Nail bed inflammation - that could turn into pus!
Today something from the category: small cause, big pain. It's about nail bed inflammation, also known medically as panaritium.
It usually starts quite harmlessly, a small pain on the toe, then it gets a little red - then it gets thicker, starts to pulsate and can then really hurt. In the worst case, an infection can spread throughout the whole body.
That's why it's important to take countermeasures early on. What triggers the whole thing? There is usually a certain basic predisposition, i.e. the anatomy of the toenail is such that someone tends to get this nail bed inflammation. However, an injury to the nail bed can also be a trigger, especially if you have nibbled on it too much. And: it can also be caused by sub-optimal foot care or an incorrectly cut nail.
It is very important not to cut children's toenails too short. And leave the edges rounded rather than too square - this makes the nail less likely to grow in under the nail bed.
It is also important to take local antiseptic measures at an early stage. For example, apply Octenisept or Betaisodona to the wound. This usually also helps to reduce the inflammation. If the symptoms still don't go away or even get worse, please see a doctor.
The next step is to apply localised antibiotic ointments to the wound. And if that doesn't help either, sometimes surgery really is the last resort. A small piece of the nail is then removed under local anaesthetic. This is usually so crucial that the nail and nail bed can heal completely.
Further interesting tips
Worms
Something from the disgusting box again today. It's about worms. This is actually a very, very common story in small children - and often causes a lot of disgust in the children concerned and their families, even though the whole thing is a fairly harmless story from a medical point of view.
Monkeypox
Ever since monkeypox became a topic in the media, parents have been asking whether it is also relevant for humans here and whether there is cause for concern, especially for children of course. Reason enough for us to take a look at the topic.
Meningococcus I
Infections with meningococci (bacteria that can cause dangerous meningitis, for example) are fortunately very rare and fortunately we can also do a lot to prevent them with vaccinations (more on this in Part II).