Nine nails is a condition of pus or congestion at the tips of the fingers and toes. The most common causes are Staphylococcus aureus and Herpes. This is a common skin condition, if not treated and maintained hygienically, the disease will become chronic and prone to recurrence.
2. Causes of nail infections in hands and feet
Nine nails is an infection, a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus. When scraped, scratched, or cut, especially in people who sweat a lot, bacteria can easily enter through these scratches, germinate and develop, causing infection.
Since scratches are usually minor injuries, patients tend to be subjective and not treated. Usually, people with nine nails are rarely treated when the injury is in the mild stage, until they progress to the severe stage, the nails are suppuration, then the patient will be diagnosed and treated. At this time, the patient will encounter complications if not treated in a timely manner.
3. How does nine nails progress in the fingers and toes?
Nail fungus in the fingers or toes usually progresses through 3 stages:
+ Stage 1: occurs in the first 1-3 days, a swollen, red, itchy blister appears at the tip of the finger, making it painful, uncomfortable, sometimes stiff, and difficult to move.
+ Stage 2: from the 4th-7th day, the inflamed infected injury begins to spread around the finger or toe, causing pain, tension, and pulsating according to each beat. At this point, the inflammatory condition can cause the patient to have mild fever.
+ Stage 3: there is a phenomenon of pus collection at the initial swollen spot. If not treated in a timely and proper manner, nine nails can cause complications such as bone inflammation, joint fluid inflammation, joint inflammation, or blood infection.
However, in the case of nine nails caused by Herpes, the incubation period is about 2-20 days. The overall symptoms such as fever and fatigue may appear as the first signs of the disease, but rarely. More common signs are pain, burning sensation, stinging in the fingers infected with the Herpes virus. Afterwards, the fingers become red, swollen, with water blisters measuring 1-3mm in diameter on a red background, lasting for 7-10 days. Blisters can be ulcerated, ruptured, often containing transparent fluid, or cloudy or bloody.
After the initial infection, the Herpes virus from the fingers infiltrates the nerve endings in the skin, moves into the peripheral nerve ganglia and Schwann cells, and lives latent there for a very long time.
When favorable conditions are encountered, such as immune deficiency, psychological shock, exposure to radiation, ultraviolet rays, and lasers, the virus reactivates, moves out of the skin, and creates the clinical appearance of recurrent Herpes infection. Usually, the clinical symptoms of primary Herpes infection are most aggressive, while recurrent infections are milder and shorter.
4. Distinguishing nail fungus from other dermatological diseases
Nine nails need to be distinguished from other dermatological diseases on the fingers and toes such as:
- Sweating feet: a disease that often causes itching, may cause slight swelling, but rarely causes pain.
- Acute periungual inflammation: a disease that causes swelling, pain, and sometimes suppuration.
- Melanoma-related nail fungus: a disease that often appears on the thumb, is black in color, causes swelling, and causes the patient to lose the nail.
Usually, nail fungus is caused by the Herpes virus between 2 – 20 days. It is necessary to recognize the specific symptoms of Herpes virus nail fungus to distinguish it from the aforementioned dermatological diseases for appropriate treatment. Specifically:
- When infected, the fingertips feel pain and stinging as if being stung.
- Then, the affected area starts to swell, redden, and blisters appear on the red skin. This stage can last for 7 – 10 days.
- Ruptured blisters show transparent or cloudy fluid, which can also contain blood.
- After causing infection, the Herpes virus infiltrates the nerve endings in the skin and travels to Schwann cells, peripheral nerve ganglia, waiting for favorable conditions to move to the skin and cause disease.
5. Complications of nail fungus
In the first 7 – 10 days after the appearance of nine nails, the lesion can progress to the suppuration stage. At this time, if not treated promptly by incising to drain the pus or by incising but not deep enough for the pus to flow out, nail fungus can cause complications such as:
- Bone inflammation
- Joint inflammation
- Joint fluid inflammation
- Blood infection
With the above-mentioned complications, nail fungus can cause inflammation, swelling, pain, redness of the bones, and if left untreated for a long time, it can cause leakage. The doctor will order an X-ray to examine and consider the complications.
At this time, the X-ray image shows an inflamed condition with bone fragments falling out. To treat, the doctor must perform surgery to remove the bone. This complication can cause the patient to lose the bone segment, affecting the overall function of the hand.
6. What to do if you have nail fungus in your hand?
If you have nail fungus at the fingertips, fingertips, the patient needs:
- Maintain hygiene of the affected area by washing the wound area with diluted purple medicine. After hygiene, antibiotic ointments such as Fucidin, Foban, or Bactroban should be applied to limit the increase of infection. However, note that medication should be used according to the doctor’s instructions and guidance.
- In case the patient has a suppuration nine nails, it is necessary to go to a medical facility immediately to be properly treated. Here, the doctor will perform an incision to drain the pus. The doctor also prescribes the use of combined antibiotics.
- If, after the above treatments, the affected area is still swollen and causes a lot of pain, or does not respond to treatment, the doctor will order an X-ray to assess whether the nail fungus has caused complications or not.
To prevent being infected with nail fungus, you should note:
- Wash your hands and feet daily.
- Avoid soaking your hands and feet in water for too long.
- Avoid walking barefoot, especially on sandy ground.
- Do not wear tight shoes, which can cause toe injuries.
- When cutting nails, be careful not to cut too close to the skin or cut deeply on both sides of the finger or toe.
- Do not cut the nails in an arched shape and too close to the flesh, it is better to cut them straight and smooth the corners with a file, while keeping the nails clean to prevent recurrence.
If you have nine nails at your fingertips or toes, the first thing you need to do is to prevent infection of the affected area by cleaning and applying antibiotics. If there is pus formation, you need to go to a medical facility immediately for proper treatment, avoid leaving it for a long time or self-treating improperly causing complications.
7. Home remedies for nail fungus
If you discover that you have nail fungus, you need to stay calm and can choose one of the four effective home remedies:
7.1 Warm water soak
Warm water can help reduce pain from nail fungus. You can add salt or Epsom salt to the water to reduce pain even more. High salt concentration helps reduce swelling caused by nail fungus.
Instructions
- Pour warm water into a deep container for soaking the affected skin area. Soak in warm water for about 15 minutes.
- Soak in warm water whenever the pain recurs.
- After soaking in warm water, use a dry bandage to wrap the affected area to prevent the spread of infection.
7.2 Soak in antibacterial soap water
If the water blisters have been ruptured, you can use regular soap or antibacterial soap in warm water to soak the affected finger or toe.
Research suggests that regular soap is also just as effective as antibacterial soap in protecting the body from bacteria and infection. Adding soap to the water will help prevent the spread of nail fungus because the secreted water will dissolve in the water.
7.3 Use an ice pack
The extreme cold sensation will numb the nerves around the area affected by nail fungus and help reduce pain. Additionally, ice packs slow down blood circulation to the infected area, reducing inflammation and swelling (if any). You can buy ice packs at pharmacies or wrap ice cubes in a towel, gently apply the ice pack to the affected skin area.
7.4 Vinegar soak
This is a simple and highly effective way to treat nail fungus at home. With this method, you can use vinegar or apple cider vinegar diluted with water at a ratio of 1 vinegar: 4 water. Soak your hands or feet for 15-20 minutes and then dry them. This method should be performed 2-3 times a day for best results.
7.5 Effective home treatment for nail fungus: Epsom salt soak
Epsom salt is another name for inorganic salt Magnesium sulfate. This is a type of salt commonly used in beauty and healthcare. Soak in Epsom salt if you have nail fungus because it works well to reduce pain and infection.
Epsom salt soak – the best home treatment method for nail fungus applied by many people
Instructions:
– Dissolve 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in one liter of water.
– Use 1-2 liters of warm water.
– Soak for 20-25 minutes, then dry with a clean towel and repeat 2-4 times a day.
8. Prevention of nail fungus
Nail fungus is partly caused by the habit of not maintaining proper cleanliness, therefore, to never get nail fungus, you should note:
- Wash your hands and feet daily.
- Avoid soaking your hands and feet in water for too long.
- Avoid walking barefoot in the ground, to prevent dust from sticking to the edges of the feet.
- Avoid wearing shoes or sandals that are too tight, which can cause injuries to the toes.
- When cutting nails, be careful not to cut too close to the skin or cut deeply on both sides of the finger or toe.
- Do not cut the nails in an arched shape and too close to the flesh, it is better to cut them straight and smooth the corners with a file, while keeping the nails clean to prevent recurrence.
Hope this information has helped you understand more about nail fungus and know how to treat it effectively and prevent it properly.
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