Pain with a nail fungus

Although the changes in the nail plate typical for nail fungus on the finger can be very pronounced under certain circumstances, the pathogens do not cause pain in most cases. If a nail fungus infection causes pain, it can be assumed that the fungus has already spread to the nail bed. Pain that occurs in connection with nail fungus on the finger should therefore always be clarified by a specialist.

In these cases, a complex oral treatment must be initiated in most cases. In the further course, the nail fungus on the finger can lead to brittle nails and the splintering of entire nail layers. The other typical symptoms of nail fungus on the finger depend on the type of disease.

In general, one distinguishes between five forms of this fungal infection. While the so-called “distolateral subungual onychomycosis” (this form makes up about 90 percent of all nail fungi) occurs mainly on the toenails, “subungual onychomycoses” often also appear on the finger. In this form of nail fungus on the finger, the causative pathogens spread from the skin of the nail wall to the nail root and plate.

With a so-called “dystrophic onychomycosis”, the symptoms are already evident in the newly formed nail substance. In this form of nail fungus on the finger, both the structure and the actual function of the nail substance are restricted. In severe cases, the infected nail can be completely destroyed. In addition, irregular structures in the area of the nail plate or green-brownish discoloration are among the most frequently observed of nail fungus infections on the finger.

Diagnosis

Even a medical layman can recognize an advanced nail fungus infection on the finger as such. As soon as discoloration occurs in the area of the nail plate, one should consider whether it is a nail fungus. Nail fungus on the finger is generally a relatively harmless disease, but there is still a very high risk of infection.

The clinical diagnosis of suspected nail fungus on the finger is a so-called gaze diagnosis. This means that the disease can already be identified as such without the use of any aids, by inspection of the affected finger. In order for the attending physician to reliably determine the causative pathogen, a microscopic examination is required. In this examination method, tiny horn parts of the affected nail must be removed and examined under the microscope. The determination of the exact fungal genus, however, takes some time, as an appropriate cell culture must be created.