Nail fungus is a common condition that causes nails to become thickened and rather unsightly, sometimes being painful as well. There are a lot of reasons for contracting nail fungus. These include catching it from another fungal condition present on the body, athlete’s foot for example; catching a fingernail fungus from toenail fungus, and vice-versa; fingernail infections can occur if the hands are washed frequently or are immersed in water a lot – this damages the protective skin at the base of the nail, making it easier for infection to enter; a recently damaged nail; having a general poor state of health or other conditions such as diabetes, psoriasis or circulatory issues; more common in hot and humid regions; and, smoking.

Nail Fungus

Commonly, just one nail is infected with the condition, but several can become affected. Initially, infection is painless and the nail may appear discolored and thickened. Usually, this is all that occurs with no other symptoms, but it does, and can, look unsightly. Occasionally though, the infection can become worse. When this happens the whole nail could come away; bits of the nail could fall off; skin adjoining the nail can become inflamed; and, patches could form under the nail. Left untreated, the fungus could destroy the nailbed and the nail itself, while being very painful.

Treatments for nail fungus include antifungal tablets, antifungal nail paint, or nail removal to allow a new nail to form.

Eczema can be described as a generalized term for various inflamed skin complaints, and one of the most common forms is atopic eczema. Although eczema varies in appearance from person to person, it can usually be characterized by red, very itchy blotches on the skin. People often refer to the condition as the “itch that rashes” because when an itch is scratched, a rash appears.

Eczema can occur almost anywhere on the body, and typically on the face, neck, insides of elbows and knees and the ankles. It affects people in different ways, with some reporting oozing blisters, and others scaly, dry and red skin. In time the skin becomes leathery in texture and thickens due to chronic scratching.

A lot of substances have been found to act as “triggers” in individuals suffering from eczema and these triggers are not the same for everybody. Some of these triggers include coarse material in contact with skin, causing an itch; feeling hot and sweaty; soaps detergents and disinfectants; dust mites, juices; animal saliva; respiratory infections; and stress.

Eczema can occur in both adults and children but usually appears at infancy. Even though there is no obvious cause for the condition, it does seem to affect individuals with a family history of different allergies. Outbreaks can frequently be avoided by following some simple precautions: moisturizing frequently, avoiding sudden temperature fluctuations, try to avoid sweating, reducing stress and avoiding “scratchy” materials, avoiding harsh detergents.

Eczema

Psoriasis is a skin condition which can start at any age but usually starts after puberty. Skin cells are produced by the body and as new cells are produced the older ones on the outer layer of the skin die and flake off.  This process usually takes between 21 to 28 days, but for someone with psoriasis, the process is accelerated and can occur in as little as six days.  This results in an excess of skin cells building up on the surface of the skin which are then shed easily.  Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body and appears as red, crumbling patches of skin.  The most common places on the body where psoriasis is found are the scalp, knees, elbows or lower back.

There are many treatments for psoriasis but no cure.  Symptoms can be mild in one person but extremely severe in others and can cause distress.  Psoriasis can be mild at some times and then flare up.  There are different types of psoriasis and most people only have one type at a time but find that one type can develop into another type.  The most common types of psoriasis are plaque psoriasis, nail psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, scalp psoriasis and inverse psoriasis.  There are rarer forms of psoriasis called pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis.  Pustular psoriasis causes pus-filled blisters to appear on the skin, while erythrodermic psoriasis causes a rash to appear all over the body and can result in the body losing proteins and fluids.

Psoriasis

There are some factors which can trigger a flare up of psoriasis symptoms such as smoking, stress, alcohol, and some medicines.  There are three types of treatment for psoriasis and these are creams and ointments, lights which the skin can be exposed to and oral or injected medication.