Infection around eponychium led to damaged nail....

[Bud]

Am having a spot of bother with one of my own nails

Haven't had any enhancements on for ages, so just natural nail affected.

A few weeks ago, one of my fingers became a bit red, and painful, as tho i'd got a small infection caused by a hangnail or something. I didn't now what had caused the infection, I hadn't cut it, or pulled skin off, and there didn't appear to be any 'foreign bodies' present!

The infection lasted for a couple of weeks, and disappeared with anti-biotic cream.

As the nail has started to grow out, it seems that I have some onycholosis along the side wall of this nail, and where the nail is growing up from the eponychium it has flaked away quite deeply. I can't really judge what is happening with the new nail growing thru, but it's not looking good. It looks bumpy and almost fleshy... as tho it's not nail, or at least, a very thin layer of nail over my nail bed?!

Also, the fold of skin that IS the eponychium, has disappeared! I have seen this before in clients with eczema or dermatitis that looks like it's 'eaten away' the skin.

Will try and attach pic, but the ones I've taken don't show it very clearly.

Am massaging with solar oil - but am mystified as to what has happened?!??! Can anyone shed any light????

thanks

x

 

[izzidoll]

Well none of us like to diagnose on here, and I hope you went to your Doctors with this.
It does sound like paronychia....here is a link for further info
Paronychia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This can cause the nail to seperate from the nail bed as you have described.

If I were you I would go back to the Doctor or if you haven't been I would now, just to get a proper diagnosis and treatment, as possibly an oral anti biotic would have been better.

 

[carend]

my 3yr old son just had this exact same thing-an infection along his side wall where he had picked at it(then found a "magic feather" in the garden and started tickling it to make it better apparently) after oral anti biotics the infection cleared up but now he also has oncholysis(sp?) along the lateral fold, then a split appeared half way up the nail plate and i started using solar oil and put a plaster on hoping it'd stop thesplit snagging on anything, but while at playschool the plaster came off and the nail broke.
To me it looks like the nail has delamination, but where the nail has lifted at the side its started to look like he may have a greenie on the way....
can't wait to see if you get any useful answers that i can also learn from.
Hope yours gets better soon but i know it will probably take a few months to correct itself if its anything like my sons

 

[geeg]

Well you have certainly had an infection ... whether it is paronychia or not would be impossible to say as it is usually chronic and only clears up0 temporarily and then as soon as your hands are in water etc it comes back.

In any case, it doesnt matter really what it was. If the infection has damaged the matrix then you may have some permanent damage. If not, then it just has caused some temporary onychloysis in the area and will grow out with lots of time.

I'm afraid only time will tell you the permanent outcome. But don't be too concerned yet ... nails look VERY weird when they are growing from scratch at the eponychium and then they look more normal as they grow out.

 

[Bud]

thanks everyone!

i know it's difficult to 'diagnose' especially without seeing it... am certain i had an infection, which so far hasn't shown any signs of returning.

Would have normally gone to the doc / pharmacist, but with a new baby, my poorly finger was of little importance!!!!

Spose I'm just worried about the future appearance of my nail, as I was concerned it had caused permanent damage to the matrix... but you've reassured me lots, thanks geeg!

will wait and see what happens.......

thanks again x