Hand nail diseases are usually caused by a fungal infection. What symptoms should you pay attention to first? How to put your nails in order? All this is described in detail in this article.
OnychomycosisA very common disease of the fingernails is onychomycosis. It is caused by a dermatophyte fungus, which penetrates the nail plate and reads it slowly but surely to destroy. Symptoms of the disease are due to the variety of the fungus and the way that it got into the nail. The main cause of infection is a crack in the nail plate.
Where can I get infected?
Diseases of the nails on the hands most often lie in wait in crowded places. Gym, pool, sauna, manicurist office, public bath - visiting all these places, you risk picking up the fungus, coming into direct contact with other visitors.
How to understand that you have a fungus?
Diseases of the fingernails are easily diagnosed by a number of signs. Firstly, the color of the nail plate changes : the nails are covered with yellow and brown spots. Women rarely pay attention to this stage, since the spots are reliably hidden under a layer of varnish. However, the process does not stop there: the nail becomes thicker, then it begins to crack and break.
Who is prone to onychomycosis?
The older the person, the greater the risk of picking up the fungus. Hand nail diseases are well known to people suffering from diabetes and problems with the cardiovascular system. If your immunity is weakened after a long illness, you should be extremely careful: the body will not be able to fight the fungus, and the infection will spread very quickly. Onychomycosis does not just spoil the appearance of nails: the disease negatively affects all organs, since the fungus has the ability to secrete toxins.
Symptoms of the fungus
In order to begin treatment of nail fungus on the hands, one should know its possible symptoms. Doctors distinguish three varieties of onychomycosis, each of which has a number of characteristic features:
1. Normotrophic onychomycosis. In this case, the nail sharply changes color, becomes yellowish, becomes covered with white longitudinal stripes. The thickness of the nail plate does not change.
2. Hypertrophic onychomycosis. In this case, the nail loses its healthy glow and begins to crumble. Its shape at the same time resembles a bird's claw.
3. Atrophic onychomycosis. The nail plate darkens, becomes almost black and after some time completely atrophies. For this type of disease, nail loss is characteristic.
How to treat fungus?
Hand nail diseases must be treated. As soon as you notice any of the above symptoms, you should immediately contact a specialist. The longer you put off a visit to the doctor, the higher the risk of staying completely without nails. If the test for the presence of fungus gives a positive result, the doctor will prescribe you special antifungal ointments that need to be rubbed into the nail plate and cuticle. If the disease has gone far, complex methods are used for its treatment: therapeutic creams and antibiotics. However, do not forget to carefully study the instructions for the drugs - most of them have serious contraindications.
An excellent tool in the fight against fungal diseases of the nails is hardware cleaning. Using a special device, a specialist gently removes the affected layer of the nail plate and covers it with therapeutic varnish. Another effective method is the so-called pulse therapy. Its meaning is to take medications not constantly, but according to an individual schedule. This method has proven itself and gives excellent results.