how do doctors treat nail psoriasis

zweig2139 April 21, 2023 Comment

Nail psoriasis causes changes to the fingernails and toenails, ranging from discoloration to alterations in the nail bed. There are various treatment options, such as hydrocortisone cream and corticosteroid injections.

The condition can have a physical and emotional impact on a person and affect their quality of life. It can take time for symptoms to improve, but treatment is available.

A study published in 2016 noted that 80–90% of people with psoriasis may also have nail psoriasis. It is even more prevalent in people with psoriatic arthritis.

Nail Psoriasis & Its Management

. People with psoriasis have an overactive immune system, which causes these cells to reproduce every 3–4 days. As a result, some visible skin sections are thick, inflamed, and itchy.

Nails are part of the skin. They grow from the nail root just under the cuticle, where psoriasis affects them. Nail psoriasis is a chronic condition of the immune system. It is an autoimmune condition, meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy nail tissue.

If the nail becomes detached from the nail bed, an infection can develop in the gap. When this happens, a yellowish patch may form on the tip of the nail and extend to the cuticle.

Nail Psoriasis: A Review Of Treatment Options

The nail may feel uncomfortable or painful when a person applies pressure, and an affected toenail may hurt when wearing shoes. The condition can make it difficult to perform specific tasks, such as sewing.

A fungal infection affects the already formed part of the nail. Nail psoriasis causes issues in the area where the new nail is forming.

Because topical medications for psoriasis may never reach this area, doctors may prescribe oral medications instead. A doctor can prescribe medications to treat both psoriasis and a fungal infection at the same time.

Nail Psoriasis Or Fungus? How To Know? When To See A Doctor?

If a person also has a fungal infection, their doctor may prescribe terbinafine (Lamisil) or itraconazole (Sporanox). However, these drugs can have adverse side effects, ranging from a skin rash to liver damage.

For example, while working with the hands, it is a good idea to wear rubber or cotton gloves. This can protect the hands from injury and the fingers from harmful bacteria. It can also help protect the nails from corrosive materials such as cleaning agents. However, a person should avoid latex gloves, which can irritate sensitive skin.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) recommends that a person with nail psoriasis keep their toe- and fingernails trimmed and clean to prevent bacteria from building up and refrain from cleaning the nails with a sharp object. If having a manicure, a person should request the manicurist not to push back or touch the cuticles.

Nail Psoriasis Or Fungus? Differences, Symptoms, And Outlook

Rubbing moisturizers into the nail and cuticle helps to keep the nails soft. A pharmacist or healthcare professional can advise about suitable products that prevent the hands, feet, and nails from becoming too dry. A thick, fragrance-free product is best.

If the nails show symptoms of psoriasis or fungal infection, a person should contact their doctor. This is especially important for people who already have a type of psoriasis.

A person may have to try several treatments before finding one that works. Symptoms can take time to improve and may take up to a year to clear. One reason for this is that the nail plate grows very slowly. The symptoms may also return at a later date.

What's The Difference Between Nail Fungus And Nail Psoriasis?

There is currently no cure for psoriasis. Anything that irritates the skin can cause the condition to flare up. The AAD offers the following advice to avoid flare-ups whenever possible:

If a person wants to hide the effects of nail psoriasis, they should talk with their dermatologist about the best options. Sometimes using nail polish or having a professional manicure might help, though a person should take care not to touch the cuticles and tell their nail technician about their condition. Certain types of nail polish and nail polish remover for people with sensitive skin do not contain the harsh chemicals that regular products do.

Unlike a fungal infection, nail psoriasis does not spread through contact. Without treatment, nail psoriasis may get worse. In severe cases, it may become difficult for a person to use their hands or feet because of the discomfort of nail damage. Untreated, it can also lead to joint problems.

Nail Eczema Vs. Nail Psoriasis: Symptoms And Treatment

There is currently no cure for nail psoriasis. However, many treatment options may make the condition more comfortable. Even if a person’s nail psoriasis is severe, there are many ways to avoid or manage flare-ups. Symptoms may take up to a year to clear.

People of Color with nail psoriasis may develop what looks like small pinpricks on the nail. The nails may also become thicker, crumble, and develop discoloration. Nail psoriasis can mimic other conditions. Often, a doctor

Nail psoriasis does not always cause physical pain but may cause embarrassment. Doctors often use a scoring system to help determine the severity of symptoms. Treatment can prevent the condition from worsening.

Don't Know About Nail Psoriasis Get Full Details About The Psoriasis.

Nail psoriasis can resemble a fungal infection, making diagnosis difficult. Getting a correct diagnosis is vital because the treatment for a fungal infection is different from nail psoriasis treatment. Anyone with psoriasis who experiences changes in their nails should make sure their doctor is aware of their psoriasis.

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Psoriasis can affect both fingernails and toenails, with half of those with psoriasis alone having some form of nail involvement. The risk increases in those with psoriatic arthritis, and it is reported that this could be as high as 4 out of 5 people seeing changes to their nails. For some unknown reason fingernails are more often involved than toenails. For many people, nail psoriasis is often mild and causes few problems.

The nails are part of the skin, so it is perhaps not surprising that a skin disease such as psoriasis can affect the nails. No one knows why some people get nail involvement and others don’t. Nails grow from the nail root (matrix), which is just under the cuticle. In people who develop nail psoriasis it is involvement of the nail root that causes pitting and ridging of the nails.

Nail Psoriasis Tips

Onycholysis , (on-ik -ol-is-is) subungual hyperkeratosis (sub-ung-gwal hi-per-ker-at-o-sis) and splinter haemorrhages (hem-or-ij-iz) are all caused by disease of the nail bed. These conditions are explained in the next section.

The nail is made of modified skin and, once it has grown, it can only be altered by filing or clipping. Treatments are usually directed at the nail bed that supports the nail or the nail folds that tuck around the edges. Soothing these tissues can result in better nail growth with fewer features of psoriasis.

The severity of nail involvement does not follow the severity of psoriasis elsewhere in the body, although locally it can correspond to problems in the nearby joint of a finger or toe. On rare occasions, the nails can be the only site of the body affected. More usually, if the nails are involved there will be areas of psoriasis elsewhere on the body. You can, however, develop severe nail changes with only minimal psoriasis.

Psoriatic Arthritis Nail Symptoms Could Mean Higher Psa Disease Activity

Some nail changes are caused by using systemic retinoid medication, which can help the skin but may result in format ion of very thin nails which do not appear normal. These nail changes can take several months to grow out only after retinoids are stopped.

In addition to these changes you may get longitudinal ridging of the nails and reddish marks under the nails, called splinter haemorrhages, due to tiny burst blood vessels under the nails.

Nail psoriasis is perhaps the most difficult part of psoriasis to treat. In the past a large number of treatments have been tried, none of which has given particularly good results. The first things to consider are the non-medical aspects of caring for your nails.

Isolated Nail Psoriasis Does Not Increase Risk For Metabolic Syndrome

The use of topical steroids rubbed into the cuticle – the nail plate is under the cuticle and by massaging steroid creams into the nail plate you can induce some improvement in nail psoriasis. Results are not consistent however and there is the risk that the cuticle can become thinned with fine blood vessels over the surface.

Anecdotally, a number of dermatologists noticed that psoriasis of the nails improved when patients were using vitamin D analogue preparations for psoriasis of their skin. This led to a more focused study of vitamin D analogue creams and ointments rubbed into the cuticle in the treatment of nail psoriasis. Experience from around the world has shown that this is an effective method of treatment and should be regarded as the first-line treatment of choice. The vitamin D analogue cream or ointment should be massaged into the cuticle for about five minutes twice a day. When onycholysis is present, calcipotriol scalp solution can be dripped under the nail and massaged in, which is effective.