Battling Nail Psoriasis

About 50% of those suffering from psoriasis usually report also experiencing the effects of nail psoriasis. In a few cases, this may be the only type of psoriasis that a patient has. With nail psoriasis, fingernails are usually affected much more than toe nails and finding treatment can be tricky but there are many regimens that can be followed including using home remedies for nail psoriasis.

What Is Nail Psoriasis?

Before seeking to find treatment for nail psoriasis which could include home remedies for nail psoriasis, it is important to understand what this condition is and what the symptoms are. Psoriasis is a chronic condition that usually affects the skin causing thick, raised, itchy, areas of skin that are red and covered with silvery white scales. When it affects fingernails and toenails, some of the symptoms include the following;

1. A yellowish-brown discoloration is usually involved which can cover part or all of the nail and thereby change the natural nail color. This discoloration can also appear as spotting on the nail.

2. Pitting which is the most common sign of nail psoriasis represents dents or depressions in the nail that are shallow and are usually less than 1 millimeter in diameter. They commonly look like pin holes and can affect part or the entire nail.

3. Onycholysis which occurs when the entire nail is lifted away from the nail bed. It can occur gradually from the edge or end of the nail until the entire nail is covered and lifted away. Nail psoriasis does not usually lead to permanent loss of the nail. The nail will usually grow back within a year (fingernail) or two (toenail).

4. Hyperkeratosis which represents the thickening of the nail plate.

5. Deformation of the nail can also be a symptom of nail psoriasis.

In addition to the above symptoms, a nail psoriasis sufferer may also experience fungal infection of the fingernails and/or toenails in addition to nail psoriasis which can cause the nails to thicken which can sometimes cause confusion is the diagnosis of nail psoriasis. Fungal infections if left untreated can make nail psoriasis worse.  Bacterial infections can also affect nails afflicted with nail psoriasis.

Other changes that may be witnessed with this condition include grooving of the nail, roughness of the nail as well as depressions in the nail which can all lead to the loss of the nail.

 

Treatment

Nail psoriasis is one of the types of psoriasis which is difficult to treat since most treatments used to treat the skin may not be suitable to treat the affected nails although there are certainly many home remedies for nail psoriasis that can also be used alone or in combination with another treatment. Treatment also usually covers a prolonged period of time before benefits are noticed in the nail.

Topical treatments are usually ineffective for nail psoriasis. Oral medications or those administered with an injection can improve nail psoriasis. However, if a patient only suffers from nail psoriasis, oral medication or injections may not be wise because of the related risks which outweigh the benefits of the treatment.

Oral medications and injections will usually be prescribed when other areas of the body are also affected with the nail being a secondary beneficiary if this treatment works to clear other areas of the body.

While it can be difficult to treat nail psoriasis, there are treatments including home remedies for nail psoriasis that can work.