Paronychia is a skin infection around the fingernails or toenails.

It usually happens when some bacteria or fungi manage to get under the skin and come in contact with the nail from beneath. Your healthcare provider will examine your nails and ask about your symptoms. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The packing is usually left in for 24-48 hours.
Paronychia is the most common nail infection. [10], Paronychia may be divided as follows:[11], Alternatively, paronychia may be divided as follows:[12], When no pus is present, warm soaks for acute paronychia are reasonable, even though there is a lack of evidence to support its use. A paronychia may start as redness and swelling around the nail.

Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. This skin infection causes inflammation, swelling, and discomfort around the nail. Other topical treatments that block inflammation may also be used. If you have a collection of pus under the skin, you can soak the infected area in warm water several times per day and dry it thoroughly afterward.

Although you may be unfamiliar with the term, you might have experienced a paronychia in the past. How Do Health Professionals Diagnose a Nail Infection (Paronychia)?

It’s usually the result of damage to the skin around the nails from biting, picking, hangnails, manicures, or other physical trauma. People can treat mild cases at home. The underlying cause of each is bacteria, Candida yeast, or a combination of the two agents.

Paronychia typically begins with a few days of pain, tenderness, and swelling of the finger followed by a collection of pus under the surface of the skin and/or nail. Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. skin conditions & beauty centerTopic Guide. The antibiotics most commonly used to treat paronychia are Bactrim (TMP/SMX) and a cephalosporin named Keflex (cephalexin). Paronychia may happen suddenly and last for 6 weeks or longer. The outlook is good if you have a mild case of acute paronychia. An infection that develops along the edge of the fingernail or toenail is called a paronychia (pear-ah-NIK-ee-ah).

Paronychia is usually caused by bacteria (. If anaerobic bacteria is suspected, Evoclin (clindamycin) or Augmentin (amoxicillin-clavulanate) may be given with Bactrim. Symptoms include inflammation, swelling, pain, and discomfort. Chronic paronychia may require weeks or months of treatment.

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Paronychia is an infection of the skin around the nail of at least one finger or toe. Here's why your toenails might be yellow and the treatment options.

If an abscess is forming, call a health care professional. The infection can start suddenly (acute paronychia) or gradually (chronic paronychia). We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information -, Lake Jackson, Texas, Lifts Boil-Water Notice Triggered by Parasite, Antibiotics May Be Best First Treatment for Appendicitis, Switching Skin Antiseptics Could Reduce Surgical Site Infections, Pus coming out of your nail fold when you press on it, Nail that pulls away from your nail fold and may fall off, Changes in nail color, such as green nails. If the symptoms are severe, contact a doctor immediately.

This will eventually form an abscess from which pus can be drained.

A chronic form of paronychia is often due to fungal infection.

[16] Antibiotics such as clindamycin or cephalexin are also often used, the first being more effective in areas where MRSA is common.

Primary care doctors will usually be able to diagnose and treat paronychia. Paronychia can be either acute or chronic depending on the speed of onset, the duration, and the infecting agents.

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In some cases, a doctor may require a sample of any pus that is present. It usually happens when some bacteria or fungi manage to get under the skin and come in contact with the nail from beneath. Rarely, an abscess could get large enough that a surgical specialist (hand surgeon) would need to intervene.

Pus is usually present, along with gradual thickening and browning discoloration of the nail plate. He is a clinical professor at the University of Colorado in Denver, and co-founder and practicing dermatologist at the Boulder Valley Center for Dermatology in Colorado. A moderate paronychia. 2011;55(12):5430-2. doi:10.1128/AAC.00706-11, Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved.

Once any abscess is visible, you should see your doctor.

If a person’s job requires their hands to be wet or exposed to germs, they may need to take time off.

Your doctor will probably prescribe an antifungal medication and advise you to keep the area dry. Herpetic whitlow is not treated with an incision and drainage as can be a paronychia. Soak the affected foot or hand 3 to 4 times daily for 20 minutes inantiseptic solution of warm water and chlorhexadine or povidone-iodine. Osteomyelitis caused by Candida glabrata in the distal phalanx.

Other symptoms directly affect the nail itself. Paronychia is an infection of your nail fold caused by bacteria or a fungus. He may press on your infected nail to see if pus drains from it. Fungal infection also can be a cause of chronic paronychia and is considered particularly in people with the recurrent infection. Chronic inflammation also plays a role.
It develops at the cuticles or on the sides of the nail. Paronychia can result from biting or chewing the nails, but it is more common when working conditions require the hands to be frequently wet or exposed to chemicals. An acute infection almost always occurs around the fingernails and develops quickly.

The term is from Greek: παρωνυχία from para, "around", onyx, "nail" and the abstract noun suffix -ia. Paronychia is typically painful and can occur in healthy people.

They will also consider a person’s medical history and look for risk factors, such as diabetes. Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, swelling, tenderness, and redness around the nail, excessive exposure of the hands to moisture, including frequently sucking the finger, avoiding submerging the hands in water for long periods, people whose hands are frequently wet, including cleaners, people with other skin conditions, such as dermatitis. Do not soak your nails in water. A paronychia is an infection of the skin that surrounds a toenail or fingernail.

[15] If there are signs of an abscess (the presence of pus) drainage is recommended.

Both infections can have the following symptoms: There are multiple causes of both acute and chronic paronychia. Most cases of paronychia are not serious, and there are several effective treatments.