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Nail-Biting Ordeal: From Hangnail to Emergency Surgery
8 Mar
Summary
- A hangnail turned into a severe infection requiring multiple medical interventions.
- Doctors described the case as the worst they had seen in someone so young.
- The woman hopes this experience helps her break her lifelong nail-biting habit.
Gabby Swierzewski's nearly lifelong habit of biting her nails led to a frightening medical emergency starting in early February 2026. What began as a painful hangnail on February 6 quickly worsened, causing extreme swelling and throbbing.
Despite antibiotic treatments and visits to urgent care, her condition deteriorated. By Valentine's Day, her finger had turned a deep purple. By February 16, the pain was unbearable, prompting an emergency room visit.
Doctors performed an immediate procedure to drain abscesses. A hand specialist deemed it the worst case she had encountered in a young patient, leading to an urgent surgery on February 19 for infection cleanup.
After tests confirmed the infection had not spread to the bone, Swierzewski received good news on March 4: no further surgery or amputation was needed. The experience has profoundly changed her perspective on nail biting.
