Pain & Agony from Ingrown Toenail

What is a ingrown toenail? An ingrown toenail occurs when the corner or sides of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin. This causes discomfort and pain. The big toe is most commonly affected, but any of the toes can be affected. If an ingrown toenail is not treated, it can become infected. How can an ingrown toenail be prevented from causing pain and infection? Well, here are causes, signs, & how to treat the ingrown toenail.

What are the causes of an ingrown toenail? Well, the conditions are causes in many ways. The first one is an injury, such as stubbing your toe or having your toe stepped on. The second cause is wearing shoes that are too small or tight. The third one is improper cutting or care of your toenail. The last cause would be having nail or foot abnormalities that were present from birth, which is known as congenital abnormalities. All in all, injury, improper foot care, and congenital abnormalities are the main causes of ingrown toenails.

What are the signs or symptoms of an ingrown toenail? The usual signs are pain, soreness, redness, swelling, and hardening of the skin that surrounds the toenail. If it has become infected, the symptoms would also include fluid or pus, & if the infection gets worst instead of better after treatment. The risk of such symptoms would be increase if someone has diabetes and blood flow problems. This would also include age since the nail tend to get thicker with age, or cutting the nail incorrectly. With that, it’s best to find the right treatment for the condition.

How is an ingrown toenail treated? Treatment tends to differs based on how severe the ingrown toenail is. If there is infection, people would be given antibiotics medicines. If there’s fluid or pus draining from the toenail, a health care provider may drain it. And if there’s any trouble of walking, crutches would be provided. After given such treatment, there are prevention of the ingrown toe to come back or cause any further infection of the toe or foot.

So how can an ingrown toenail be prevent from coming back. Well it’s simply foot care. To take better care of the foot, there are many steps to follow. The first step is to clean the foot. Soak the foot in warm, soapy water. Do this for 20 minutes, 3 times a day, or as often as the health care provider recommends. This helps to clean the toe clean and the skin soft. The second step is to trim the toenail regularly and carefully. Cut the toenails straight across to prevent injury to the skin at the corners of the toenail. Do not cut the toenail in a curved shape. The third step is to wear shoes that fit well and are not too tight. It’s best to wear open-toed shoes while you heal. To sum it up, keep the feet clean and dry to help prevent infection. That way, the toenail wouldn’t grown into the surrounding skin of the toe.

To summarize what was written here. An ingrown toenail occurs when the corner or sides of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin. This causes discomfort and pain. The big toe is commonly affected, but any of the toes can be affected. If an ingrown toenail is not treated, it can become infected. Fluid or pus draining from the toenail is a sign of infection. Health care provide may need to drain it, and antibiotics will be given to treat the infection. Trim the toenail properly and regularly can help prevent the growth of a ingrown toenail.