About this topic
Paronychia is an infection of the skin near the fingernails or toenails. The skin may look red. It may be swollen and sore to touch. You may have blisters that are filled with pus. Sometimes, the nail may come loose or have an odd color or shape. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Use any drugs or creams as ordered by your doctor.
- Your doctor may want you to soak your hand or foot in warm water. Do this for 20 minutes 2 to 3 times each day.
- Your doctor may want you to keep your hand or foot as dry as possible. If this is the case, wear gloves anytime your hands would be in water, such as doing dishes or cleaning.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Clean the area
- Help with pain and swelling
- Fight an infection
What problems could happen?
- Abscess
- Change in shape of nail
- Spread of infection
- Problem may come back
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Do not bite your nails or pick at them.
- Avoid chewing or sucking on your fingers.
- Trim your nails with small scissors or nail clippers. Smooth off rough edges. Be careful not to trim them too short. Your nails will be easier to cut after you take a bath or shower.
- Do not trim cuticles or try to push them back.
- Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from water, chemicals, or harsh soaps.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the wound.
- Joint or muscle pain
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you how to care for my skin.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have swelling, redness, or warmth around my wound.
Where can I learn more?
DermNet NZ ‚
http://dermnetnz.org/fungal/paronychia.html ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/paronychia.html# ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚