Nail fungusorOnycholysis- The common problems are in many people. It refers to the nail plate disease and can cause serious problems if it is not detected and not treated on time. At the same time, nail injury can mimic the symptoms of fungus and cause confusion in the diagnosis.
ButHowidenticalDiscriminateNail fungusfrominjury? The main signs of fungal damage to the nails are color changes, textures and nail plate shapes. Fungus often leads to the appearance of yellow, brown or green shades in the affected nails. In addition, the nails can be thicker or more fragile. It is important to note that fungus usually affects some nails on the feet or hands at the same time, and can also spread to neighboring skin areas.
On the other side,injuryNails can cause changes in its appearance, but usually just one interesting nail, which is subject to effect or pressure. For example, if you suffer a nail injury due to the fall of heavy objects, the nails can change color, become wavy or have cracks. It is important to pay attention to the fact that when injury to the nails, there are usually no signs of damage to the nails or other skin.
The main features and diagnostic methods
It can be difficult to distinguish nail fungus from injury, as the growth and appearance of nails can be a sign of infection and fungal injury. However, there are several basic features that can help determine the cause of the problem.
Onicholysis nails
One of the main signs of nail fungus is onicholysis, that is, peeling the nail plate from the nail bed. In the case of injuries, such exfoliation may not be, and the nails may be damaged or have different cracks from the changes caused by fungus.
Changes in the appearance of nails
Nail fungus can cause changes in the appearance of nails, such as color changes, boiling, peeling or deformation. In the case of injury, the nail plate can maintain a natural color and shape, but may be damaged or injured.
For a more accurate diagnosis and determine the cause of the problem, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist or a mood, a specialist in fungal infection. Doctors can examine nails, take smear for analysis or perform the necessary procedures to determine the presence of fungal infections or injuries.
Bottom Line:
It can be difficult to distinguish nail fungus from injury, but signs such as onycholysis and changes in the appearance of nails can help determine the cause of the problem. For a more accurate diagnosis, you must consult a dermatologist or michology.
How to distinguish nail fungus from injury:
Nail fungus:
- In nail fungus, the color change and nail plate structure are observed, in essence, the nails of the feet are affected by the disease.
- Symptoms of nail fungus include thick nails, stubborn, yellow or white, changes in the form of nails and the presence of white or yellow spots.
- Nail fungus is caused by infection with fungus, which can penetrate under the nail plate through damaged skin or nail plate.
Nail injury:
- Nail injury can occur due to accidents or mechanical effects on the nails.
- Signs of distinctive nail injury include bruises, bruises under the nails, peeling nails from the skin and changes in the form of nails.
- Nail injury can cause onycholysis (to remove nails from his bed) or other changes that are not a nail fungus.
Determining the cause of changes in the nail plate in the foot can be difficult, so it is recommended to consult a dermatologist or pediatrician to obtain accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
How to determine nail fungus:
Nail petals are often confused with foot injuries. For the right diagnosis, it should take into account some of the basic features that will help distinguish between fungus from injury.
Onycholysis feet: What is it?
Onycholysis is a local detachment of the nail plate from the nail bed. At the same time, nails often obtain convex shapes and take yellow, orange or brown. Such changes are the first sign of the presence of fungus.
The difference between fungus and foot injury:
- Nail fungus usually affects one or more nails in the legs, while injury can only affect one nail.
- The fungus is characterized by thickening and stratification of the nail plate, while with a nail injury can be curved or broken.
- Nail petals are often accompanied by itching, burning or pain, unlike injuries, which usually cause pain and edema.
If you have a suspicion of presence of nail fungus, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist or myologist to conduct a professional diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
Nail fungal diagnostic methods:
If nail fungus is suspected, it is important to carry out the right diagnosis to determine the right treatment. There are several methods that can be helpful to nail fungus from other problems, for example, injury or oncholysis.
Visual examination
One of the first steps in the diagnosis of nail fungus is visual examination. Doctors analyze the structure and color of the nails, evaluating its condition and its external marks. Nail fungal infections are often accompanied by color changes (for example, in yellow or green color), stratification, thickening of the nail plate, the appearance of white spots and brushes on the nail surface. Separate symptoms can also indicate other problems, so visual examination is not sufficient to determine the diagnosis.
Microscopy
If there is insufficient visual examination to determine the presence of fungus, the doctor may take a nail sample and check using a microscopy. Microscopy methods allow you to detect fungal elements (GIFs or disputes), which may indicate the presence of fungal infections. This method is quite quick and easy, although the results may not always be accurate and reliable.
A more accurate and reliable diagnosis of nail fungus can include sowing on the nutrient medium or PCR diagnostics (polymerase chain reaction), which allows you to determine the right type of fungus and create its sensitivity to various drugs. However, this method, as a rule, requires more time and financial resources.
How to distinguish nail fungus from onycholysis
Onycholysis is a nail condition where there is a nail bed detachment from the nail plate. Visually, onycholysis can look very similar to nail fungus, but the causes and treatment of these conditions are different.
The main difference between nail fungus and onycholysis is the cause of development. Nail fungus is caused by an infection with fungus, which sits under the nail plate and begins to destroy it. Onicholysis is a result of a nail injury, such as the traumatic detachment of the bed from the nail plate.
Another way to distinguish nail fungus from onycholysis is symptom analysis. With nail fungus, nail color changes are observed (usually yellowish or green), thickness and texture of nail plate change, nails can be fragile and fragile. With onycholysis, problems with nails are usually limited to box exfoliation, without the color change or nail plate structure.
If you have suspicion of nail fungus or onycholysis, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist. He will examine his nails, possibly taking a smear for further analysis. Using microscopy or sowing on a nutrient medium, your doctor will be able to determine if you have fungal damage to your nails or problems with onycholysis.
In any case, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of your nails and on the first suspicion of nail fungus or onycholysis, do not take a trip to the doctor. Only qualified specialists can make the right diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment.