INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Podiatry
SPONSORED CONTENT
Have you ever had an ingrown toenail?
H
ave you ever had an ingrown toenail? If you have, you already
know that it is difficult to tolerate the discomfort of one! This
feeling is like a throbbing-pinching- poking feeling which
makes it difficult to walk comfortably inside of shoes.
An ingrown toenail typically affects the big toe. You can get an
ingrown toenail at any age. A lot of people question, ” How did I get
an ingrown toenail?” What happens is the corner or border of the
nail protrudes into the skin. Some of the main causes of ingrown
nails include shoes that crowd your toes, cutting of your toenails too
short, deformities of the foot that cause unusually curved toenails,
poor posture or trauma, including dropping something on your toe
or accidently kicking an object. Ingrown toenails occur when extra
pressure is placed on the toe. Impact walking or sports are also
common causes of ingrown toenails.
Symptoms of an ingrown toenail include pain, tenderness, redness,
swelling and sometimes drainage along one or both sides of the nail.
Some soaking techniques and over-the-counter topical medications
can be applied to help alleviate symptoms until you see your doctor.
Some ingrown toenails resolve without medical treatment, however,
if you notice pus or worsening redness consult a physician – it is
best not to dig at it yourself! Our feet are known breeding grounds
for infections because of the warm and moist environment inside of
shoes. A doctor can take steps to relieve your discomfort and help
you to avoid the complications of having an ingrown toenail.
To prevent an ingrown nail wear proper shoe gear, making sure
that your everyday shoes have enough room but aren’t too loose.
When trimming your nails, cut straight across versus rounding or
edging corners. Keep your feet dry and clean. If you would consider
yourself to be a patient who has difficulty trimming your nails due to
the inability to reach them or inability to trim them due to thickness,
if you are diabetic or if you have circulatory problems, you are at
a greater risk for complications and can prevent complications by
obtaining routine foot care from a podiatrist. In severe cases, the
infection from an ingrown toenail can spread into the bone.
If you do have an ingrown nail, your doctor can perform a minor
trimming-back of protruding nail depending on origin of problem
or a more aggressive procedure which requires a sterile technique
to numb the area and cut along the edge of the nail to eliminate
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