Toenails can be
very painful if they become ingrown
and can hinder you from your daily
activities. Ingrown toenail
treatment can be very
effective if you are proactive.
Ingrown toenails
are when the edge or corner of your
toenail grows down and cuts into the
skin of your toe, causing your toe
to become red, inflamed, swollen and
tender.
When you are
walking your toenail can cut into
your skin causing your toe to be
very tender. Normally the big toes
are most affected. If you do not
treat the ingrown toenail the
inflammation of the toe can spread
and cause an infection caused by
bacteria which is very painful. This
infection can cause a foul odor and
can even ooze pus from the infected
area. Once the ingrown toenail has
become infected, the toe will begin
to bulge into a moist swelling along
the edge of the nail and will start
to cover the ingrown toenail.
Our genetic make
up can be part of the reason for
ingrown toenails. You may have
inherited the tendency for your
toenails to curve into the edge of
your toenail rather than growing
straight. Also, wearing tight shoes,
excessive sweating and cutting your
toenails improperly can cause you to
be more susceptible to have ingrown
toenails.
Ingrown toenail
treatment should begin by soaking
your ingrown toenail in warm water
at least 4 times a day for twenty to
thirty minutes. After soaking, cut
away the nail that is digging into
the tender area of the toe and then
wrap the toe in clean dressing. Keep
an eye on the toe to make sure the
toenail is not growing back into the
skin. If the toenail does not
improve you may need to contact your
primary care physician or podiatrist
for further treatment.
Top Pick
From
FootSmart -
This podiatrist-grade nipper
is designed specifically to
trim – and help prevent –
ingrown toenails. These
clippers have a tempered
stainless steel blade and
ergonomic grip handle for
easy comfortable use that
makes easy work of
maintaining healthier nails.
The
precise straight edge of the
blade allows you to clip
hard-to-reach ingrown
toenails straight across to
encourage healthy growth.
Your primary care
physician or podiatrist will examine
the toenail and determine whether or
not antibiotics are required and
often you will need some type of
pain medication depending on the
severity of the infection.
After a course of
antibiotics, if the ingrown toenail
does not show significant
improvement, under local anesthetic
your doctor can partially remove
your toenail and then allow the
toenail to heal and grow back
normally. The toenail can take
several months to grow back.
Ask your primary
care physician or podiatrist to
teach you how to properly cut your
toenails which will decrease the
chances of you developing another
painful ingrown toenail. Normally,
the best time to cut your toenails
is after the shower or bath when
your toes are soft.
Once you have
identified the ingrown toenail and
met with your primary care physician
or podiatrist you will need to start
ingrown toenail treatment
immediately so that the toenail does
not become infected causing you
severe pain. It is always better to
be proactive.
