The dermatological disease caused by fungal infection of gray nail is more common in this warm and humid place in Hong Kong.
Even so, gray nails are not impossible to prevent. As long as you maintain personal hygiene and avoid sharing personal items such as nail clippers and slippers with others, the risk of infection will naturally be greatly reduced.
Even if you are unfortunately infected with gray nails, there are currently effective laser treatment techniques that can effectively eliminate the fungus and restore the gray nails "innocent".
Written by: Dr. Guan Zhiqiang, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Skin Health Fund and Specialist in Dermatology
Gray nails are caused by fungal infections, mainly caused by dermatophytes. The most typical symptoms are grayish brown or dark yellow nails, thickened toenails and uneven surfaces, making it difficult to trim, and the nail surface will appear weak and brittle. There is even a chance to be accompanied by peculiar smell and pain.
When the condition becomes more serious, the nails will be deformed, separated from the nail bed and fall off, and it will inevitably be painful when walking or wearing shoes.
What causes gray armor?
It turns out that infectious fungi are particularly prone to grow in warm and humid environments. Therefore, the peak period of gray nail infection is from late spring to summer. When we have contact with patients’ items, such as shoes, shared towels and nail clippers, we may be indirectly affected. Infect.
In addition, long-term wearing of airtight shoes, broken nails or toenails will increase the chance of infection, but it is more difficult to spread through indirect contact between people. In other words, normal social interaction does not pose a risk of infection.
Avoid high-risk nail salons walking barefoot in public places
It is worth noting that public places such as swimming pools, fitness rooms and bathrooms are often hotbeds for fungi, especially when most people’s toenails are damaged and unknowingly. When they continue to exercise barefoot in these places, they will have the opportunity to be recruited; in recent years The popular nail salons are also high-risk places. If they come into contact with bacteria-carrying appliances, ladies will be infected with fungi without knowing it.
Therefore, when entering and exiting these public places, you should not walk barefoot; before and after the manicure, you should also thoroughly clean and disinfect the utensils to avoid cross-infection.
Generally speaking, it is not difficult to treat gray nails, but some patients will always choose to try some remedies first.
For example, it is said that applying tea tree oil to the affected area can treat gray nails, but the truth is that it may cause skin irritation, and there has not been a large number of medical studies to prove its effectiveness; there are rumors that soaking in liquid with vinegar can help relieve Alleviate the condition, but the effectiveness is doubtful, and this acidic liquid may cause contact dermatitis, so it is never recommended for patients to use it rashly.
Laser treatment: light heating to kill fungi
Traditional Chinese medicine is often the best way to deal with the disease. Patients with mild gray nails may wish to apply topical ointment to the infected area. As long as they follow the instructions, gray nails will improve in a few months.
Patients with severe illness can use oral antifungal drugs with satisfactory results, but long-term use may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, allergies, and liver function. Therefore, regular blood tests must be taken during the course of treatment. Patients with poor liver and kidney function are not suitable for this use. Class of drugs.
In the past, when topical ointments or oral antifungal drugs could not completely treat gray nails, surgery to remove the entire gray nail might be necessary.
Although the nails will regenerate over time, the surgery is traumatic and recovery takes time, which is generally discouraged by patients.
With the advancement of medicine, laser treatment has gradually been applied to patients with severe gray nails in recent years.
Its principle is to suppress or kill the fungus of gray nails by using the principle of laser light and heat. It has high safety and will not harm the nail bed, nail groove or nails.
During the treatment, the toenails will feel warm and burning. The course of treatment is about once every 4 to 6 weeks. The condition will gradually improve after a few months. The patient must maintain patience and persevere in the treatment.
Maintaining personal hygiene is the winning rule to prevent gray armor. Follow the following methods to kick away gray armor "it is not difficult":
＊Keep your feet dry and change socks frequently
＊Dry toes thoroughly after shower
＊Choose suitable and breathable shoes to avoid being too narrow
＊Wear sweat-absorbent socks when going out
＊Wear slippers when walking in public places and avoid bare feet
＊Avoid sharing slippers and nail clippers with others
＊Avoid frequent manicures or using artificial nails to avoid weakening the original nails
＊Prune nails and toenails regularly, clean and disinfect after each use
"01 Medical Clinic" cooperated with the Hong Kong Skin Health Fund to publish medical articles written by medical nurses every other Saturday.
The Hong Kong Skin Health Fund was established in 2016. It is a local non-profit charitable organization composed of a number of professional medical staff. It regularly organizes health seminars and promotional activities, and provides free consultation services and drug subsidy programs.
The Hong Kong Skin Health Fund is committed to raising public awareness of skin health and correcting the misunderstanding of skin diseases in the society.
Through online and offline information platforms, it is hoped that the general public will be able to deepen their understanding of dermatological diseases, become a bridge for medical staff, and strengthen professional communication and exchanges.
The Hong Kong Skin Health Fund does not care about the age, gender and race of patients, and strives to provide patients and their families with various supports to alleviate their doubts about patients.
[Grey Armor] Poor immunity, easy to get infected by wearing the wrong shoes?
Discoloration and thickening, be careful of infection. With 2 large soaking formulas, "Super fungus" Candida auris resistance can be as high as 90%. The HA has strengthened screening and disinfection. Public hospitals use drugs with similar names.
