Nail Fold Infections ("Paronychia")

This can also happen if you have a hangnail which gets picked at, a splinter gets infected, if you aren't as careful washing your hands, or unfortunately sometimes just through bad luck.

What Should I Do?

While these can be painful, they can also be simply treated. If you see pus beneath the skin, unfortunately you need to see your doctor. Any Family Medicine physician and most other PCP's can easily treat this in-office with a simple drainage procedure. If you see no pus, you can treat this at home through the use of Epsom salt baths, with or without the addition of kitchen vinegar. Over-the-counter topical antibiotics such as Neomycin or triple antibiotic ointment should be avoided, because about one in ten people will have a mild allergic reaction to them which will cause redness and inflammation, confusing the issue of the original infection.

When Should I See My Doctor?

If your infection doesn't get better after three days, you should make an appointment with your PCP to be seen and evaluated; you may need a prescription antibiotic ointment, or to have a minor procedure so that it will heal.