How to treat paronychia_What to do if you have paronychia

Paronychia is a type of inflammation in the body that mainly manifests itself on people's nails. People with paronychia may experience nails that grow curved and painful. Paronychia usually occurs more often on the thumb. Many patients with severe paronychia are difficult to cure even after trimming their nails, or there is a possibility of recurrence, so it must be treated with caution. So, what should you do if you suffer from paronychia?

Treatment of paronychia

1. Non-surgical and traditional medical treatment: For cases with mild inflammation and short course of disease, iodine tincture can be applied for disinfection, or alcohol wet compress, or ichthyol ointment, Bactroban ointment, or Shuangbai powder can be used for foot bath.

2. Nail removal: This is a common method for treating paronychia. But experts point out that, in fact, nail removal cannot cure paronychia. Because after the removed nail grows out again, if you continue to cut the nail into an arc shape, the nail will continue to grow into the flesh, and ingrown toenails, pain, and paronychia may reappear. If you do not change your bad habits of manicure and shoe wearing, the old problem may recur about 3 months after nail removal.

3. Onychoplasty: Reshape the nail groove to solve the problem of curled growth of nails. Some people believe that doing this can cure paronychia. However, experts emphasize that the curling growth of the nail is caused by other factors. If the toenail is squeezed from top to bottom by the tip of the shoe, the toenail may curl and grow again.

Paronychia care work

Paronychia is an acute suppurative infection of the hands (feet), which is more common in the thumb (toe). It usually occurs first under the skin of the nail groove on one side, and manifests as redness, swelling, and pain. If not treated in time, it can develop into bilateral infection. In severe cases, the nail (toe) needs to be removed. Paronychia is prone to recurrence, and patients should pay attention to maintenance in their daily lives to prevent recurrence.

Trim your nails frequently, but not too harshly. Trim your nails into an arc shape, leaving no nail tips on either side of the nail groove, and do not trim the nail groove casually. If there are hangnails, they should be cut off from the root with scissors. Do not pull them out forcefully, let alone "bite them with your mouth." Pay attention to the care of your fingers, especially your fingertips. Apply skin care products after each hand washing or before going to bed. In dry seasons, use Vaseline with more oil to enhance the disease resistance of the skin around the nail groove. Be extra careful when working or doing housework to avoid being injured by wood thorns, bamboo thorns, sewing needles, fish bones, etc., which may induce paronychia.

The key to caring for toes is to choose shoes of the right size and fit. Try not to wear pointed high-heeled shoes to avoid pressure on the nail groove. If you find that the toes are squeezed against each other, use an appropriate amount of sterilized cotton, gauze and other soft objects to separate the toes to prevent the toenails from being embedded in the nail groove. The toenails should not be cut too short to avoid damaging the skin around the nails. When there are minor wounds, apply 2% iodine tincture and then use sterile gauze or Band-Aid to protect them from infection. Keep your feet clean and dry, and change your shoes and socks in time after wading in summer.

For people whose toenails are prone to paronychia, experts have given simple and practical advice: choose a pair of comfortable shoes, grow the toenails appropriately, and maintain hygiene, which can generally effectively avoid it.