Ingrown toenails occur when the side of the toenail grows into the flesh surrounding it, often causing infection and pain.
Ingrown toenails are more common than you might think, and in many cases, the treatment can be done at home –but if left untreated for a long period of time, complications can arise and you may need to seek medical attention.
Symptoms
While you will probably notice your ingrown toenail –due to how it is growing, there are other symptoms that occur with an ingrown toenail such as:
- Pain or tenderness along the nailbed where the ingrown toenail occurs
- Redness around the nailbed
- Swelling
- Infection of the tissue
Causes
Ingrown toenails commonly occur after an injury such as a sports related injury w here you jam or stub your toe with force. The force allows the nail to continue to grow –it just grows into the side of the nailbed, instead of straight as it normally would. Other causes include:
- Ill-fitting footwear
- Cutting your nails too short
- Not cutting your nails straight across
- Genetics that can cause you to have unusually curvy toenails
Treatment
There are a variety of home remedies that could help your ingrown toenail if you catch it early enough. Some of these remedies include soaking of your foot, applying creams, and wearing proper footwear. However if these remedies don’t improve your condition, if the pain increases or you suspect an infection –it may be time to seek medical attention. Your doctor may recommend the following treatments:
- Lifting of The Nail – This process is for nails that are slightly ingrown, but are not yet infected. The nail edge is carefully lifted, and a splint or small piece of cotton is put underneath of it to help promote healthy growth.
- Partial Removal of The Nail – For a more severely ingrown toenail, the doctor may recommend removing part of the nail. To do this your doctor will temporarily numb the toe, and then remove the ingrown portion of the nail.
- Complete Removal – In the event that you have a reoccurring ingrown nail on the same toe –it may be advisable to remove the nail completely, as well as some of the surrounding tissue to help prevent the nail from growing back.
To help prevent ingrown toenails it’s important to wear shoes that fit properly and trim your nails correctly.