borne nails more often bother young people.
The described disease of toenails may appear due to the characteristics of heredity. The probability of its development is higher, if the longitudinal curvature of the nail is strongly pronounced, the plate begins to grow obliquely. As a rule, the nail roll is slightly larger than normal, and the nail bed is narrow.
Deterioration is observed if you use narrow shoes, incorrectly and carelessly cut your nails. A complication of the case is possible if the patient is injured. Higher likelihood of developing tick nails in dancers, ballerinas, athletes involved in football, basketball, boxing.
Onychogryphosis
This disease of toenails can occur if a person uses uncomfortable shoes, frostbite his limbs, and is injured. Sometimes onychogryphosis is provoked by fungal infection or impaired blood flow in the legs. It is possible that the condition appears in old age without concomitant pathological causes.
There are cases when onychogryphosis was congenital if during the development of the fetus the nutrition of the nail bed was disturbed for any reason. Onychogryphosis can be localized on one leg or simultaneously on two. The main symptom is a rocky structure, brownish or brown stripes along the plate, reaching a length of 3.5 cm. It is possible to twist the nails, which makes them look like horns.
Onycholysis and Onychomadesis
Onycholysis is a condition in which the plate is separated from the bed. Often this pathology is observed with infection by fungi or against psoriasis. This condition is rather unpleasant - however, who can please the exfoliation of the nails on the hands? What diseases can trigger a pathology, doctors are still establishing. It is precisely known that exfoliation is possible with severe poisoning and thyrotoxicosis, against the background of eczema, trauma to the area. Exfoliation usually starts from the free side. The plate in this part turns white.
Onychomadesis is a term that refers to the complete separation of the plate. The start of the process is at the proximal edge. It is noted that onychomadesis is characterized by a high speed of progress. Treatment of nail disease on the legs or arms is difficult. Thumbs usually suffer. The complexity of the case is that doctors still do not know exactly all the factors that provoke onychomadesis. Studies have shown that this condition is observed with significant malfunctioning of the nail matrix.
In some cases, onychomadesis provokes trauma, improper manicure, the use of sharp tools for treating nails. It is likely that the pathological condition will be the result of fungal infestation, eczema, psoriasis. Onychomadesis is possible with epidermolysis, sarcoidosis.
Is it a fungus?
If you study medical publications and reference books, rich in photos and descriptions of diseases of the nails on the legs and arms, it becomes clear that more than half of all cases are due to infection with various fungi. But such changes are not the only ones that can provoke a pathological condition. Sometimes the cause is common skin diseases, infection of internal organs, impaired activity of the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, endocrine system. Pathologies of the nails may indicate dystrophy, poisoning. Sometimes abnormalities are congenital. All of these factors lead to a violation of the integrity of the nail, similar to the inherent fungal invasion. Correct identification of the root cause allows you to understand how to deal with trouble.
If the condition is due to a factor other than fungal invasion, the use of anti-fungal drugs will not be useful. Only a qualified doctor can choose an adequate approach.
In medicine, cases of hyperkeratosis, paronychia, dermatitis, chromonychia, melanoma, melanonychia, pseudoleukonychia, leukonychia are known. Sometimes the cause of a violation of the integrity and appearance of the nail is a response to drug therapy.
Injury
Perhaps, chronic trauma is one of the most common causes of a pathological condition due not to fungi. Often confused with onychomycosis. Choice of unsuccessful shoes, congenital deformity of the foot, and active exercise lead to chronic injury. The plate is constantly influenced by negative factors, which eventually provokes its separation. Sometimes the reason is professional activity. For example, this is typical for people who are forced to work in conditions of contact with aggressive chemicals.
Hand nail disease is a problem!
Often a person does not even think about how often you have to use your hands during the day. Diseases of the nail plate on the fingers of the hands are a condition in which people begin to pay attention to every action performed by the hands. The discomfort is significant: many are even embarrassed to say hello, seeing that their nails differ from normal, healthy ones.
A feature of the nail plates on the hands is rapid growth. A person actively performs various actions with his hands, which means that blood flow in this area is fast. For this reason, the nail plate grows faster than on the toes, and at the same time, the risk of injury, infection, contact with hazardous chemicals increases.
Nail diseases - an occasion to contact a dermatologist and begin treatment under his control. Perhaps the doctor will send for an additional examination to another specialist. If the nails are yellowed, this allows you to suspect liver disease, have become too thin - anemia. Melanoma can cause black stripes, heart and blood vessel diseases - a red tint, and diabetes and pulmonary disorders - yellow. If the nail plate is very thin, it is necessary to check the iron content in the blood.
Infection
Infections account for a large percentage of nail diseases. Perhaps infection with staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, fungal invasion. Ringworm affects nails. In this case, the plate is covered with yellow stripes, whitish spots, its thickness increases. Candidiasis of the area near the nail is possible, then the integrity of the tissues is violated. Plate coverage possible. With onychomycosis, pathogenic microflora quickly and actively multiplies on the plate. Features of the manifestations depend on the composition of the microflora.
Noncommunicable diseases
Non-infectious diseases of the nails are pseudomonias, leukonychia, panaritium. In some, plate damage is detected against the background of onychatrophy, paronychia. Possible tissue hypertrophy. The reasons are very different. Sometimes the pathological condition is explained by a lack of iron or calcium, in some cases the reason is incorrect or insufficiently careful care.
Chromonychia often appears in the elderly. Its distinguishing feature is the yellowing of the surface of the nails. Hyperkeratosis is a condition in which the plate at the cellular level is actively growing. As a rule, pathology is explained by a genetic factor. Possible nail atrophy. This condition is congenital, acquired. It features a gradual decrease in thickness and a weakening of the shade.