The panaris is a skin or subcutaneous infection that attacks the fingers or to toes. It is caused by a bacterium de type staphylococcus or streptococcus. In some cases, paronychia can occur because of germs. Also called white sore, it is often accompanied by pain, fever, swelling around the nail, as well as pale skin that is hot to the touch.
Paronychia, if not treated quickly, can even turn into abscess. It is therefore important to treat yourself at the first signs. If you are not a fan of the hospital, then you can apply simple and natural tricks to cure this ailment. So let’s discover these natural tips to get rid of paronychia.
Thyme bath
At the beginning of the infection, whitlow is identifiable by a red, hot and often swollen area at the edge of the nail. It is an inflammatory stage which is also accompanied by pain. This pain can be controlled with baths of thyme, an aromatic and medicinal plant. Thyme is recognized for its virtues antiseptics et anti-infectives. The repeated bath of thyme makes it possible to avoid the abscess formation.
If you wish, you can apply a hot herbal tea compress to the paronychia, always for the same results. It will be necessary to hold the tablets with a Pad for ten minutes. The gesture can be repeated three to four times a day.
Green clay poultice to treat paronychia
Clay is known to everyone for its many properties. Indeed, it has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and healing properties. To cure the white evil, you can then use a poultice of green clay.
Pour the green clay into a bowl and add spring water to it. Then mix the two solutions with a spatula or a spoon, until you have a soft paste. Put the resulting solution in a piece of cloth, preferably cotton, to a thickness of no more than 2 cm, and apply it to the infected finger or toe. It will be necessary to maintain the dressing for regarding fifteen minutes until clay becomes completely dry.
You can renew the dressing as many times as you want during the day. Nevertheless, take care to resume the solution. In other words, you must repeat the preparation with a new clay.
Dip your finger in the egg
It’s a very simple old technique, which is not well enough known. Just take an egg and remove the top of the shell, without spilling the contents (the egg white and yolk). Therefollowing, you will have to put the infected finger in the egg. You will notice that the egg yolk will turn black, proof that it takes the evil. If desired, you can use a second egg to confirm disinfection. Very quickly the excruciating pains will fade, and thus the paronychia is cured.
Warm baths once morest paronychia
If you notice white sore on your finger or toe, you can ripen (treat) it by immersing the infected limb in lukewarm water containing coarse salt, bleach, or diluted Dakin Cooper. You will have to repeat the same technique several times during the day. Dakin Cooper is quite effective once morest whitlow, at least if the infection is not yet at an advanced level. This lukewarm water technique softens the skin, in order to help the pus to come out quickly.
Onion once morest paronychia
Perhaps the choice of onion may seem odd to you. This popular vegetable is not only useful in the kitchen. The onion has many anti-infective properties, it is also an antiseptic. It helps fight pain, infection and inflammation. The onion facilitates the healing of the skin. Thus, you have two options if you want to use onion once morest white evil.
The first is to put the infected finger in half of a cooked onion. However, the onion should be warm, not hot.
You can also mix an infusion of thyme and a tablespoon of honey with onion juice. You will then apply the solution obtained on the infected part, and let it act for at least 12 hours under a compress. Cleanse followingwards for a complete action of the three elements.
Cabbage as a natural trick
If you are a woman, there is a good chance that you have heard of the virtues of cabbage once morest menstrual pain. Cabbage is not only beneficial for menstruation problems. It is also effective once morest paronychia.
Indeed, cabbage has excellent anti-inflammatory properties once morest all forms of pain that bother you. To relieve the pain of paronychia, you need to bake the cabbage in the oven and then reduce it to a mush. Apply the solution obtained, still slightly warm, on infected finger or toe.
garlic and milk
You probably know this traditional remedy applied by our grandparents once morest pain. This technique involves soaking bread crumbs in milk and applying it to the affected area. Then, it is necessary to cover with a plastic film and a blindfold. Generally, it is applied at night.
This method can also be applied in case of paronychia. However, you can make this technique more effective. This, by adding two or three cloves of minced garlic to the crumb of bread in a pan of milk that you are going to heat gently.
Garlic is useful because of its antifungal and antibacterial properties, which provide relief from various conditions. The paste obtained, once warmed, must be applied to the infected finger or toe. This technique can be performed three times a day, for 20 minutes.
Essential oils
Essential oils have several beneficial properties for the body. Some of these oils can be very effective in curing paronychia. Here are the essential oils that you can use in case of whitlow on your finger or toe.
Huile de niaouli
Niaouli essential oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It also has many antibacterial properties. She has the ability to act on the redness that the paronychia leaves on the affected part.
To benefit from its virtues, add regarding 3 drops of niaouli oil to a compress previously moistened with hot water. Then apply this compress to the paronychia. This can be repeated up to 5 times in the same day, until satisfaction.
Precaution: Before use, do a skin test. Also, do not apply pure niaouli oil to the skin. Pregnant and lactating women and children under 3 years old are also not allowed to use this essential oil. People who suffer from hormone-dependent disease should not use niaouli essential oil either.
Laurel essential oil
Laurel essential oil contains eugenol, which causes it to have on the other hand painkillers. It participates in the ripening (healing) of paronychia, by reducing the pain left by the inflammation.
You just need to make a combination of three drops of this oil with a teaspoon of St. John’s wort carrier oil. The resulting mixture should be applied to paronychia 3-4 times a day, until complete satisfaction.
Precaution: It is not advisable to apply noble laurel oil in its pure state. Also, it is not suitable for pregnant women and children under 6 years old.
Tea tree essential oil
Like other essential oils, it also has antibacterial properties to fight once morest paronychia. Thanks to its immune-stimulating properties, it helps reduce pain.
Against paronychia, the essential oil of Tea tree must be associated with the vegetable oil of St. John’s wort. So, mix regarding 2 drops of tea tree oil with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. The oil obtained will then be applied to the paronychia. You can do this up to 4 times a day.
Precaution: Do a patch test before using tea tree essential oil. Women who carry pregnancy less than 3 months should not use it. In nursing women, the oil should not be taken orally. Children under 3 should not use it either.
Fine lavender essential oil
This oil has restorative effects and antiseptic properties. It owes its abilities to the linalool it contains. Fine lavender essential oil can help repair damaged tissue.
To benefit from its properties, dilute 3 drops of this oil in a teaspoon of vegetable oil of calophylle. Then apply the new oil obtained on the paronychia. Do it 4 times a day, until full improvement.
Precaution: Perform a skin test before using fine lavender essential oil. It should not be used by women who are less than 3 months pregnant. It should also not be used on babies under 3 months old.
How to prevent paronychia?
Before talking regarding the means of prevention of whitlow, it is important to know that there are categories of people who are more at risk of being exposed to white disease. These include topics that:
- Are in regular contact with water: dish washers, bartenders and anyone who often has their hands in water can quickly develop paronychia;
- Have skin conditions: people who suffer from other forms of skin condition can quickly suffer from white disease;
- Exposing yourself to irritants: detergents and chemicals can irritate the skin if you come into contact with them often; especially when you are not wearing protective gloves;
- Bite their fingers;
- Who do gardening without protective measures;
- Who tear the skin off their fingers with their teeth.
To prevent whitlow, manicures and pedicures must be done with flexibility. Also, don’t bite your fingers. To remove the cuticles of the fingers, you must use scissors or nail clippers. When gardening, you should wear protective gloves to avoid possible injuries.
Finally, you must take care of even the smallest wounds that you consider insignificant. Wounds can let in germs. In the event of injury, consider disinfection and dressing. To remove a sling or thorn from your skin, first consider sterilizing the forceps.
If you try 2-3 of these natural techniques and still have no improvement, don’t force it. It will simply mean that gentle techniques alone are not enough to combat your whitlow. Something stronger must be applied. In order not to expose yourself to complications that can lead to the deformation of the nail or an impact on its root, it would be better to think regarding medical treatment. Do not hesitate to make an appointment with your doctor.