Whitlow

I have never had one but believe they are caused by the Herpes virus so wonder if cold sore treatment would help.

It is probably not serious enough to go through the aggrivation of getting antiviral meds from the doctor, ask a pharmacist about the cream though as I am not a medic.

I had to have one lanced at the surgery ages ago it was very painful and so swollen but the relief was instantaneous. Maybe ask at the pharmacy for advice.

I put a needle in mine, and the relief!!!
They're blooming painful when they're fit to burst.

is that thing that they say hit with the Family Bible? considering the size of those things I think you would be lucky to lift them never mind hitting the thing!
seriously I am not sure about the cold sore idea why not pop into your nearest chemist? These days you can get all sorts of advice and products

That's a ganglion they wack with a the bible.

MissAdventure

That's a ganglion they wack with a the bible.

Did they really do that? was it the holy powers of the bible or the heaviness that was thought to help? I've never heard of this before..

Well, they did, but a smack with anything heavy disperses the fluid (?) for a while, at least.

I think they come back though, and contain a kind if gel, rather than watery contents.

Magnesium sulphate paste works really well on whitlows. Should be available at a pharmacy

Thank you so much, all of you. It's a pity it's so near to Christmas. I think I'm going to have to wait until the festivities are over, then consult a pharmacist I think, and ask for that magnesium sulphate paste.
Cheers and thanks.

Henetha I used to get whitlows a lot when I bit my nails (I eventually stopped at the age of 61, four years ago).

With clean needle (put boiling water on it first). piece the whitlow and squeeze the pus out - yes, it's painful but will be better when that's been done) and put a clean plaster on.

Im a great believer in a bread poultice for any minor ailment that needs drawn.

A slice of white bread softened in boiling water. Wrap in a piece of muslin/gauze/fine hanky.

Wrap around the affected area as hot as is bearable. The starch helps to draw out pus.

Magnesium sulphate is the best thing.

Yes, they are damnably painful but there's nothing you can do except keep it clean, cover it and let it grow out (take the covering off whenever you can, to let the air get to it). Pulling at it is very tempting but please DON'T - the whitlow will just go deeper into your skin as you pull, and then it's REALLY painful and takes even longer to heal.

I think there is a little confusion as to what a whitlow is.

My son had one as a little boy, it was making him feel very ill and he had a high temperature.
I took him to the doctor who lanced it, the stuff that came out was unbelievable!
The relief was instant but he did have a course of antibiotics.

They can be caused by the herpes or a staphylococcal virus.

Magnesium sulphate draws the poison out.

eddiecat78

Magnesium sulphate paste works really well on whitlows. Should be available at a pharmacy

Yes, it's supposed to draw it out.

If I've had one I kept it covered with a plaster and used Germolene because if you knock it accidentally, it can make you shoot through the roof!

Hope it feels better soon.

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate all advice. Not sure I have the courage to stick a needle in it.
It's been throbbing away like mad tonight so I am tempted to!
I'll carry on with the salt water, germolene and plaster on it and see a pharmacist as soon as I can.
Cheers. Happy Christmas.

eddiecat78

Magnesium sulphate paste works really well on whitlows. Should be available at a pharmacy

I’ve never had one but I have found magnesium sulphate to be fantastic in drawing anything out. I had an infected hand and it drew the poison out. It has pulled splinters out etc. in fact I never go away without a small pot if it. From the descriptions above it sounds as if could well do the job.

Gardening ,animals and craft work have had their toll on my hands and I've had many whitlows .
Always clean with tea tree if you experience a cut and if you develop a whitlow -apply Magnesium Sulphate paste (Boots sell it) to
draw off the infection and wear disposable latex gloves to protect the wound.
Clean again with tea tree until healed .

I swear by stem ginger. 🫚
If you make a poultice of mashed ginger preferably fresh, though powdered will do, and put it on the affected area, it should draw out the pus, etc. Whitlows occasionally need lancing.
Ginger is well known for its cleansing properties. I also use it to draw out splinters and thorns - magic!

Tea tree and honey are excellent too for cleansing and drawing out infection.

Whitlow is a painful infection of the fingertip or nail cuticle, caused by either the herpes simplex virus (HSV) or staphylococcus bacteria:
Herpetic whitlow
A painful infection caused by the HSV that usually appears on the top of the finger or thumb. Symptoms include swelling, pain, blisters, sores, redness, and feeling generally unwell. It can be caused by HSV-1 or HSV-2, and is usually spread by contact with an infected area, such as a torn cuticle.
Staphylococcal whitlow
Also known as a felon, this is a closed-space infection that causes severe, throbbing pain, redness, and swelling. It usually occurs after an injury or untreated paronychia.
Whitlow is easily treated and usually resolves within 2–4 weeks without treatment. However, you should seek immediate medical care if you or your child experience any of the following:
Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness
Red streaks leading from the area
Pus draining from the area
Fever

I had one years ago. I also bit my nails and the skin around them. I accidentally whacked it on something and the pus came out and it got better.

It seems to ease off overnight, but as soon as I take the plaster off it gets very red again around the top of the nail and then the white spot appears, then it's sore, then it starts giving nasty little jolts of pain. I think the swelling has gone down a little though.
I really appreciate all the kind suggestions. Thank you all.
And a happy Christmas to everyone.