By the appearance of the nail plates, you can tell a lot about a person - not only about how he takes care of himself, but also about his state of he alth. In China, some experts can even make a diagnosis just by examining your nails.
The keratinized plates on the tips of the fingers of the upper and lower extremities, which we call nails, protect the phalanges of the fingers. They are quite strong, but along with this, there are many defects that nail plates are prone to. Among them, not the last place is occupied by thickening of the toenails. And this problem is not only aesthetic in nature - it can be a sign of some diseases.
Normally, the thickness of the nail plate of the hands is about half a mm, on the legs - up to one millimeter. A he althy nail has a slightly pink color and a smooth surface. White or yellowish color of the nail plate, the presence of furrows and thickening of the nail - a reason to contact a specialist to find out the cause. Most often, this trouble concerns the big toes.
Why does thickening of toenails appear?
Reasonscan be different - from a genetic predisposition to serious diseases. Let's highlight the most common factors:
- psoriasis of the nail plate;
- foot fungus;
- circulatory disorders;
- congenital pachyonychia - this is the name of the hereditary tendency to thicken nails;
- neuropathy - disease of the peripheral nerves of the arms and legs;
- wrong shoes;
- malnutrition, deficiency of vitamins and trace elements;
- skin diseases.
How to treat thickened toenails?
First of all, see your doctor. After the examination, he will make a diagnosis, and you will receive adequate treatment.
The nail plate can become thicker after an injury, such as a finger strike. Then you should not panic - the thickening of the toenails will soon pass, treatment is not required. Another thing is if a fungus is found. Then it is necessary to use antifungal drugs of both local and general action. By the way, the fungus is the most common cause that creates a thickening of the toenails. Currently, in the pharmacy you can find a wide variety of means to deal with it, but it is better not to self-medicate - consult a doctor so as not to harm your he alth.
People suffering from atherosclerosis, rheumatism, joint diseases and gout are often prone to onychodystrophy - a non-fungal lesion of the nail plate. The main reason for its occurrence in such cases is a violation of the blood supply to the fingertips. In such a situation, massage of the fingertips anddrugs to improve microcirculation. In other cases, non-fungal thickening of the toenails is treated with a change in diet and the use of special drugs to improve metabolism.
If the problem is in congenital pachyonychia - do soda baths and drink vitamins. In general, it is worth noting that problems with the nail plates are often the result of a weakened immune system.
Thickening of the nails is a problem that you should pay attention to at the initial stage. After all, neglected forms can lead to the appearance of subungual ulcers, injury to neighboring fingers, as well as infection of the whole organism, if we are talking about a fungus.
