[Chinese and Western Medicine Viewpoint]Weak resistance is easy to be recruited. Wearing narrow shoes often makes manicures be careful that the nails turn gray.

Text: Xu Chaoyin “Ming Pao”

Many women love to wear sandals. However, if the toenails are yellow and black, wearing sandals is simply self-defeating.

To deal with onychomycosis, Western medicine says that the most important thing is to maintain hygiene and avoid frequent nail art to reduce the risk of fungal infection.

Chinese medicine believes that lack of righteousness and weak resistance make it easy to suffer from onychomycosis, and a light diet can help to restore the luster of the toenails.

Dr. Bixi Tang from Department of Dermatology and Venereology: “Fungi toenail is caused by fungus. If it is not handled properly, it can easily spread to other parts of the body, such as Hong Kong’s foot.”

Hot weather prone to fungus

ask:Once the nails turn yellow, it must be gray nails?

answer:Onychomycosis is fungal infection of the nail and nail bed, causing the nail color to be gray, brown, yellow, or white. The nail will also become thick and brittle, and even the nail bed may separate. many.

“During trimming, the nails are easily broken into powder and the surface is uneven. Most of the initial onychomycosis does not have symptoms such as pain and itching. When it deteriorates to a serious level, there will be some pain, or discomfort such as ‘top toe’ after wearing shoes.”

The fungus likes to grow in humid, stuffy, and less sunny environments, so hot days are the peak period for the formation of onychomycosis. Because the weather is hot and humid, the feet sweat more, and it is easy to wet the feet if it is rainy. For example, you must often get wet at work, or People who need to wear airtight boots are more prone to fungal growth on their feet in hot and humid conditions, increasing the risk of disease.

People with weakened immune systems such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses are at high risk. In addition, some sports enthusiasts may often have bruises or minor cuts on their toenails due to wearing ill-fitting shoes, which is also easy to fall victim to.

“In addition, the skin around the nails has a protective effect. If women cut or grind away these skins for a long time during manicure, the risk of fungal infection will increase. However, not all nails that appear yellow or surface bumps are suffering from onychomycosis, because if Nails are deformed due to long-term extrusion, or patients with psoriasis may also have symptoms similar to onychomycosis, it is best to seek confirmation from a doctor first.”

Soak in white vinegar or cause dermatitis

ask:Gray armor must see a doctor? Soaking in vinegar can heal?

answer:It is rumored that soaking in white vinegar can cure gray nails, but the effect is doubtful, and it may also cause contact dermatitis.

There was a woman who liked to do manicures, and later found that one of the fingernails turned yellow, which was suspected to be suffering from onychomycosis. Recommended by a friend, after soaking in white vinegar for about a week, the skin on both hands appeared red, swollen and itchy, so I sought medical advice. After the diagnosis, it was found that besides onychomycosis, she also suffered from contact dermatitis. After the doctor persuaded, the female patient finally gave up nail art and took oral medicine for half a year before recovering.

For patients with mild symptoms, antifungal drugs such as Amorolfine or Ciclopirox approved by the Department of Health can be used to treat gray nails, but it is best to seek medical advice before treatment.

Onychomycosis is contagious. If you continue to ignore it, the fungus may infect other toes or fingers, or infect the skin. If it turns into athlete’s foot (Hong Kong athlete’s foot), it is more likely to infect family members.

“In addition, gray onychomycosis can cause complications, soft tissue may be invaded by bacteria, and cellulitis occurs, especially patients with diabetes, poor immunity, severe varicose veins, and foot edema should be careful. In severe cases, bacteria can enter the blood. Life is in danger.”

Laser results are better and more expensive

ask:Is there a cure for it?

answer:Doctors can confirm the diagnosis of onychomycosis through clinical consultation and examination. If necessary, a small amount of nail clipping can be performed for testing. Once diagnosed, the following methods can be used for treatment according to the condition or type of fungus. Treatment methods can be mixed, such as topical medicine plus oral medicine, topical medicine plus laser therapy.

External medicine: fewer side effects, but the longest treatment time. It takes 6 months to treat fingernails, and 9 to 12 months for toenails, but the effect is low. It may not be suitable for severe onychomycosis.

Oral drugs: mainly antifungal drugs, which are convenient to use, but may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, allergies, and liver damage. Regular blood tests are required; in addition, they are not suitable for some people who take drugs for a long time. Generally, it takes 6 weeks to treat nails and 12 weeks for toenails.

Laser treatment: about 4 to 6 weeks to do a treatment, about 4 to 5 times, the side effects are less than oral medicine, the effect is better, but the price is more expensive.

Surgery: When the condition is very serious, it may be considered to remove the entire nail to allow the nail to regenerate. It can also deal with other nail problems such as ingrown nails. The surgery requires local anesthesia and is traumatic, and the wound needs time to heal. It has been pointed out in the literature that recurrence may also occur after surgery and requires topical drug treatment.

Pan Ziya, a Chinese physician: “Insufficient qi and blood and weak spleen and stomach can easily lead to insufficient righteousness, weak resistance, and susceptibility to fungal infections.”

Lack of righteousness is susceptible to infection

ask:Why is there gray armor? Who are high-risk individuals?

answer:Onychomycosis, also known as onychomycosis, is caused by a fungal infection that can turn the surface of fingernails or toenails black, yellow or off-white.

In severe cases, the toenail is deformed, and the entire toenail may warp or fall off. The patient may feel a little pain and even emit a strange smell. In addition to affecting nails, fungi can also induce tinea manus and pedis.

Righteousness is related to resistance. People with both Qi and blood deficiency often have cold hands and feet and pale complexion. Most of them are due to long-term illness or improper diet, including overeating, eating raw or cold food, fatty, sweet and thick food, etc., which damage the spleen and stomach and cause a lack of righteousness. , reduce resistance.

“In addition, long-term excessive fatigue can also damage the temper and weaken the righteousness. Since gray nail is an infectious disease, the lack of righteousness makes the resistance weaker. Once it comes into contact with the fungus, it is more susceptible to infection.”

Soaking medicine to inhibit fungus

ask:How does Chinese medicine treat it?

answer:Traditional Chinese medicine treats gray nails mainly externally, and the medicinal materials are boiled into a liquid medicine and soaked. Many traditional Chinese medicines can effectively inhibit fungi, and have the effects of clearing away heat and dehumidification, sterilizing and relieving itching, and softening local skin. Traditional Chinese medicines for clearing away heat and dampness include white fresh skin, flavescens and skullcap, etc.

It will also be supplemented with oral administration to consolidate the curative effect and prevent diseases. At the same time, the medicine can regulate the body and enhance immunity. Combined with acupuncture and moxibustion, it dredges the meridians, helps strengthen the body and eliminate evils, and fight against diseases. The best three-pronged approach, the effect is better.

It is not difficult for the patient to control the condition with external application or oral administration, but the fungus is buried under the nail bed, and all infected nails need to be cut off after they grow out to complete the treatment. The whole process often takes at least 3 months to half a year. Many patients take gray onychomycosis lightly, thinking it is bruised toenails or dry skin, and delay seeking medical treatment until it is severe.

There is a 50-year-old lady with a weak physique. Her skin is dry and itchy. She even shakes her hands in hot weather. She thinks that she is over-cleaned and washes away the protective layer of her skin. Doctor, the result is to receive treatment for half a year.

Pale nails with deficiency of spleen and kidney yang

ask:Nails can reflect health?

answer:During the TCM diagnosis, the patients will look at the color of the nails or press the nails to know whether the Qi and blood circulation is ideal. Normal nails are rosy, tough, curved, and shiny; if you straighten your fingers, the blood color under the nails will immediately recover, which means that the blood is sufficient and running smoothly. Different nail colors represent the health status of the body.

Yellow nail color: It may be caused by bad habits such as smoking, or contact with colored items; but it may also be caused by diseases such as gray nails, abnormal thyroid function, and pulmonary hydrops.

Pale white nails: only a little blood color, mostly blood deficiency, lack of energy or both energy and blood deficiency, common symptoms are dizziness, lack of energy, lazy speech, fatigue and spontaneous sweating, pale or yellow complexion, palpitations and insomnia.

Pale nails: white as paper, mostly due to deficiency of spleen and kidney yang, pale complexion (white first), chills in limbs, cold pain in waist, knees or lower abdomen, diarrhea or swollen face and limbs.

Nail color purple and black: mostly blood stasis, poor qi movement, blood stagnation in the body; or due to long-term tension, liver qi stagnation, and blood stasis easily. Usually accompanied by dark tongue, women’s menstrual blood is dark red and blood clots.

Western Medicine Prevention Tips Shoes not too narrowcrushed toe

Keep your feet dry. If your feet are sweaty, you can prepare replacement socks if you plan to go out for a long time. After bathing, dry each toe to avoid bacterial growth. Wear shoes and socks together when you go out, and disinfect your shoes with detergent or exposure to the sun after returning home.

Avoid wearing the same pair of shoes every day, preferably every 2 to 3 days. Choose shoes that fit the shape of your feet so that they are not too narrow and can crush your toes. Wear slippers in public bathrooms and avoid sharing slippers and manicure tools.

Regularly check the health of the hands and feet, avoid frequently bruising the skin on the edge of the finger/toenail, so that the finger/toenail can be protected. You can often apply moisturizer to reduce the problem of barbs and prevent fungal invasion from the wound.

TCM Prevention Tips keep siblingsdry and clean

To prevent gray nails, the first thing to do is to avoid contact with fungi and keep hands and feet dry and clean. Socks of gray nail patients should be soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes to sterilize before washing. Do not wash them with family clothes to avoid infecting family members.

In addition, to quit spicy fried food, because it will irritate the skin. Eat less hot and humid foods such as mangoes, durians, and seafood, and reduce cold drinks at the same time to reduce damage to the spleen and stomach and prevent the formation of moisture.

In addition, people with severe heat and humidity and menopausal women are prone to sweating. These people need to take care of their bodies and improve their physical fitness to help reduce sweating. People with poor Qi and blood should avoid too stressful life, and can do moderate exercise such as Baduanjin and Tai Chi to reconcile Qi and blood and enhance righteousness.

In addition, go to bed early and get up early, avoid fatty, cold and stimulating food, and have a light diet on weekdays.

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