What is Paronychia
• Paronychia: Skin infection of a nail. • Paronychia: An inflammatory reaction involving the folds of the skin surrounding the fingernail. It is characterized by acute or chronic purulent, tender, and painful swellings of the tissues around the nail, caused by an abscess of the nail fold. The pathogenic yeast causing paronychia is most frequently Candida albicans. Saprophytic fungi may also be involved. The causative bacteria are usually Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Streptococcus. (Andrews’ Diseases of the Skin, 8th ed, p271) Source – Diseases Database • Paronychia: infection in the tissues adjacent to a nail on a finger or toe. Source – WordNet 2.
Paronychia is an infection that occurs on the nail folds of either the toes or fingers. These nail folds are the ridges that surround the side of the nail, and when paronychia strikes, it can cause a skin ridge to be red or inflamed, and painful. The term is often used to describe nail fungus, but the condition may be caused by fungus or have a bacterial infection present, making the condition a little confusing to understand. Most often, inflammation and soreness are caused by infections from skin yeasts like candida. Most people will have paronychia at some point in their lives. In young children, the cause is often finger sucking or nail biting. People who work with their hands in wet environments like those who wash dishes frequently may be a little more prone to the condition too. Another common cause of paronychia is injury to a nail. If you cut a nail too close or start to get an ingrown nail, you may develop the condition, especially on your toes. Provided there appears to be n
