Paronychia

What is paronychia?

Paronychia is an infection of the skin around your finger or toenails, which is caused by either a bacteria or a fungus. It can vary in severity, but it’s often swollen and painful. There are two types of paronychia:

• Acute paronychia - this happens suddenly and doesn’t usually last very long. It’s more common around your fingernails than your toenails.
• Chronic paronychia - this usually lasts longer than acute paronychia and either doesn’t get better or keeps coming back after you think it’s gone. This is more likely to happen to your toenails than acute paronychia is.

The infection usually affects the skin at the bottom (cuticle) and side of your nail. It can happen to anyone at any age, and it isn’t usually serious but often needs treatment to clear up the infection. As with other types of infection, it can worsen or spread.

Paronychia is similar to another condition called herpetic whitlow (or whitlow finger), and as a result these conditions can sometimes be misdiagnosed or mistaken for one another.

Who gets paronychia?

Anyone of any age can get paronychia, but it’s more likely if your fingers or toes are exposed to irritation and bacteria.

There are some factors that can make a paronychia infection more likely to happen around your fingers or toes:

• Nail biting;
• Over manicuring;
• Poor hygiene at a nail salon;
• Artificial nails;
• Exposure to certain chemicals (such as detergents);
• Constant exposure to water for your hands or feet;
• Not wearing protective gloves when you should (though constantly wearing gloves can also increase the risk of getting paronychia as it provides the perfect environment for germs to thrive);
• Certain skin conditions;
• Not changing your socks regularly;
• Ill-fitting shoes;
• Sporting activity;
• Injury around the nails;
• Pulling hangnails;
• Sucking fingers;
• Ingrown toenails;
• Weakened immune system;
• Health conditions like diabetes, hyperhidrosis, pemphigus vulgaris and obesity;
• certain medications.

Paronychia is more common in adult women and people who have diabetes. People with a weakened immune system, such as people taking medicine after a transplant, or people with HIV, are more at risk of getting paronychia.

How common is paronychia?

It’s not known exactly how common paronychia is, but it’s a relatively common skin and nail condition that’s easy to treat, and it’s believed to be around three times more common in women than in men.