paronychia

Acute Paronychia develops over a few hours when a nail fold becomes painful, red and swollen. Sometimes yellow pus appears under the cuticle. It is usually due to Staphylcoccus aureus, a bacterial infection treated with oral antibiotics. Acute Paronychia usually clears completely in a few days, and rarely recurs.

Chronic Paronychia is a gradual process and much more difficult to get rid of. It may start in one nail fold but often spreads to several others. Each affected nail fold is swollen and lifted off the nail plate. It may be red and tender from time to time, and sometimes a little pus (white, yellow, or green) can be expressed from under the cuticle.
The nail plate becomes distorted and ridged as it grows. It may become yellow or green and brittle. After recovery, it takes up to a year for the nails to grow back to normal.
Chronic paronychia is due to several different micro-organisms. Often a mixture of yeasts and bacteria are present.
It mainly occurs in people who have constantly wet hands, such as dairy ffarmers, fisherman, bar tenders and housewives. It is more likely to occur, and more difficult to clear up, in those with poor circulation, especially during the winter months.

If you have Paronychia, seek your dermatologist.

* Keep the hands dry and warm
* Avoid wet work, or use totally waterproof gloves
* Keep extremely clean
* Wash throughly after dirty work with soap and water, rinse off and dry carefully
* Don't let skin dry out
*Apply a moisturizing hand cream frequently

It often takes months to clear paronychia, and it can recur in predisposed individuals.