I have onychomycosis on my fingernails

Can fingernails get onychomycosis? The answer is undoubtedly yes. It’s just that toenails are more susceptible to disease. Working in a cold environment for a long time can damage the thumb, deform the nail, and in severe cases cause the nail to fall off. At the same time, burns are also a factor that causes onychomycosis. Mild burns can cause nail peeling, while severe burns can cause nail deformity, scar formation, and nail cracking. Here is some knowledge about onychomycosis.

Onychomycosis is the common name for onychomycosis, which is called "goose claw wind" in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the most common disease of the nail, accounting for more than half of the nail diseases. Both fingernails and toenails can be affected, but toenails are more susceptible. The incidence of onychomycosis in adults is approximately 6-8%. Common fungal skin diseases are caused by infection with a large class of pathogenic fungi (microorganisms). Onychomycosis lesions begin at the distal end, lateral edge or nail fold of the nail, and manifest as abnormal nail color and shape. The disease usually starts with 1-2 nails (toenails), but in severe cases all nails (toenails) may be affected. The diseased deck loses its luster, becomes brittle and breaks off over time. It is mostly grayish white and dull; the deck is thickened and the surface is uneven. It is loose and fragmented, and keratin and debris are often deposited under the nail. Sometimes the nail plate can separate from the nail bed.

Types of onychomycosis:

1. Proximal subungual onychomycosis: It is less common and most of them are secondary to paronychia. First, the nail plate turns white near the nail wrinkle (i.e. the proximal end of the nail plate), then gradually expands into spots, and finally part of the nail plate is lost and expands to the entire nail. This type is only caused by Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton rosea.

2. Distal subungual onychomycosis: The initial manifestation is irregular small white spots appearing on the distal (lateral edge) surface of the nail, which then turn into dull gray spots and gradually turn into yellow-brown and finally black. Soon the nail plate deteriorates, keratinous debris accumulates under the nail, and the nail bed thickens. Finally, the nail plate becomes atrophic and occasionally bleeds. This type is often caused by red, gypsum or floccosus Epidermophyton.

3. White superficial onychomycosis: commonly seen on fingernails and toenails. It manifests as white spots or white patches with a diameter of 1 mm on the surface of the nail plate. The diseased nails are brittle and will fall off if scraped off. This type is only caused by Trichophyton gypseum or Trichophyton, Fusarium and Aspergillus.

4. Onychomycosis caused by pan-onychia dystrophy: This is not common and is often the final development of the above types. The entire nail loses its luster, deteriorates, thickens or breaks, and leaves an abnormally thickened nail bed after falling off.

5. Chronic mucocutaneous candidal onychomycosis (or true candidal onychomycosis) onychomycosis: the symptoms are deterioration, swelling, brittleness of the entire nail, and the surface is warty and uneven.

6. Chronic paronychia type onychomycosis: manifested by degeneration or browning of the lateral nail folds, proximal nail folds, and epidermal cuticle. The most important feature is the presence of paronychia, swelling of the periungual folds without subungual hyperkeratosis, and a small amount of exudate but never pus. This type is also often caused by Candida

7. Fungal onychomycosis: Symptoms include severe athlete's foot (commonly known as "Hong Kong foot"), rot in the toe grooves, and water rash.