In eight out of ten cases the thickened, dull, yellowish and raised nail has a traumatic origin and does not depend at all on a fungal infection
With summer comes the time to show your bare feet. But for some, taking off their shoes and socks can be an embarrassment if their toenails have deformities and a yellowish color. It is usually thought that you have caught a mushroom. “But in eight out of ten cases the thickened, dull, yellowish and raised nail has a traumatic origin and does not depend on a fungal infection»Warns Bianca Maria Piraccini, head of the clinic for diseases of the skin appendages (hair and nails) of the Sant’Orsola polyclinic in Bologna.
Trauma to the big toes
Traumatic changes are mainly localized to the big toes and are typical in athletes, who subject the nail to continuous microtraumas. «Especially the players, while hitting the ball, and those who practice running while placing their foot on the ground. But also high heels, narrow-toed shoes and moccasins, in which the foot tilts back and forth, can cause minor nail trauma ”explains Piraccini. Repeated friction of the toes against each other or against the shoes causes bilateral detachment of the nail and the appearance of a subungual hematoma.
The treatments
«Over the years the nail loses its transparency and grows more in thickness than in length, generally curved – continues the expert -. Unan irreversible condition, called onychogryphosis or “claw nail”, which can be treated with 30 percent urea cream to soften the lamina and periodic milling by the podiatrist if the thickness reaches 3 millimeters ».
Fungal infections
Another large category of nail pathologies is land fungal infections, which affect 0.5 to 24 per cent of the population in Europe. From i risk factors: old age, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and vascular insufficiency, hallux valgus, immunosuppression. «The nails are unglued and raised by an accumulation of yellowish scales and have spots tending to orange. It is associated with a fungal infection between the toes or the plantar, which macerates the skin, making it white and flaky »specifies Piraccini.
The therapies
No to do it yourself, always consult a dermatologist, which verifies the presence of mycosis through mycological examination and indicates the most appropriate treatment (topical or oral therapy if very extensive). The most common causes of toenail deformation also include inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis and lichen planus. «It is good to check the fingernails where there are the characteristic signs of the disease – recommends the specialist—-. Psoriasis is manifested by small pinhead depressions on the surface or orange patches in the center. While in lichen planus the lamina thins and is crossed by longitudinal cracks. In both cases, nail thickening is observed in the foot “
Ten tips to prevent and cure
To prevent traumatic nail changes, shoes with high heels and / or narrow toes should not be worn routinely. Laced models are preferred, as they are able to hold the foot in place.
A good habit is to take off your shoes at home to avoid prolonged foot sweating, which causes weakening of the nails and predisposition to mycosis (fungi have a tendency to proliferate in hot-humid areas).
Taking off your shoes at home does not mean walking barefoot: it is better to avoid coming into contact with any pathogenic microorganisms that are on the floors and that can be dispersed by another contaminated person.
I mushrooms are less common than you think. For this reason, it is always necessary to ascertain the actual presence of pathogenic fungi on the nails (with mycological tests) before starting to take any antifungal medication.
Pay attention to the way in which the nail is adjusted: it must be cut with a nipper so that it has a “square” shape, the corners must not be rounded: a too rounded line favors the incarnation, which causes inflammation. All nail diseases require six to ten months of treatment to heal. Toenails grow slowly (about 1 millimeter per month), for it to fully regrow after trauma avulsion, for example, takes a year.
Nail polishes shouldn’t always be put on because they contain substances (acetates and resins) that dehydrate the foil. The scraping to remove the semi-permanent nail polish attacks the nail surface, which needs time to strengthen.
Do-it-yourself is prohibited. If the nail is unglued, raised, of a different color or ingrown, always contact the dermatologist (subject to referral from the general practitioner) for a correct diagnosis, avoiding waste of time.
Diabetic patients with foot neuropathy should pay special attention to nail trimming: having a reduced sensitivity could cause small wounds that expose to bacterial infections and serious complications.
If the nail is ingrown it is necessary to wait for it to grow, in the meantime to avoid infections it is necessary to apply cortisone creams to the serto. If the problem does not go away within a month or two, surgery is required
August 7, 2021 (change August 7, 2021 | 14:50)
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