What are the symptoms of paronychia?
Typically, paronychia begins with pain, swelling and redness around the base or the sides of the nail. Acute paronychia can cause pus-filled pockets (abscesses) to form at the side or base of the fingernail or toenail.
Chronic paronychia may cause the cuticle to break down. This type of paronychia may eventually cause the nail to separate from the skin. The nail may become thick, hard and deformed.
paronychia caused by bacteria can get worse quickly. Fungus-caused paronychia typically gets worse much more gradually.
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff