Nail Fungus Treatments | Cures | Remedies

How do I know I have Nail Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that is pretty common. It usually affects the skin at the scalp, knees, elbows and trunk.

Psoriasis can also affect toenails and fingernails, resulting in the nails becoming thicker and have pits and irregular contours.

Most people who have psoriasis of the nails also have psoriasis of the skin. Only a small percentage of 5% of people who have psoriasis of the nails do not have psoriasis of the skin.

The cause of psoriasis of the nails is not clearly known, although genetic factors, immunology and environmental factors are thought to be the contributing factors that lead to the development of psoriasis of the nails.

While the disease is not contagious, it seems to be heredity. If a parent or a sibling has psoriasis, the chances of you getting the condition are between 16% to 25%. This percentage increases to 75% of both your parents have it.

Both males and females are equally susceptible to the condition and psoriasis can affect people of all ethnicities and locations.

So how would I know if I have psoriasis of the nails? There will be a clear spot on the nail that is yellowish red in colour.

It might look like a drop of oil or blood under the nail plate. This is the first sign of psoriasis that doctors will use to make a diagnosis.

The second symptom is when the surface of the nails starts to lose cells and pits start to develop. This is called the pitting of the nail matrix. You will also start to notice that there are lines that go across one side of the nail to the other.

Doctors may refer to these as Beau lines of the nail. These are actually signs that the nail has become inflamed as the reaction of cells to psoriasis.

Psoriasis is one condition that has many tell-tale signs, thus it isn’t difficult to ascertain if you have it.

The nail plate becomes white (midmatrix or leukonychia disease) and there will be thickening of the skin under the nails (subungual hyperkeratosis) which eventually leads to the loosening of the nails (nail bed onycholysis).

A while area will start to develop on the nail where it starts to get detached from the skin beneath the nail. Finally, the nails start to crumble as they weaken, fine black lines appear from the tip to the cuticle and red patches will appear at the bottom of the nail.

With all these clearly visible and distinctive symptoms, it is vital to get treatment as soon as possible as psoriasis can lead to social and functional problems if left untreated.

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Do I have a nail fungal infection

While you might not have heard of the word onychomycosis, nail fungus might sound more familiar to you.

It is not something that one would encounter on a regular basis, so you would be forgiven too if you have never heard of it. A nail fungal infection occurs when one or more of your nails, either fingernails or toenails, are infected by fungi.

These parasites attack the keratin, which is the dominant protein in our nails, and feed on them. This eventually lead to unhealthy nails that are yellow in colour and break easily.

So how do I know if I have a nail fungal infection?? The start of the infection is marked by whitish or yellowish spots in the nail and as the nail fungal infection advances, the nail will change colour, becomes thicker and the sides start to break and crumble.

This is when the infection causes pain and discomfort, not to mention a less than pretty sight especially when girls pay a lot of attention to their nails by having manicures and pedicures. The nails are even known to detach completely from the finger or toe in some severe cases!

Unfortunately, our body is not able to fight off this infection on its own, and we certainly do not want to leave behind our fingernails or toenails behind us.

If left untreated, the infection can lead to nail damage that is permanent or even more serious skin disorders and secondary infections, which are more threatening. Those who already have diabetes or a weak immune system are more prone to these secondary problems.

Some over-the-counter creams and ointment are not as effective as oral treatment because these creams and ointment only tackle the problem at its surface. Once the external treatment is stopped, the fungi return as the root infection is not treated.

Oral treatments, although more effective, come with side effects. Not only these medications burn a bigger hole in your pocket but they can also potentially cause liver damage and rashes that are painful.

The chemicals contained in these medications can also aggravate any existing heart condition that the patient might already have. There, it is best to speak to your physician and let him/her know of any existing ailments so that a non-invasive nail fungal infection can be prescribed.

There are however some over the counter fungal nail infection treatments that are proven to very effective

Most Effective Nail Fungus Treatments

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