Gray nails are a common term for what is known as “nail fungus,” which is an infection of the fingernails caused by various types of fungi, either on the nail plate or in the nail tissue. The most common causative agent is the fungus ringworm, also known as nail fungus. Of course, in addition to ringworm, there are also Candida and other molds. For us people, there is no need to make it so complicated. “Nail fungus” means “nail fungus”, or “gray nail”, okay?
The fungus infects the nail plate, which is smooth and regular, and then secretes keratinase, which eats up the keratin to provide nutrition for its own growth, resulting in various pathological changes in the nail plate, such as color change (yellow, black, brown), unevenness, fragmentation, easy fracture, thickening and deformation, etc. The text is too boring, let’s look at a set of pictures, which are typical pictures of nail fungal diseases.
Do you think you will recognize it? Well, it’s very simple, isn’t it just a change of nail shape and color? Then, please look at the next set of pictures.
I am proud to tell you that all the pictures in the second set are not nail fungus! Not nail fungus! Not nail fungus! The specific what is, have to test the dermatologist to go, here will not sell. Please remember one figure: only 50% of nail diseases, i.e. half of them, are true fungal infections. Therefore, grey nails must be diagnosed by a professional doctor, do not guess on your own and use drugs indiscriminately, which is a waste of money and unsafe.
The incidence of gray nails
The incidence of nail fungal disease is really not low, just checked a few articles, the incidence of this disease in the European population of 23%, East Asia is 20%, North America (including the country of rice) is 14%. China has not yet large-scale population flow survey data, but it is estimated that it is not less than the above data. As a person who deals with fungal diseases, I have an occupational disease that when I see a patient in the clinic, I used to ask the patient, do you have foot odor, do you have gray nails? The affirmative answer is very high. This disease continues to be deep, there is a possibility that one day drinking with buddies will suddenly pop up: do you have ringworm? Please don’t call me a female rascal, it’s just an occupational disease!
The contagiousness of gray nails
As with “foot fungus”, grey nails are caused by fungal infections and are contagious, mostly in a chronic way. The most important thing to note is that grey nails are not necessarily infected by grey nails, but can also be caused by other people’s foot, ringworm, ringworm, etc. These diseases are just different parts of the body, but are essentially caused by ringworm infection. The seeds of ringworm are called “spores” and are very active and can survive for months and years in carpets, toiletries, gym equipment, shoes, insoles, manicure products, and even soil. When you come in contact with such items many times, the spores adhere to your skin and nails and slowly invade your fingernails and form gray nails. Most gray nails occur very slowly, but there are cases where they grow into a patch in a few days. Remember one thing, once you have a gray nail, without effective antifungal medication, don’t try to dig it out yourself with a knife. The other thing is that it is hard to tell with the naked eye how much of the nail plate has been damaged and it is impossible to “dig out”. The implication is that proper nail trimming is beneficial to the penetration and absorption of the medication during effective medication, which is an afterthought.
Diagnosis and clinical types of gray nails
The diagnosis of gray nails relies on a fungal examination. Usually the doctor will give you a set of tests: fungal microscopy + culture + drug sensitivity test, sometimes liver function will be checked, and pathological examination may be recommended for some difficult patients. I will explain why these tests are needed.
1, fungal microscopy: the simplest way to confirm the diagnosis of nail fungus disease, scrape the damaged nail debris, add a drop of reagent to dissolve the keratin, microscopy can be seen under the mycelium and spore structure.
Look at the picture below, these curved things are fungus
2, fungal culture: under the mirror you can see the mycelium but do not know what kind of fungal infection, different fungal drugs are chosen differently, so you need to do a culture to identify the strain and then decide what type of drug to use. This is what the most common Trichophyton rubrum looks like.
3. Drug sensitivity test: It is also done to help choose the best and most sensitive drug.
4.Liver function: The treatment course for onychomycosis is very long, so for safety, liver function testing is usually required to confirm that the liver function is okay before the doctor can prescribe you ah medicine.
5.Histopathological examination: It is not used much, but it is mainly for some special patients who cannot find the cause of the disease and whose treatment is not effective, and sometimes it is needed.
As for the classification of nail fungus, the circle often divides nail fungus into 5 types, this is also too complicated, I think we ordinary people do not need to know. However, for the sake of treatment options, we may simply divide gray nails into two categories: mild and severe. The light type only involves the surface of the nail, not deep into the nail plate, and the area is not very large; the other types can be generally called severe – this division is purely a personal proposal to simplify the problem in a popular science article. The main reason why it is so divided is related to the treatment method, which will be discussed in a moment. In addition, there are three most common types of nail fungal disease: dermatophytes, Candida and other molds, and this is also related to the treatment method, to mention.
How to prevent gray nails?
Doctor, wouldn’t it be too dangerous to have fungal seeds on carpets, baths, fitness places including soil! How can we prevent it effectively? Yes, stopping the disease before it happens is certainly the most effective, and the pro must understand.
First, try to contact as few infectious sources as possible. Family members and colleagues who have ringworm, please mobilize them to cure it in time. It’s really not hard to cure a ringworm disease, as I made clear in the previous article. If you really don’t persuade them, then discipline yourself to cure your ringworm and ringworm as early as possible, don’t go wearing other people’s shoes and socks, don’t share toiletries, don’t walk barefoot on carpets, etc. The reason we emphasize curing his ringworm is because our research has found that 80% of nail fungus is transmitted from other parts of your own fungal infection!
Secondly, wear breathable shoes and keep your shoes insoles dry and clean by tanning them regularly. Fungus likes a moist and confined environment, so don’t give it a good environment to grow.
Third, wash your feet and hands regularly. Fungal spores adhere to the nail and need a process to invade the nail plate, if you wash your feet during this process, you can effectively wash them away.
Fourth, apply antifungal medications prophylactically. If you feel that you are at high risk of being infected, you may want to regularly apply some antifungal medication to your fingernails, which can also help prevent it.
What should I do if I have grey nails?
I already have gray nails, what should I do? Here is the treatment for gray nails.
Only light nail fungus can be cured by topical medication, that is, if the nail is only superficially affected and the area is not large. The most effective ones are amorolfine application (Rohypnol) and cyproheptadine nail coating. A lot of clinical trials have proven that these two drugs are very efficient and easy to use, but there is one drawback, it is very expensive, 2.5ml of Rohypnol is several hundred. Some hospitals in China have some empirical formulas that have also proven effective, such as compound iodine tincture, nail fungus application, compound lactic acid preparation, etc. I have also formulated a triple preparation in my laboratory and have rubbed several friends’ superficial nail fungus. I have been asked what about the nail fungus rub, can I rub nail fungus? The answer is no. The nail plate is very dense and thick, and general creams and water-based agents simply cannot penetrate.
For heavy gray nails, it is difficult to cure them with topical medication alone, and it is advisable to seek regular treatment from a doctor. The most commonly used drugs are terbinafine hydrochloride tablets, itraconazole capsules and fluconazole dispersible tablets, as long as you take your medication properly, the cure rate can reach 80%, please ask your doctor for the specific course of treatment and medication method, very professional features, please do not treat yourself. Regarding oral medication, I list the following points.
1, the efficacy and safety of imported drugs is much higher than domestic goods, patients do not pursue cheap goods.
The actual fact is that you will be able to get a good deal on your own, and you’ll be able to get a good deal on your own.
3. The course of treatment is sufficient: the course of treatment for gray nails is at least 2 months, usually up to 3-4 months. The growth of the nail is very slow and the concentration of the drug penetrating into the nail plate is limited, so this treatment cannot be done in a month. The above three oral medications are very safe, and the price is generally acceptable to the general public, so it is best to stick to the rules until a sufficient course of treatment. If you are not sure, you should test your liver function once a month.
4, the elderly, people with poor peripheral circulation, people with diabetes and other immune compromised people, the course of treatment should be extended in moderation.
5.Winter treatment is less effective than summer treatment, so it is better to choose summer to start treatment.
6. There are deviations in the choice of drugs for different pathogenic bacteria: terbinafine is preferred for ringworm, fluconazole for Candida, and itraconazole for other types. Of course, itraconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal drugs, Candida and other mold is actually very effective, but drug interactions to a little more, the elderly often have other diseases in eating other drugs, pay attention to this problem, which specific drugs, please read the instructions carefully.
In addition to medication, doctors may also introduce surgical nail extraction and laser treatment for gray nails, which are also feasible. However, they are only suitable for people who cannot adhere to medication and are not the best choice. The fashionable laser does not play well in the field of fungus.
The actual nail is a very good choice for the people who are looking for the best way to treat their nails. The same old saying, it’s not scary to have a disease, it’s scary to not believe in your doctor and yourself. The next time which tells you that grey nails can’t be cured, you’ll be in a hurry with whoever!