Blisters coming back on my thumb!!!

[Biancabby569]

So about 3 months ago I noticed my thumb was swollen by my cuticle area there was 3 litte red dots going from side to side so I thought something had bit me like a spider as I slept or something. Then my thumb began to peal. :/ Well I'm a cashier so at work one day I scratched the swollen part of my thumb by accident with a cactus plant a customer was buying about three days later my finger started watering but in the area between my nail and cuticle not where I had been scratched. I went to the er and they told me it was a paronychia and had my thumb drained and sliced. Well they told me to soak my thumb in hot water twice a day. About 3 days later I notice the area that the doctor had sliced looked like it was healing but all around my thumb from the side of my nail to the top I had blisters it even looked like It went under my nail cuz the blisters had like dots inside (weird) so I went to the er again and this time they said it was herpes whitlow not the one you get sexually transmitted but one babies get for sucking they're thumb :/ so they gave me antibiotics and it had looked like it was healing until yesterday I had so much hope in getting my thumb back lol now the blister I had on the side of my thumb is there again!! After it not being there 3 days ago and now on the top of my finger there is a blister with nothing but blood in it and my nail looks like its going to come off I really don't know what to do to it or if I should go and wait another 8 hours in the er. Please help!!!

[Biancabby569]

Thank you it does look like its healing I had my professor look at it I am in medical school right now he told me its pretty much healing I just have to keep it bandaged up but thank you I hope it does heal soon.. I had been soaking it in peroxide and that really helped because it bubbled everything out it was really bad my whole thumb was covered in foam. And since it had been pealing I put neosporin on it before I bandage it up. I will keep you posted on my progress. I wish I could post pictures on here from my phone because I took pictures of it from the beginning when it first happened. But I can't.. I would have to email them...

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Herpetic whitlow is a viral infection. From the symptoms paronychia should be ruled out. It results from a breakdown of the protective barrier between the nail and the nail fold. Diagnosed by gram staining and KOH wet mounts from the skin and nail scrapings.

Treatment includes warm water soaks of the affected finger 3-4 times per day, oral antibiotics, topical antifungals and surgical intervention in more severe cases. My sincere advice would be to consult a dermatologist. It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.