Duration of nail bed inflammation | Nail bed inflammation on the toe

Duration of nail bed inflammation

The duration of a nail bed inflammation on the toe depends on the extent of the inflammation, the trigger and the time when treatment is started. An uncomplicated inflammation of the nail bed, which is recognized and treated in time, usually heals within three days. However, if the disease is not recognized or treated, a prolonged inflammatory reaction can occur, which in the worst case can spread to other tissue structures such as tendons or bones.

The duration also depends on the accompanying circumstances and diseases of the patient. A circulatory disorder of the feet and diabetes mellitus result in poorer wound healing and increased susceptibility to further inflammation. Therefore, direct and consistent treatment is important for these patients in order to prevent a chronic course with consequential damage.

Prophylaxis

Good nail and foot hygiene has proven to be a good prophylaxis. As with athlete’s foot, you should make sure that you wear slippers in swimming pools and public showers if you are prone to nail bed inflammation. Cutting nails regularly also protects against nail bed inflammation to a certain extent, because then the tearing of nails cannot cause minor injuries, which can serve as a gateway for the pathogens. In addition, care should be taken that nails do not grow in, because here too the surrounding tissue is unnecessarily irritated.

Risk factors

As with any other disease, there are also factors that favour the development of nail bed inflammation. People who have a weakened immune system are less able to defend themselves against pathogens and therefore suffer more often from nail bed inflammation. A weakened immune system can have many reasons, some of which are the consequences of chemotherapy for cancer, hereditary immunodeficiencies (SCID) or infection with the HI virus.

However, the affected persons may not only suffer more often from nail bed inflammation, but also from many other infectious diseases. Neuropathies in the legs are another predisposing factor, also for more severe forms of the disease. The problem with neuropathies is that those affected not only have a reduced sense of vibration, but also a reduced sense of pain.

As a result, the superficial nail bed inflammations are only noticed later than in other people. This additional time for the pathogen in which it is not treated can mean that the inflammation can spread further. Therefore it is especially important for people suffering from neuropathies to pay special attention to their foot hygiene.If in this situation you no longer feel confident enough to care for your feet alone, medical foot care can also be a good solution. Consequential damage caused by nail bed inflammation is fortunately very rare.