Elliott M. Perel, DPM, FACFAS: Podiatrist

The Early Warning Signs of Ingrown Toenails: Elliott M. Perel, DPM, FACFAS: Podiatrist

Ingrown toenails occur when the nail burrows into the skin on the toe, or the skin grows over the edge of the nail. This can happen on any toe, but most often the big toe.

At Monroe Foot & Ankle Care, board-certified podiatrist Dr. Elliott Perel and our team understand that a lot of people don’t give much thought to ingrown toenails. Many hope the nail will simply heal on its own or miss the warning signs completely. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you spot when there’s a problem. With early treatment or preventive techniques, you can rid yourself of the problem completely.

The early warning signs of ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails produce a number of signs that indicate a problem.

As the nail grows into the skin on the toe, it causes pain at the corner of the nail plate. This is usually followed by inflammation, redness, and swelling at the site of penetration.

The inflammation opens the door for a skin infection to develop. When this happens, the toe can leak blood, pus, or both from the corner of the nail.

New skin called granulation tissue develops and grows over the open infection, perpetuating and worsening it. Left untreated, the infection can spread to other areas of the foot.

What causes an ingrown toenail?

Ingrown toenails may result from a variety of different causes:

• Cutting nails too short (below the toe edge)
• Rounding nail edges instead of cutting straight across
• Wearing tight shoes and/or socks that force the nail into the toe
• Actively stressing your toes, such as running long distances, playing soccer, or doing ballet
• Having a family history

Understanding the need for proper foot hygiene can prevent nails from becoming ingrown.

How can I treat ingrown toenails?

If you spot the warning signs of an ingrown nail, you can try at-home remedies to see if they prevent an infection:

• Bathe toe in mix of warm water and Epsom salts for 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times a day
• Wear breathable shoes; dampness encourages infection
• Wear shoes with a wide toe box; avoid high heels
• Take OTC pain relievers and anti-inflammatories as needed
• Apply topical antibiotic cream and cover with a bandage

If you don’t see an improvement in 2-3 days, or if you see pus oozing from the nail, make an appointment with Dr. Perel.

When ingrown toenails need medical attention

Some ingrown toenails can heal by themselves, but many don’t, even with your best efforts. If your toe is painful, red, and swollen, especially if it oozes pus, it needs to be treated by a physician.

Dr. Perel prescribes oral or topical antibiotics to address the infection, and depending on the severity of the ingrowth, he may need to partially or completely remove the nail (nail avulsion). If your case is severe, he may also remove part of the underlying nail bed and growth center.

Surgical nail removal prevents the new nail that comes in from growing inward. If you have chronic or recurrent, infected ingrown toenails, Dr. Perel may need to permanently remove the nail.

The UK National Health Service has shown that partial nail avulsion is 98% successful in preventing future ingrown toenails.

Is your toenail digging into your toe and causing painful symptoms? Then it’s time to come into Monroe Foot & Ankle Care for treatment and tips on how to prevent a recurrence. To get started, give our Jamesburg, New Jersey office a call at 732-978-9569, or book online with us today.

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Ingrown toenail | nidirect

An ingrown toenail happens when the sides of the toenail grow into the surrounding skin. The nail curls and pierces the skin which becomes red, swollen and tender.

Symptoms of an ingrown toenail

The big toe is often affected by an ingrown toenail, either on one or both sides.

The big toe is often affected

Other possible symptoms, as well as those above, include:

• pain if pressure is placed on the toe
• inflammation of the skin at the end of the toe
• a build-up of fluid in the area surrounding the toe
• an overgrowth of skin around the affected toe
• bleeding
• white or yellow pus coming from the affected area

When to see your GP

See your GP or podiatrist (foot care specialist) if your ingrown toenail is badly inflamed, bleeding or has pus coming from it, because it may be infected.

An infected big toe causing pus and inflammation

It’s also important to get medical advice if you have diabetes and an ingrown toenail.

Having diabetes could affect how your toenail heals.

• Read more about foot care and diabetes

Causes of ingrown toenails

A number of things can cause an ingrown toenail to develop, including:

• badly cut toenails – cutting your toenails too short, or cutting the edges, will encourage the skin to fold over your nail and the nail to grow into the skin
• wearing tight-fitting shoes, socks or tights – this places pressure on the skin around your toenail; the skin may be pierced if it’s pressed on to your toenail
• sweaty feet – if the skin around your toenails is soft, it’s easier for your nail to pierce it and embed itself within it
• injury – for example, stubbing your toe can sometimes cause an ingrown toenail to develop
• natural shape of the nail – the sides of curved or fan-shaped toenails are more likely to press into the skin surrounding the nail

A fungal nail infection can cause your toenail to thicken or widen.

Treating ingrown toenails

Without treatment, an ingrown toenail can become infected, so it’s important that you:

• keep your feet clean by washing them regularly with soap and water
• change your socks regularly
• cut your toenails straight across to stop them digging into the surrounding skin
• gently push the skin away from the nail using a cotton bud (this may be easier after using a small amount of olive oil to soften the skin)
• wear comfortable shoes that fit properly

Surgery may be recommended if your toenail doesn’t improve. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, this may involve either:

• partial nail avulsion – removing part of your toenail 
• total nail avulsion – removing your whole toenail

Your podiatrist or GP can advise you whether this is necessary.

Preventing ingrown toenails

Taking care of your feet will help prevent foot problems such as ingrown toenails.

Tips for taking care of your feet

• it’s important to cut your toenails properly (straight across, not at an angle or down the edges)
• wash your feet every day, dry them thoroughly and use foot moisturiser
• you can also use a foot file or pumice stone to remove hard or dead skin
• wearing shoes that fit properly will help to make sure your feet stay healthy
• you should also change your socks (or tights) every day

Visit your GP or a podiatrist as soon as possible if you develop problems with your feet.

• find out more about ingrown toenail on the NHS website

More useful links

• How to use your health services
• Podiatrists
• Ingrowing toenail

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Ingrown nail – diagnosis and treatment at the medical center “Andreev hospitals”

The process in which the edge of the nail grows into the soft tissues of the phalanx is called “ingrown toenail”. This is a fairly common situation.

The most common pathology occurs on the big toes. But the defeat of other fingers is not excluded.

Ingrown toenail causes

Most often, an ingrown toenail occurs when wearing uncomfortable and tight shoes. Also, injuries to the nail plate can lead to this condition. Incorrect haircut often leads to ingrown nails. There are also diseases in which an ingrown nail can be observed as a concomitant pathology.

Ingrown toenail symptoms

The first sign of an ingrown toenail is swelling at the corner of the nail plate. Soft tissues swell, and hyperemia appears. When pressed, there may be pain. The progression of the pathology leads to the fact that an infection enters the wound, and purulent contents appear. As a result, the pain intensifies, the swelling increases, and it becomes almost impossible to wear shoes.

On examination, the presence of an edematous area, sharply painful on palpation, is determined. When pressed, purulent contents may be released. Because of the pain, there are difficulties in the hygiene of the legs, which contributes to an even greater progression of the disease.

Ingrown toenail diagnostics

The diagnosis is made on the basis of examination in the presence of characteristic signs.

Ingrown toenail treatment

In order to carry out treatment, it is necessary to correctly diagnose. In the case of an ingrown toenail, this is not particularly difficult. Already after the first examination, it becomes clear that there is this pathology. In rare cases, with severe symptoms, such as tissue swelling, a large amount of pus, and the inability to step on the foot, additional studies are prescribed to help exclude the involvement of the bone tissue of the finger in the process.

First of all, they try to cope with the problem in a conservative way. In this case, baths and ointments are used. To begin with, you should change your shoes or, if possible, completely abandon them. Next, you need to learn how to properly trim the nail plate. You can not round the corner of the nail even during this pathology. This will further aggravate the situation and lead to the formation of an irregular shape of the nail plate.

To soften the tissues, baths should be taken several times a day. As a result, it will be possible to remove the corner of the nail plate from soft tissues and enhance regeneration. Fatty ointments or even Vaseline also contribute to softening.

In the event that the symptoms of inflammation are severe, antibiotics can be used. They can only be prescribed by a specialist after examination. In this case, these drugs are used both locally and orally.

If these measures do not help, and the disease progresses, you should contact the surgeon. The operation is performed under local anesthesia. The technique may vary depending on the severity of the condition. Thus, the presence of soft tissue hypertrophy is an indication for their removal. As a rule, after such an operation, the symptoms gradually decrease, and with proper nail care, the ingrown nail does not bother the patient anymore.

In the event that the symptoms are severe, it may be necessary to remove the entire nail plate. The main disadvantage of this operation is that after that the nail will no longer grow. Part of the nail plate and germinal zone can also be removed. In this case, the nail plate changes shape, which prevents it from growing into soft tissues. The last two operations are performed in extreme cases for special indications.

Ingrown toenail prevention

In order to avoid this pathology, you should wear properly selected shoes. Nails are recommended to be cut in a straight line, without cutting off the corners. It is also necessary to carefully observe the hygiene of the feet.

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Ingrown toenail treatment at home

90 038 Ingrown nail – how to treat at home.

An ingrown toenail is a serious condition in which damage occurs to the skin fold surrounding the nail plate.

The main symptoms of the disease include:

– Pain when squeezing the finger. During movement, there is discomfort and aching pain on the finger;

– Redness. Around the nail there is local redness;

– Edema;

– Bleeding. In the place where the nail damages the skin of the finger, there is a slight bleeding;

– Pus. Pus appears under the nail and from the infected nail fold.

– Hypergranulation. The nail roller noticeably thickens.

Stages of ingrowth

Several main stages of nail plate ingrowth should be distinguished:

Stage 1: Pain when walking in tight shoes. Pain occurs at the moment of pressing on the area of ​​damage to the finger. At this stage, there is no pronounced inflammatory effect.

Stage 2: Appearance of local edema and redness on the lateral skin folds. The person is in severe pain. An inflammatory process occurs on the injured finger.

Stage 3: There is a separation of pus and blood from the affected area. The side bolsters become more and more saturated red. There is severe pain and inflammation.

Stage 4: Hypergranulation of the skin. The nail roller thickens and deforms. The pain becomes more acute. The inflammatory process intensifies.

Treatment

An ingrown nail makes the patient think about what to do and whether it can be cured at home?

In the first stages, you can heal yourself. To do this, if pain occurs, redness of the skin near the nail is detected, it is recommended to treat the ingrown nail and the skin near it with antiseptic preparations a couple of times a day. Further, it is recommended to apply a special bandage to the affected area. It will protect the affected area and allow the skin to breathe freely. So you can get rid of the disease – an ingrown nail, and treatment at home allows you to timely prevent the serious consequences of this disease.

Thanks to the antiseptic treatment of the finger, infection is prevented in the local area of ​​the skin lesion. This will slow down the further development of the inflammatory process. As a result, the nail will grow back and return to its original position.

Complications

Diabetes mellitus can become a complication of this disease. In this case, the inflammation proceeds much faster, taking into account the violation of tissue trophism. The area of ​​damage to the skin remains open for a long time. In this regard, it is recommended that people who suffer from diabetes do not self-medicate. In this case, you must immediately contact medical institutions, where the appropriate specialists will provide the necessary assistance.

How can I treat an ingrown toenail at home in a different way?

There are other more radical treatments. These include self-cutting the affected area of ​​the nail. This is a rather dangerous procedure, which in rare cases gives a positive outcome. When cutting out the edge of the nail that grows into the finger, there is only a temporary relief of pain. As a rule, another angle remains, which is located closer to the cuticle. The splitting of the nail into several separate parts at once can occur. This leads to the simultaneous occurrence of a number of foci of inflammation. As a result, the nail grows back and everything also begins to penetrate the soft tissues. The inflammation becomes chronic. At this stage, a person develops hypergranulation, which is expressed by the fact that the skin is layered around the ingrown part of the nail.

With the appearance of purulent discharge and bleeding, home treatment becomes less productive. Most patients in the presence of such manifestations ignore this problem for a long time. This leads to complications, including amputation of the injured finger or general blood poisoning.

It can be argued that home treatment of an ingrown toenail by simply cutting off the nail is only symptomatic relief, not a cure for the problem. In the long term, this type of treatment leads to a worsening of the situation.

When to contact specialists?

If during the first four days of treatment at home with an antiseptic did not bring the desired effect and the inflammatory process only intensified, it is recommended to seek help from a surgeon or a podiatrist.

The surgeon removes the nail or part of it with special surgical instruments. This operation is performed under local anesthesia. After surgery, it will take a couple of weeks to fully recover.