The scientific name for gray nails is onychomycosis, also commonly known as onychomycosis, which is a general term for fungal infections of the nails caused by various infections. About half of patients with nail lesions are diagnosed as onychomycosis, and the prevalence rate in the population is as high as 2%~14%, so the incidence rate of onychomycosis is quite high.
Got gray nails, can one infect two?
According to the clinical manifestations of gray nails, they can be divided into five different types, namely distal lateral subthyroid type, white superficial type, intra deck type, proximal subthyroid type, and whole nail lesion type.
If the patient has gray nails, they will have white nails, thickened and brittle decks, cracks, and appear black or brown. If gray nails are not effectively treated, they are prone to further develop into nail damage, deformation, nail groove inflammation, and even more serious infections, such as osteomyelitis, cellulitis, erysipelas, etc.
Grey nails have a significant characteristic, which is their contagiousness. Usually, it is due to fungal infections on the skin, which then spread to the nails. It usually starts from one nail and gradually spreads to other fingernails, so gray nails can spread to each other. "One infection, two" is not a exaggeration.
The reason why gray nails are infectious is because they contain a large amount of fungi, which serve as a fungal reservoir and may also spread to other skin tissues, leading to skin tissue infections.
The most important thing is that gray nails can not only spread between people, but also between the nails of the same person. If left untreated, fungi will slowly invade other healthy nails.
Many patients believe that gray nails can heal on their own without the need for treatment, and in the end, they not only fail to recover, but also spread to a wider range, even to their families.
Grey nails have a preference for people, especially nail enthusiasts
Although the incidence rate of onychomycosis is high, it also has a "preference" group. The following groups of people are the high incidence groups of onychomycosis.
1. People who love doing manicures and manicures
Those who like to do manicures and manicures are more likely to get gray nails, because the need to polish nails during manicures will damage the surface structure of the nails, and when nail polish is applied, various chemicals will be brought into the nails to damage the deck. These behaviors will reduce the defense ability of the deck, which is likely to lead to fungal infection.
In addition, due to the fact that nail art and manicure tools are public items, there is an increased chance of infection with gray nails.
2. People who love sports and don't like cleanliness
People who love sports are also more likely to have gray nails, and not paying attention to personal hygiene is also closely related to gray nails, such as sharing a pair of slippers with others. Relatively speaking, people who change clothes frequently and take frequent showers are less likely to suffer from gray nails. If you frequently go to public bathrooms or swimming pools with poor hygiene conditions, you are also more likely to get infected with gray nails.
3. People with poor immunity
Elderly people have a lower immune system, making them very susceptible to infection with nails, and the older they get, the more susceptible they are to infection. In addition, many elderly people are unwilling to seek treatment for nails, resulting in a higher incidence of the disease.
There are also some special people who are prone to suffer from onychomycosis. For example, people with diabetes have high sugar content in their skin, people who take medicine for a long time have weak resistance, and people who have congenital onychomycosis are more likely to suffer from onychomycosis due to fungal infection.
In addition, pregnant and postpartum women, due to their poor resistance, are prone to nail malnutrition, which provides an opportunity for fungal invasion and can lead to gray nails.
4. Special occupational groups
The occupation of patients is also one of the important factors leading to gray nails, such as housewives, chefs, and dishwashers. These groups of people have their nails soaked in water for a long time or need to come into contact with various chemical detergents, which can corrode the protective layer on the deck and make it easier for fungi to invade the fingernails.
In addition to damaging the skin stratum corneum of the nails, it also slowly invades the nail bed, causing the nail bed and deck to separate from each other. It can also turn the color of the deck yellow and dirty, ultimately causing the nails to become like insects biting them.
5. People who prefer to wear high heels or small shoes
Some patients wear high heels or shoes that are too small for a long time, which can cause excessive pressure on the nails and cause lesions. Moreover, it can keep the nails in a damp environment for a long time, making it easier for bacteria to breed or invade, leading to the occurrence of gray nails. So the size of the shoes you wear should be appropriate, and avoid wearing high heels or pointed shoes.
In addition to these factors, gray nails are also related to other factors, such as genetic factors. External injuries to the nails can reduce the resistance of the nail surface and infect gray nails.
Grey nails are not an incurable disease, the key is to use these three methods correctly
Many patients with gray nails believe that they cannot be cured. In fact, the reason why many patients do not completely cure gray nails is because they have not found the correct treatment method, coupled with not adhering to treatment, which ultimately leads to recurrent gray nails. In fact, treating gray nails is not difficult, and the key is to use the right method.
Topical medication
For mild patients with gray nails, where the nail matrix is not damaged, the damaged area of the nail deck is ≤ 50%, the nail lesions are relatively shallow, and there is no obvious thickening of the nail deck. For these patients, local topical medication can be the first choice for treatment.
Local topical medication has high safety, but it greatly tests the patient's patience, as it usually takes at least 6 months or even 1-2 years to completely cure onychomycosis using topical medication alone. The main topical drugs are antifungal drugs, such as 30% acetic acid, 5% amouprofen, 8% clopidogrel, etc.
Oral medication
When the damaged area of the deck is greater than 50%, and the deck is thick and the nail area is damaged, local medication is difficult to penetrate into the nails, and oral medication is often needed.
Oral medication is the strongest killer for treating gray nails, which can effectively kill fungi and has strong inhibitory effects. Common oral medications include fluconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine, etc.
From a safety perspective, oral medication usually needs to be discontinued after a certain course of treatment, and then supplemented with topical medication to continue treatment. To achieve complete recovery, it usually takes six months to a year.
External use+oral administration
The most recommended method for treating gray nails is topical and oral administration, as topical drugs are difficult to penetrate deeper areas and oral medications are difficult to reach the superficial areas of the nails.
If external use and oral administration are combined, they can complement each other's strengths and significantly improve the cure rate of gray nails. It is an ideal combination therapy, and the combination therapy of external use and oral administration can cure most gray nails.
In addition, if the gray nails are complicated with nail abscesses or paronychia, they need to be opened for treatment, so nail removal is often necessary. However, this is a more painful treatment method and can be damaging, so whether nail removal is necessary depends on the specific situation.
How can we prevent gray nails in daily life? In addition to paying attention to the triggering factors mentioned above, it is also important to promptly cure tinea pedis; Daily necessities for the feet should be used separately to prevent cross infection.
The tools for trimming healthy nails and diseased nails should be separated and thoroughly disinfected; Choose shoes of appropriate size, wear fewer high heels, and avoid excessive pressure on the nails.
In short, if you find that you have gray nails, don't think it can heal on its own. This can easily spread to more areas, and the best choice should be to actively seek treatment.
