Redness and swelling next to the nail

Although nails seem to have no function to people, they still require regular care, which is very troublesome. But in fact, nails can also bring pain to people. Nails can also suffer from some diseases and cause harm to the body. Paronychia is a common disease in the nail area. Both fingernails and toenails may suffer from this disease. The symptoms are redness and swelling next to the nail and unbearable pain.

1. What to do if paronychia causes redness, swelling and pain

First, during the redness and swelling period of paronychia, check whether there is an abscess. If not, iodine can be used for treatment. For example, applying iodine to a cotton swab and pressing it on the affected area can have a certain anti-inflammatory effect. You can press it a few more times to allow the medicine to penetrate inside, and the effect will be better. Or soak the affected area directly in the medicine for two to three minutes. Once or twice a day, depending on the effectiveness of the treatment.

Second, for the early symptoms, redness, swelling and pain occur on one side of the nail groove, which may become purulent and infected in a short period of time and spread to the root of the nail and the opposite nail groove, forming perionychia. Hot compresses, physical therapy, external application and other measures can be used, and iodine amine drugs or antibiotics can be used.

Third, paronychia can also spread to the subungual nail to form a subungual abscess. At this time, the pain will intensify and the swelling will be obvious. Yellow-white pus can be seen under the nail floating up the nail. For those with pus, a longitudinal incision can be made at the nail groove for drainage. When the infection has spread to the subcutaneous area around the nail base, a longitudinal incision can be made in the nail grooves on both sides, the epithelial sheet on the nail root can be turned up, the root of the nail can be removed, and a small piece of vaseline gauze or latex sheet can be placed for drainage.

Fourth, if pus has accumulated under the nail bed, the nail should be removed, or the nail on the abscess cavity should be cut off. When removing nails, be careful to avoid damaging the nail bed to prevent deformities of the new nails in the future. Patients may feel very painful after nail removal. After nail removal, patients should pay attention to the hygiene of the affected area, do not soak the affected area in water, and do not touch the affected area with their hands to avoid bacterial infection.

2. What are the causes of redness, swelling and pain in paronychia?

First, the toenails are cut too short. If the toenail is cut too short, the soft tissue next to it will grow upwards because it is not covered by the toenail. As a result, when the toenail grows out, it will pierce the soft tissue.

Second, wearing inappropriate shoes. Unsuitable shoes, such as pointed leather shoes that are too narrow at the front, will squeeze the soft tissue of the toes and cause ingrown toenails over time.

In fact, if you have redness, swelling and pain caused by paronychia, you can apply ice, which will have a certain effect. Cutting nails is a common phenomenon for us. We must carefully choose our nail clippers. If we choose the right nail clippers, there will be no worries in trimming nails. Also, we should pay more attention to personal hygiene, develop good habits of washing hands before meals, washing underwear frequently, and getting enough sleep.