What lives under your nails?
Along with dead skin cells and dirt, nasty germs like Klebsiella (bacteria that cause pneumonia and urinary tract infections) and Candida parapsilosis (a yeast that causes cold sores and bloodstream infections) can be found under your nails. .
People with long fingernails produced an average of 270 germ coloniesfrom under your fingernails. Collected germ colonies ranged from zero to 1,500 among the 30 people interviewed. The average nail produces between 10 and 50 colonies, or three to 700 depending on the length of the nail.
If your nails are turning yellow and thick and don't seem to be growing anymore, it could be a sign that something is going on in your body.Lung disease and rheumatoid arthritis can cause yellow nails. You may also have a serious nail infection that needs treatment.
For example, insects that live in the gut are designed to survive in a warm, moist environment, such as under fingernails..” And the longer your nails are, the better germs will thrive. oops!
Female pinworms move to the anal area to lay their eggs, often resulting in anal itching.When you scratch the itchy area, the eggs stick to your fingers and get under your fingernails..
Nails should be kept short and the underside should be cleaned frequently with soap and water. Due to its length,longer nails can harbor more dirt and bacteria than short nails, thus potentially contributing to the spread of infection.
Fungal spores are airborne and grow when they land on a susceptible surface like your toenail.They feed on nail tissue and burrow into the skin under the nail.. Over time, the nail thickens and can lift away from the nail bed as fungal debris builds up.
Maybe you should think twice before biting your nails, as analysis shows that the bacteria below average a horrifying 50,430 per nail. that's shocking18 times more than the average toilet seat tested, which came in second with 2,856 live bacteria.
A particularly prevalent germ found under the fingernails isStaphlococcus aureus, which can cause a whole host of crazy skin infections like boils and abscesses.
splinter hemorrhagesit gets its name because it looks like wood chips under the nail. Splinter hemorrhages occur when small blood vessels called capillaries under the skin under the nail (nail bed) burst due to damage. The dripping blood becomes visible through the nail.
Why are things under my fingernails?
Keratin and skin cell residuesThey accumulate under the nail and turn a greyish color on contact with dirt and oil. It's also common for residue from personal care products like lotions, makeup, and soaps to build up under the nails.
splinter hemorrhagesthey look like thin red to reddish-brown blood lines under the fingernails. They run in the direction of nail growth. They are called splinter hemorrhages because they look like a splinter under the nail. Bleeding can be caused by small clots that damage the tiny capillaries under the nails.
