Frequency

Nail bed inflammation is the most common inflammatory process on the finger. Women are particularly often affected, as small skin cracks can quickly develop in them due to regular manicures, which allow the pathogens to enter.

Symptoms

The first sign of an incipient acute inflammation of the nail bed is usually itching, followed by redness of the infected area. The skin is usually warm and swelling develops, which can often be very painful. The pain is usually described as pulsating or throbbing and can change over time.

Initially, it is often pressure-dependent and increases in intensity as the inflammation progresses, so that later even the slightest movement or touch of the affected finger can trigger a strong pain reaction. After some time, pus accumulates under the nail plate, which causes severe pain. This pus accumulation can rise and empty itself.

If this does not happen, surgery may be necessary to prevent the inflammation from spreading to the surrounding tissue of the finger. In this case, there is a risk that the infection will reach the bone and cause an inflammation of the bone (osteomyelitis). Another consequence of insufficient treatment of acute nail bed inflammation can be growth disorders of the nail.

The damaged fingernail can also die and then fall off. Due to the severe swelling, the inflamed finger can often be held gently and movement of the inflamed finger is restricted. In rare cases, acute nail bed inflammation is accompanied by fever or swelling of the lymph nodes.

This might also be of interest to you: Pus in the finger – you should pay attention to this! Chronic nail bed inflammation is not limited to one nail, but usually affects several at the same time. In contrast to the acute inflammation, one feels no or only little pain. The surrounding skin may be slightly reddened and the affected nails are usually yellow-green in color.

Diagnosis

Acute nail bed inflammation is a common disease of the finger. For most people, mild inflammations heal on their own after a few days.If the immune system is healthy and not damaged, you can wait one or two days to see if the inflammation has subsided on its own before consulting a doctor. At the latest after three to four days and progressive symptoms or increasingly severe pain, one should then make an appointment with the family doctor or even with a dermatologist.

Usually the clinical examination is sufficient to make the diagnosis. To confirm the diagnosis, it is possible to take a smear of the infected area. This will allow us to determine exactly which germ is responsible for the inflammation.