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医学英语:指甲与健康

Yours nails and your overall hea***h

  Hea***hy nails are an imp***tant part of overall hea***h. When nails are *** ***od phys***al shape, they are not o***y aesthet***ally pleas***g, but they make it easier *** perf***m everyday tasks. However, not many of us put a lot of thought ****** our nails, either f***ger *** ***e, until there appears *** be so***th***g wrong.

  Speak***g at ACADEMY '05, the USAn Academy of Derma***logy's sum***r scientif*** session *** Ch***a***, derma***logist R***hard K. Scher, M.D., profess*** of c***n***al derma***logy, ***lumbia Univer***y, New Y***k, N.Y., discuss*** ***mmon nail problems and how *** keep them hea***hy.

  “The nails can be w***dows *** a patient's overall hea***h, and while the nail itself is dead tissue, the areas under the cut***le and be***ath the nail are a***ve,” stat*** Dr. Scher. “These areas are part***ularly vul***rable *** ***fection and damage, wh***h is why it is imp***tant *** see a derma***logist with any nail changes, so that the problem can be diagnos*** and treat***.”

  ***s***t***s

  Keep***g the nails hea***hy and ***at look***g has be****** an imp***tant groom***g ritual f*** both ***n and wo***n as the number of ***nsu***rs that frequent nail salons and use nail ***s***t***s at ho*** has ***creas***.

  “Nail ***s***t***s and salon ser***ces are ge***rally quite safe, but there are potential problem areas associat*** with the use of nail ***s***t***s and salon ser***ces: ***fection, allerg*** reactions and ***chan***al damage *** the nail,” said Dr. Scher. “While these are fairly rare o***urrences, they can be serious and ***nsu***rs ***uld take so*** simple ***asures *** guard aga***st these potential hea***h ***ncerns.”

  ***ntract***g an ***fection is the most serious hea***h risk relat*** *** nail ***s***t***s, part***ularly from man***ure and p******ure ***ols and imple***nts that h**e not been properly steri***z***. Viral, bacterial and fungal ***fections may be transmitt*** *** unsuspect***g ***nsu***rs from improperly steri***z*** imple***nts.

  Most nail salons take sanitation very seriously and follow str***t sanitation and dis***fection guide******s, but ***nsu***rs ***uld not be afraid *** ask how imple***nts are clea***d. “Look at the salon with clea******ess *** m***d and ask yourself these questions: Are the stations clean? Does the nail techn***ian wash her hands between c***ents? Are there dirty imple***nts ly***g around? If the salon does not appear clean, then move on,” re***m***nd*** Dr. Scher, who also re***m***nd*** that ***nsu***rs br***g their own ***ols and imple***nts *** be us*** at the salon *** ***der *** protect aga***st ***fection.

  Allerg*** reactions o***ur when a nail ***s***t*** ***gr***ient sen***izes the sk*** wh***h may resu***s *** itch***g, r******ss, b***sters and pa*** every ti*** the ***gr***ient is us***. So*** of the m***e ***mmon ***gr***ients that can create an allerg*** reaction are the acry***c materials found *** a wide variety of nail products. Another potential allergen is ***sylamid f***maldehyde res***, an ***gr***ient found *** so*** nail po***shes. If ***nsu***rs experience itch***g *** burn***g of the sk*** follow***g a nail salon ser***ce *** the app***cation of nail ***s***t***s at ho***, Dr. Scher re***m***nds remo***ng the product as soon as possible and *********g a derma***logist *** determ***e wh***h ***gr***ient is responsible f*** the allerg*** reaction.

  Fungus

  Fungal ***fections, known as onychomy***sis *** t***ea unguium, make up approximately 50 percent of all nail dis***ders and s***ce the ***fection o***urs under the nail plate *** *** the nail b***, it can be diff***u*** *** treat. Fungal ***fections often c***se the end of the nail *** separate from the nail b***, the sk*** on wh***h the nail rests. Fungus - ***l****** white, green, yellow *** black - may build up under the nail plate and dis***l*** the nail b***. Toenails are m***e susceptible *** fungal ***fections bec***se they are ***nf****** *** a warm, moist, weight-bear***g en***ron***nt. Candida *** yeast ***fections are ***mmon *** f***gernails especially if the hands are always *** water, as they are *** professions such as fisher***n, dishwashers *** those who w***k at aquariums *** aquat*** the*** parks.

  Fungal ***fections are ***ntagious and ***ganisms can so***ti***s spread from o*** person *** another especially where the air is often moist and people's feet are bare. This can happen both at ho*** and *** pub***c places ***ke ***wer stalls, bathrooms *** locker rooms *** they can be pass*** around by shar***g a nail file *** e***ry board.

  In fact, a recent study not*** an ***crease *** athlete's foot, a fungal ***fection that can grow and mu***iply on human sk***, at board***g schools where students share the sa*** ******ng spaces.

  “O*** way *** r***uce the risk of ***ntract***g ***enail fungus is *** always wear ***wer s***ppers *** pub***c ***wers, lockers rooms and around swimm***g pools,” re***m***nd*** Dr. Scher.

  The Ps***iat*** Nail

  Approximately 50 percent of patients with ps***iasis, a disease of the immu*** system wh***h c***ses sk*** lesions that range from patches of mild sca***ng *** extensive th***k, r***, sca***ng plaques, h**e ps***iat*** changes *** their f***ger and ***enails.

  “Nail changes *** ps***iasis fall ****** ge***ral cate***ries that may o***ur s***gly *** all ***gether,” stat*** Dr. Scher. “These changes can ***clude a deeply pitt*** nail plate, yellow *** yellow-p***k dis***l***ation of the nail, white areas under the nail plate *** a nail plate that flakes off *** yellow patches.”

  In so*** cases, the nail is entirely lost due *** ps***iat*** ***volve***nt of the nail matrix, where the nail and cut***le ***et, and nail b***. Ps***iasis of the f***gernails also can resemble other ***nditions such as chron*** ***fection *** ***flammation of the nail b*** *** nail fold, the hard sk*** overlapp***g the base and sides of the nails.

  Ps***iasis of the ***enails can resemble a chron*** fungal ***fection. Ps***iat*** nails can be treat*** by the derma***logist as part of the overall treat***nt of the disease and derma***logists are beg***n***g *** study the use of biolog*** treat***nts. “Therapies f*** the ps***iat*** nail h**e been ***mit*** bec***se ***p***al treat***nts do not pe***trate down ****** the nail fold where the ps***iasis is actually di**igur***g the nail plate,” said Dr. Scher. “The ***troduction of biolog*** therapies *** ***ntrol sk*** ps***iasis also may be be***f***ial f*** patients with ps***iat*** nails s***ce these treat***nts w***k with the body's immu*** system *** prevent the body from trigger***g a ps***iasis flare.”

  Nail Ma***gnancies

  Subungal, *** under the nail, ***lanoma appears as a brown *** black-***l****** streak under***ath the nail, wh***h is often mistaken f*** a bruise *** the nail streaks that frequently o***ur *** people with dark sk***. Subungal ***lanoma a***ounts f*** approximately 2 percent of ***lanomas *** C***casians, and 30 *** 40 percent of ***lanomas *** patients with sk*** of ***l***. Subungal ***lanoma o***urs with equal frequency *** males and females, appears most often *** people over 50 years of age, but can develop at any age and is seen most often under the nail of the thumb *** the big ***e.

  “Subungal ***lanoma ***uld be suspect*** whe***ver a nail streak appears without known ***jury *** the nail, the nail dis***l***ation does not gradually disappear as would a bruise *** the size of the nail streak ***creases over ti***,” said Dr. Scher. “It's imp***tant *** see a derma***logist im***diately if any changes are not****** on the nail s***ce treat***nt f*** this ***ndition ***uld beg*** as soon as possible.”

  “Overall, it's imp***tant when car***g f*** the nails at ho*** *** h*****g a ser***ce *** a salon, *** make sure that the nails are be***g treat*** gently and safely,” said Dr. Scher. “Pay***g careful attention *** the nails can help ensure that any ***fections *** diseases are identifi*** early and that treat***nt is begun as soon as possible.”

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