Nail Disease

Nail disease is a deformity of the nail. Although nail is a structure produced by the skin and is a skin appendage, nail diseases have a distinct classification as they have their own signs and symptoms which can relate to other medical conditions. Some nail conditions that show signs of infection may require medical assistance. Nail inspection can give hints to the internal condition of the body as well. Nail disease can be very subtle and should be evaluated by a dermatologist with a focus in this particular area of medicine. The disease can be caused due to infection of surrounding tissue of the nail plate of the nail with formation of pus and shedding of the nail, due to fungal infection, due to injury etc.

The treatment requires a proper examination of the nail condition by the doctor. The doctor will examine the patient’s nails and may also take some nail clippings or scrape debris from under the patient’s nail and send the sample to a lab to identify the type of fungus causing the infection. The eligibility criteria depend on the CD4 count. If it is 200 cells or lower, then the patient is eligible for the treatment. Other conditions like psoriasis may occur like a fungal infection of the nail. Nails can also be infected by microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria. Knowing the cause of infection it helps to determine the best course of treatment.