full

While most of us strive to care for our nails with manicures and the occasional use of hand

cream,

HEALTH

learns that nails can be an indicator of our overall health.

TAKING

CARE OF

YOUR

NAILS

Disease

Square, round, long or short,

changes in our nails, explains

Dr. Nirmala Markandeya,

Specialist Dermatologist, may be a

manifestation of internal disease.

“Due to their slow growth rate,

nails may provide information on

disease conditions that have existed

several months before the actual

time of presentation to your doctor

for a given disease,” she tells, and

in fact, complex internal diseases

may sometimes be diagnosed solely

by color or other changes in the

nail apparatus. Hypoalbuminemia,

malnutrition, kidney disorders,

cardio-respiratory problems,

liver disease, uremia,

autoimmune and

genetic disorders

are the common

disorders

affecting nails,

explains Dr.

Markandeya.

Fungal Infections

Onychomycosis:

This is fungal infection of the nails,

explains Dr. Markandeya. “Fungi may invade the nails

in four different ways, leading to four separate types of

onychomycosis with specific clinical features, prognosis

and response to treatment,” she explains and the type

of nail invasion depends on the fungus responsible and

the host susceptibility. “It is most commonly caused

by Trichophyton rubrum with four basic patterns,

including distal subungual, white superficial, proximal

subungual, and candidial

onychomycosis,” she

tells. “Onychomycosis

presents as discoloration

and thickening of nails

and adjacent skin and

toe nails are more

commonly affected.”

Finger nail infection

is usually associated

with toe nail infection,

often presenting as the

‘one hand, two feet’

syndrome. According

to Dr. Markandeya,

the type of fungus

can be determined by

microscopic analysis and

culture of nail clippings.

Specific Nail Problems

Treatment

The treatment given is oral

antifungals and topical

nail lacquer containing

antifungal medication,

except for superficial

onychomycosis, which

can be treated with any

topical antifungal agent

after scraping of the

affected areas. However

Dr. Markandeya explains

that the treatment

of dermatophyte

onychomycosis usually

requires systemic

antifungal therapy.

May/June 2015