Paronychia is a skin infection around the toenails and fingernails with pus, redness and pain. The infection is bacterial and is often caused by staphylococcus or also by a yeast named Candida which is causing the Paronychia. Yeast and bacteria can even combinedly lead to an infection.
Based on the underlying reason of the infection, Paronychia may suddenly start and then last just for one to two days. It may also appear slowly and then last for some weeks. Paronychia's symptoms can easily be detected. They can be treated successfully with little to no damage for the nails and skin. However, if a paronychia is not treated, then the infection may become serious and can even lead to a partial or total loss of a person's nail.
There are various causes of paronychia. The infection can either develop fast and occur acutely around the fingernails or show up slowly and become chronic on a person's toes or fingers. The reason is either a bacteria, named Staphylococcus, or a yeast, named Candida, or the mixture of two bacterial or fungal agents. A bactery or fungus can penetrate the skin at the border of the nail through any kind of trauma such as caused by biting nails, being punctured by a manicurist tool, pushing down the cuticle too aggressively or further sorts of similar injuries. This leads to an acute infection. Chronic infection is often caused by Candida yeast but a bacteria can also be the origin. Since yeast grows well on wet environments, this chronic infection is caused often by having the hands or feet in water for a long period of time. The symptoms of both chronic and acute paronychia are very similar and include blisters filled with pus, redness and tenderness of the skin around the nail, changes in the shape, texture, and color of the nail, as well as detachment of the nail.
To prevent paronychia care should be taken by keeping the hands and feet clean to stop bacteria or fungus from slipping between skin and nails. One can prevent acute infections by avoiding trauma caused by pedicures, manicures, or biting. It should also be avoided to expose the paronychia to wet environments and water for a longer time of period to help to prevent a chronic infection. Home treatments are often very effective for mild cases. Soaking the infected area numerous times per day in hot water and applying antibiotic ointment is recommended. If the infection is not showing improvement with home treatments or if it is more severe, a doctor can prescribe an antibiotic to be taken orally. It might also be needed to have abscesses or blisters cut and drained of fluids in order to speed the healing and relieving the discomfort. It must be prevented that when the infection progresses that for an example an inflammation spreads to the tendon sheaths of the palm of the hand.
Several years of work in academia, medical practice and finally commercialization make it possible to provide an end-to-end process to help users to “find the appropriate medical help based on their present symptoms”. Below you will find a short explanation, showing you which part of the platform will help you best in finding the appropriate medical support.
Proceed as follows to enter your current symptoms.
Click on the appropriate body part on the picture. Select one/multiple symptoms corresponding to your complaint.
You can also add symptoms by typing your medical complaint in the search box and selecting the best matching suggestion.
Note: Your information will be kept anonymously.
Once you have selected all applicable symptoms, click the “analyze disease pattern”-button.
Accordingly, you will get a list of possible diseases and matching doctor categories who can further help you.
You can inform yourself about the possible diseases by reading the related information. But you can also return to the previous step and add more symptoms or delete already added ones to further narrow down your disease pattern.
Click on the desired doctor category to find a doctor who can help you.
If you are logged in with your profile, you will be displayed the appropriate doctors in your area. Otherwise you can enter an address in the “address” field and you will be displayed a doctor’s list around that specified address.
You will receive further information about the displayed doctors when you press on “details”.
Online bookable doctors in your area will be indicated with the notation “Book appointment” or “Book externally”, additionally they will be displayed on top of the list for your convenience.
Click on “Book appointment” to start the online appointment booking process with the desired doctor.
Please select an available appointment. “Green“ appointments are booked directly. “Red“ appointments need to be confirmed by the doctor.
Enter your general personal and health information.
Enter your present medical symptoms.
Enter your mobile phone number to identify yourself and you can finalize the appointment booking.
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