Pneumonia, or pneumonia, is one of the most dangerous diseases that claims many lives. Every year, at least 450 million cases of pneumonia are recorded worldwide, with about 150 million of those affected being children under 5 years of age.
There are many causes of pneumonia - the disease can be associated with the action of pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi), with the entry of foreign bodies, liquids and substances into the lungs - in this case we are talking about aspiration pneumonia. Among the risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing pneumonia:
• age under 5 years;
• age over 65 years;
• smoking;
• diseases of the respiratory system, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Read about the dangers of self-medicating a cold in a child.
Another reason that increases the risk of pneumonia is bad teeth. The authors of a study published in 2016 found that people who don't visit the dentist are 86% more likely to develop pneumonia than those who go to the dentist for twice-yearly checkups.
What is pneumonia like?
Most cases of pneumonia are caused by bacteria.
Among the most common pathogens are pneumococci (up to 50% of cases) and Haemophilus influenzae (10–20%). A significant number of such cases can be prevented - vaccines have already been created to protect against this form of pneumonia and are included in the National Vaccination Calendar. To treat bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics are prescribed, which are ineffective if the inflammation is caused by viruses. There are community-acquired pneumonia, which develops outside the walls of medical institutions, as well as nosocomial (hospital-acquired) pneumonia, which is caused by pathogenic microorganisms present in hospitals. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is more difficult to treat, which is associated with the resistance of the causative agents of this form of the disease to drugs.
Causes of ingrown toenails
The main causes of ingrown nail plates include:
· valgus deformity (curvature of the big toe at the joint level) associated with flat feet, and other anatomical changes in the foot: improper placement of the toes, their pressing on each other inside the shoe can lead to ingrown toenails
genetic predisposition: hereditary deformation of the nail plate and lateral periungual skin ridges
· circulatory disorders caused by diseases such as varicose veins, diabetes mellitus and other endocrine disorders: diseases are accompanied by swelling of the legs, feet, fingers, which leads to ingrown nails
· inflammatory processes - fungal and bacterial diseases: the nail becomes thicker, may lose its previous shape, crumble, thereby damaging the nail fold and causing inflammation
· incorrectly selected shoes: narrow or smaller, squeezing the toes; without a backdrop, leading to the toes resting on the toe of the shoe when walking; high heels, increasing the load on the fingers; on a hard sole, leading to a lack of softening while walking
· incorrectly performed pedicure: trimming nails too short, cutting off the corners of the nail plates
· injury to the toes: bruises leading to damage to the nail and its further abnormal growth
· high load on the legs: physical activity, excess weight, pregnancy, hormonal changes
Ingrown nail
- a problem that causes pain and discomfort, and inaction leads to more severe consequences. Constant pain, the inability to wear any shoes, purulent formations and inflammation around the nail plate are only part of the unpleasant complications associated with onychocryptosis. If you notice the first signs of an ingrown toenail, be sure to schedule a consultation with a specialist.
How to recognize pneumonia
Pneumonia is usually accompanied by several typical symptoms:
• severe cough with sputum;
• chest pain;
• heat;
• weakness.
Symptoms of the disease may intensify gradually, or may appear suddenly – within one or two days. If there is a sharp deterioration in the condition or a prolonged course of the disease, it is necessary to seek medical help.
There are also atypical forms of pneumonia, which are not always accompanied by symptoms typical for pneumonia. Mild symptoms, which make the disease more reminiscent of ARVI, may be accompanied by headaches, muscle pain, and nausea. Due to the smoothness of symptoms, patients usually do not consider their condition dangerous and are in no hurry to see a doctor, and a picture corresponding to pneumonia is diagnosed only after an X-ray or computed tomography.
Treatment of ingrown toenails
The tools for treating onychocryptosis are conservative methods
in the initial stages (load reduction, compression treatment, foot hygiene, etc.) and
surgical methods
in later stages (nail resection, complete removal of the nail plate, laser techniques).
There are also modern non-surgical methods
that involve the use of various plates, staples and springs (orthonyxia methods).
Which doctor should I contact?
A podiatrist is the doctor you should contact when the first signs of an ingrown toenail appear. In certain cases, treatment requires the participation of a surgeon (in late stages, when conservative treatment is ineffective), a dermatologist (in the presence of fungal and other infectious diseases) and a laser therapist (when treating the disease with methods associated with the use of laser therapy).
It is very important to prescribe competent, most effective treatment to restore pain-free mobility to the patient.
Treatment methods for onychocryptosis
This or that method depends on the stage of onychocryptosis, as well as the presence of complications and concomitant diseases. At the initial stage, the problem can be solved using conservative methods. When a patient presents at a late stage of the disease, there is a high probability of surgery.
Non-surgical methods:
· medical hardware pedicure (a treatment procedure that is performed by a pedicurist with a higher medical education and is aimed not only at the aesthetic beauty of the feet and toes, but also at their health)
· tamponing (installation of a special thin gasket between the nail and the periungual ridge, which prevents contact of the nail with the ridge; therefore, the process of ingrowth is impossible)
· installation of corrective systems: staples, plates (the device is placed on the nail plate in various ways depending on the type of problem and helps to lift the nail, thereby reducing pressure on the roller and preventing ingrowth)
A positive effect can only be achieved if the treatment is prescribed by an experienced doctor - a podologist with higher education. Contact only professional specialists in trusted clinics with extensive experience and a good reputation.
Surgical methods for treating onychocryptosis:
· resection of the nail plate. Resection is a surgical operation aimed at removing part of an organ.
· complete nail removal
Today, classical surgical methods of nail removal are inferior to modern methods that involve the use of laser.
Laser therapy has a number of advantages - it is low in trauma, short recovery time and reduces the risk of re-ingrowing (relapse) of the nail. Using a laser, it is possible to painlessly remove: the nail fold, nail plate, part of the nail, hypergranulations, inflammatory and purulent formations.
Laser treatment is painless, safe and most effective; the procedure is carried out by experienced specialists using modern high-tech equipment.
How does your back hurt with pneumonia?
Another symptom of pneumonia, although less common, is back pain.
With pneumonia, patients often complain of pain in the shoulder blades, and the pain can radiate to the chest. Some patients noted that they only had back pain in the right or left side of the back, as well as the spine in the lumbar region. Back pain may also be associated with a severe cough. If a patient suffers from a prolonged cough for many days, the back muscles and intercostal muscles experience severe tension, which is why patients may feel back pain when coughing. This does not indicate any pathological changes in the muscles or spine - usually the pain disappears on its own after getting rid of the cough.
Groups of nail diseases
All nail diseases are divided into three large groups:
- Infectious and parasitic pathological processes (candidiasis, dermatophytosis).
- Diseases caused by systemic disorders (endocrine and nervous system diseases).
- Congenital anomalies, mechanical damage and occupational injuries.
Diseases of the toenails are not much different from diseases of the nail plates that are found on the fingers. With the development of such pathological processes, a change in the shape and size of the nail body or nail dystrophy may occur. It should be noted that many diseases of the fingernails occur against the background of other diseases. Disturbances in the structure and coloring of the nail plate arise as a result of nervous, mental, endocrine and other systemic lesions of the body.
Most often, damage to the nail body occurs due to infectious skin diseases - candidiasis, pyoderma, psoriasis, dermatophytosis.
The names of the most common diseases of the nails of the hands and feet with their detailed descriptions will allow each person to notice the development of the pathological process and promptly seek help from a specialist.
Does your back hurt with pneumonia without a cough or fever?
The symptom occurs in atypical forms of pneumonia, including pneumonia associated with COVID-19.
It is known that in patients with COVID-19, back pain may appear even before respiratory symptoms and the loss of smell typical of coronavirus infection. Due to the absence of fever and cough, patients do not suspect that they are infected with coronavirus and are at risk of developing pneumonia. Back pain can occur several days after the first symptoms of Covid. Thus, one of the American doctors who suffered a coronavirus infection said that the pain he experienced was comparable to the pain of being hit with a baseball bat. The pain, which appeared after several days of high fever, was so severe that the man had to move around holding onto furniture and walls.
What other nail diseases are there: photos and descriptions
Koilonychia
Koilonychia , or spoon-shaped nails, is one of the common forms of onychodystrophy. This form of the pathological process is characteristic exclusively of the fingers of the upper extremities.
With the development of this nail disease, the following symptoms are observed:
- the surface of the nail plate becomes concave;
- the nail becomes smooth;
- the thickness of the nail remains unchanged.
Koilonychia occurs as a result of mechanical damage to the surface of the nail body, for example, with prolonged exposure to alkalis and acids. In addition, the development of this nail disease can also be caused by various pathologies - onychomycosis, Addison's disease, typhoid fever. In rare cases, this pathology is congenital and hereditary.
Symptoms of a fingernail disease called koilonychia in the photo.
Platonychia
Platonychia is a pathological process in which the nails have a completely flat surface. It is predominantly a congenital anomaly, but can also be acquired through exposure to occupational factors.
The occurrence of certain chronic inflammatory processes in the body, for example, liver cirrhosis or psoriasis, also causes such changes in the nail plates.
Transverse grooves
Bo's furrows or Bo-Reilly's furrows are other names for this pathological process. The pathological process is the result of exposure to exogenous and endogenous factors on the nail plate. The depth of the groove (groove) formed on the surface of the matrix indicates the depth of the lesion and the degree of development of the disease.
Bo's furrows do not differ in color from the rest of the nail plate. The depth of such pathological formations can reach up to 1 mm. The reasons for the development of pathology may be different. This nail disease often occurs in children when they receive trauma to the nail body during childbirth. In most cases, transverse furrows are detected between the 20th and 43rd days after the baby is born.
In adults, pathology can occur against the background of severe infectious and skin diseases.
Longitudinal furrows
This disease occurs mainly in older people with age-related changes in the structure of the nail plate. Sometimes longitudinal grooves are formed in young people with certain diseases, for example, with lichen planus.
This nail disease, described above, is demonstrated in this photo.
Gapalonychia
The term hapalonychia refers to the process by which the nail plates soften, as a result of which they easily break and split at the free edge. With this disease, the nails become fan-shaped.
There may be several causes for hapalonychia. They distinguish true hapalonychia, which occurs as a result of pathological processes occurring in the human body such as endocrine dysfunction, spastic paralysis, and metabolic disorders. Hapalonychia is also known, which occurs with prolonged and regular local exposure of the nail body to alkalis, acids, solvents and other aggressive chemicals.
Onycholysis
Onycholysis is a disease of the nails in which their complete or partial separation from the nail bed occurs. Usually this process occurs from the free edge, but the nail plate can also separate on the sides.
The parts that have separated from the nail bed are whitish-gray in color. Experts name several reasons for the development of this pathological process:
- intoxication of the body;
- neurotrophic disorders;
- injuries;
- skin diseases - psoriasis, eczema, congenital epidermolysis;
- bacterial and fungal infections, for example, rubromycosis of nails.
Onychomadesis
Onychomadesis - complete separation of the plate from the nail bed. The name of this disease has a synonym – onychoptosis. Unlike onycholysis, onychomadesis is accompanied by separation of the nail plate not from the free edge, but from the posterior - proximal, at its very base.
This pathological process occurs in a very short time and may be accompanied by inflammatory phenomena.
Onychorrhexis
Onychorhexis is a pathological process accompanied by brittle nails and their splitting in the longitudinal direction. Onychorrhexis is often the result of endocrine disorders in the body, various skin dermatoses - eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus.
Among the reasons for the development of onychorrhexis, experts also name various types of mechanical damage and occupational injuries. Not all nails may be affected, but only on individual fingers; on the feet, such a pathological process is rarely detected.
Onychoschisis
Onychoschisis is a disease in which the nail splits transversely parallel to its free edge. One of the main reasons for the development of this pathology is frequently repeated mechanical damage to the nail. This can happen to musicians who play the violin, and women who are overly keen on manicure.
Can my back hurt after pneumonia?
Patients discharged from the hospital after an illness may continue to feel unwell for several weeks or even months.
They feel weak, get tired quickly, and have trouble sleeping. In addition, many people have back pain after pneumonia, and chronic diseases become aggravated and debut. People who have had coronavirus infection and pneumonia also often continue to feel unwell. After a temporary improvement in their condition, recorded shortly after receiving negative tests for coronavirus, some patients again feel unwell. Among the unpleasant symptoms that occur after recovery are pain in the back and chest, as well as severe weakness, problems with memory and cognitive functions.
Nail diseases associated with skin infections
With a number of skin diseases of a non-infectious nature, as well as with a number of infectious dermatoses, the development of nail diseases such as:
- pyococcal paronychia;
- onychia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused by Proteus;
- diphtheria paronychia and onychia;
- leishmaniasis of the nail folds;
- mite-borne lesions of the nail apparatus (with Norwegian scabies, dermatophagoid mites - such as flour, fodder, cheese, etc., feeding on skin scales);
- paronychia and partial separation of the nail plate from the bed with herpes simplex.
If we talk about skin diseases of a non-infectious nature, the above diseases occur with psoriasis, lichen planus, eczema and neurodermatitis, Gallopo's acrodermatitis, alopecia areata, Giber's rosacea, pemphigus, Dühring's dermatitis herpetiformis, Darier's disease, hereditary epidermolysis bullosa, enteropathic macrodermatitis, sebaceous adenoma glands, Pringle's adenoma, common pityriasis versicolor pilaris of Devergie, keratoderma of the palms and soles, ichthyosis, lupus erythematosus, scleroderma and other dermatoses.
Occupational paronychia occurs among workers in tanneries and furriers, in chemical and brick production, among masons, plasterers, among workers in tobacco factories, metallurgical, plastic production, among workers in printing houses, hairdressing salons, darkrooms, laundries, among radiologists and radiologists and many others.
Diagnostics
Before treating nail fungus, you need to determine the type of pathogen. The doctor collects anamnesis, conducts an examination, and prescribes tissue scrapings, which will help determine the type of pathogen. If necessary, fluorescent diagnostics will be prescribed, which consists of examining the nail using a Wood's lamp.
After the examination and the results of the examination, the patient will be prescribed treatment.
Photo: Examination of nails by a dermatologist
Prevention measures
If nails begin to grow incorrectly, the girl is advised to follow the rules based on caring for her hands.
You need to follow the advice even after finishing treatment:
- Wear only comfortable shoes that do not restrict movement;
- Observe the rules of personal hygiene;
- When visiting public showers, baths, and water parks, wear your own shoes;
- When using aggressive compounds, wear protective gloves;
- Wipe your nails with essential oil every night, they will begin to grow faster and become stronger;
- Pay attention to the quality of nail treatment, do not cut off the free edge completely.
As a standard, the coating can be completely restored 3-4 months before the healthy nail grows completely.
Advantages of using laser for surgical treatment:
- The use of a laser allows you to remove ingrown toenails with less damage to the nail bed.
- Laser dissection of tissue is practically not accompanied by bleeding, increasing the overview of the surgical field during surgery and, thereby, reducing the duration of the operation.
- Evaporation instead of scraping hypergranulations is less traumatic for surrounding tissues.
- The laser destroys fungal spores if the ingrown toenail is accompanied by onychomycosis.
- The effect of laser has a pronounced bactericidal effect, which reduces the risk of infection of the postoperative wound.
- Along with the minimal damaging effect, the wound healing time is reduced, the frequency and risk of complications is reduced, compared to classical surgical intervention.
- The use of a laser reduces the risk of granulation in the area of the postoperative wound, which, if the rules for prevention are followed, reduces the risk of relapse.
How to disguise ribbing?
As a temporary solution to the problem, special medicinal compounds are used to level the ribbed surface of the plate. They are applied under varnish instead of a base coat. Which remedy is right for you and whether it is safe to use, you need to check with your podiatrist. Among decorative varnishes, varnishes with mother-of-pearl or sparkles will better hide a cosmetic defect, while plain glossy coatings, on the contrary, will emphasize unevenness.
Under no circumstances should you try to level the surface of the plate with a sanding file, as the nail will become thinner and more vulnerable. It is also not recommended to do extensions or use gel polish until the nail has recovered.
Diseases of the fingernails and toenails in children: photos and treatment
What are the types of nail diseases on the hands and feet of children? Children suffer from almost all diseases that occur in adults. Those children who attend kindergarten, school, and other public places - swimming pools, gyms - are especially susceptible to fungal diseases.
Children can develop koilonychia, leukonychia, onychogryphosis and many other diseases. How to treat nail diseases depends on the form and type of pathological process. Treatment is carried out by a mycologist who, after conducting a series of studies, prescribes the most effective and safe drugs.
For diseases caused by fungus, local treatment is carried out by treating the nail plate:
Clotrimazole
Nystatin ointment, Citrosept
Mycosporus
When the pathological process is neglected, it becomes inevitable to take antifungal agents orally.
For any onychodystrophy, it is considered useful to alternate local baths with warm vegetable oil and sea salt, as well as rubbing an oil solution of vitamin A or vitamin creams into the nail plates in the evening.
How to treat fungal nail diseases?
The fungus spreads quickly in the dark and in high humidity; closed shoes are a favorable place for it. Fungal nail diseases most often occur on the toes, and less often on the fingers.
The first signs of fungal infection of the nail plates are:
- itching and redness of the skin around the nail;
- fragility of the nail plates or, conversely, their rapid compaction;
- color change;
- formation of stripes on the surface.
Manifestations of fungal diseases of the toenails are presented in the photo below:
Fungal toenail disease is difficult to treat at home. To stop the spread of the fungus and get rid of the disease, you should contact a specialist. At home, you can only alleviate the condition during the development of this pathological process. A solution of soda and salt has a good effect on nail plates affected by fungus. Even before prescribing treatment, you can prepare a bath and soak your feet in the solution for 15 minutes, then rinse them with warm water.
How to properly treat nail diseases caused by fungus? The fungus is very persistent, so often even after recovery, if the immune system is weakened, it can develop again.
If diseases of the fingernails and toenails are not advanced, they can be treated using antimycotic varnishes and solutions:
Loceryl, Batrafen, Oflomil
Mikozan, Cyclopiroxolamine
Such products have an exfoliating effect, allowing you to painlessly remove the affected nail.
In cases where the disease has already taken an advanced form and is developing very rapidly, patients are prescribed antifungal drugs in the form of tablets.
The following antifungal tablets are considered the most effective:
Fluconazole
Itraconazole
Terbinafine
Ketoconazole
Symptoms
With the first degree of ingrown nail, the lateral edge of the plate begins to press under the edge of the periungual ridge, soft tissues react to the pressure with tissue growth, inflammation, redness, and slight discomfort when walking.
In degree II, the edge of the nail goes under the ridge, thickening and inflammation of the periungual ridge appears, infection may occur in the form of redness, throbbing pain, swelling, up to the appearance of pus - purulent inflammation of the periungual ridge.
In grade III, the nail plate goes deep under the fold, deformation of the finger occurs due to the proliferation of tissues of the periungual fold on the side, a wound defect is formed, which is filled with inflammatory tissues (the so-called “wild meat”), creating discomfort, pain, and clothing sticking to the wound , the wound bleeds easily.
Since hypergranulation (“wild meat”) is a wound, a local infection is often associated, which can spread from the lateral ridge to the posterior ridge (base of the nail plate) - purulent paronychia, accompanied by pain, redness and swelling of both ridges. It can then spread to the tissue of the toe and cause panaritium, as well as inflammation of the lymphatic vessels on the dorsum of the foot and the inner surface of the leg, or the lymph nodes in the popliteal or groin area.
How to fix if this happens?
If your nails grow upward, you should first consult a therapist. The doctor will prescribe all the necessary tests, based on the results of which a diagnosis will be made and treatment will be prescribed.
Diagnostic measures include the following methods:
- general and biochemical blood test;
- spectral studies;
- analysis of affected tissues for the presence of fungal infection.
In some cases, additional consultation may be necessary.:
- gastroenterologist;
- mycologist;
- podiatrist;
- dermatologist.
Methods for changing the growth of the nail plate if it is curved will depend on the reason that caused the deformation:
- If nails are affected by fungal infections, a course of medications is prescribed. To achieve a lasting effect, treatment must be carried out simultaneously orally and externally. In case of advanced disease, intramuscular injections may be prescribed.
- In case of congenital dystrophy , nail prosthetics, taking vitamin preparations and baths that have a softening effect on the plate may be indicated.
- For diseases of the cardiovascular system, therapy is carried out using special medications and warming massage of the limbs. The course of treatment is at least 14 days.
- In case of severe trauma to the nail plate , it is recommended to remove it, as it can interfere with the correct formation of a new nail. This manipulation is performed by a surgeon under local anesthesia.
- Curvature of the nail due to chronic skin diseases (eczema or psoriasis) does not require any special treatment. In this case, only the underlying disease is treated.
- If nails grow upward due to flat feet , then treatment will consist of wearing special orthopedic shoes, baths with salt, herbal decoctions or essential oils and a relaxing massage.
- with problems with the shape of the nail plate due to poor diet . He will create a diet that will include all the products necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
Reference! In case of congenital or hereditary problems with the nail plate, the situation can be corrected by cosmetic extension of an artificial nail, for example, with a material such as gel.
Experts recommend treating the underlying disease that caused the curvature of the nail plate with additional therapy. For example, UHF and/or amplipulse therapy.
You can also use traditional medicine recipes for treatment. They will help change the shape of the nail and strengthen it. The most effective non-traditional remedies for straightening upward-growing nail plates include :
- salt baths with the addition of 2-3 drops of iodine;
- masks made from red pepper, natural wax, glycerin or essential oils;
- warming finger massage using any cream or oil;
- fresh juice of celandine, Kalanchoe or aloe, which should be applied to the nails 3 times a day.
When nails grow upward, you can use iodine , which, when used regularly, has a strengthening effect on them. Apply it once a day, preferably at night.
To exclude an allergic reaction or individual intolerance, you should consult your doctor before using traditional recipes.
How to get rid of ribbing?
If it is not related to injury, it is important to determine the cause. With minor mechanical stress, as the injured area grows, everything will go away on its own. For severe injuries with hematomas, help will be needed.
For nail fungus, you need hardware cleaning of the affected areas and further treatment with fungicidal ointments or tablets, depending on the severity of the infection.
If there is a lack of vitamins and microelements, the diet is adjusted or balanced vitamin-mineral complexes are prescribed.
The following products will help compensate for the deficiency of certain substances:
- for a lack of iron - liver, beef, apples, legumes, cabbage;
- to normalize sulfur levels - fresh herbs, vegetables, garlic, buckwheat;
- for zinc deficiency – grains, nuts, greens;
- to replenish calcium reserves - dairy products, eggs, nuts;
- if there is a lack of selenium - grains and legumes, cabbage, nuts.
Why do nails become ribbed along or vertically?
On the hands of adults, if you look closely, vertical stripes on the nails are noticeable on many. And this does not always indicate disorders in the body. This often happens in healthy people.
If these stripes are deep, it is worth examining the heart, blood vessels, and urinary system, since their appearance causes a violation of the water-salt balance.
Vertical ribbing is also a symptom of vitamin deficiency, injuries to the nail matrix, age-related changes, rheumatoid arthritis, and eczema. Or perhaps it’s due to improper care of your nails and hands. For example, in a traumatic manicure or working with aggressive household chemicals without rubber gloves.
Yellow-brown nail color (Santonychia)
- may indicate a fungal infection, Addison's disease (damage to the adrenal glands)
- may be a consequence of long-term use of cytostatics (antitumor drugs), tetracycline antibiotics, phenolphthalein (purgen)
- considered a symptom of psoriasis, eczema, hereditary dermatoses (yellow nail syndrome)
- accompanied by impaired blood circulation and innervation (damage to nerve trunks) in the extremities
- occurs after contact with potassium permangonate (potassium permanganate), hair dyes, resorcinol, mercury, etc.
