Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers: Podiatrists

Pain and swelling around your toe and the inability to wear certain shoes might be signs of an ingrown toenail. It’s a common condition that you can sometimes take care of at home. But if the pain becomes unbearable, or you can see an infection in the tissue around your toenail, you may need to seek medical treatment.

Here at Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers, our skilled podiatrists treat ingrown toenails to get rid of the infection and alleviate painful symptoms. To help you discern if your symptoms are beyond home remedies, we’ve put together this guide to help you identify when your ingrown toenail requires medical attention.

Ingrown toenails are a common condition

If you’ve ever had the corner or side of your toenail become red and inflamed, you’ve probably had an ingrown toenail. This common condition most often occurs when you cut your toenails too short, wear tight shoes, or stub your toe. Additionally, some people have toenails that naturally curve into the skin, making them more susceptible to ingrown toenails and infections.

While you can resolve most ingrown toenails on your own, if they become infected and the infection spreads, or if you have certain pre-existing health conditions, an ingrown toenail can become more serious than just an irritated toe.

Assess your symptoms

Ingrown toenails commonly occur in your big toe. Signs that you have an ingrown toenail include:

• Swollen, red skin on one side of the affected toenail
• Pain and tenderness in your toe
• Pain from the pressure of wearing shoes
• Overgrown skin at the tip of the toe or alongside the nail
• Blood or pus that leaks from the toenail or an open sore

If at first your symptoms are just uncomfortable, but not too serious, home remedies may alleviate your discomfort and prevent infection.

Try these home remedies

At first sign of an ingrown toenail, try these home remedies to reduce pain and swelling and to see if your ingrown nail will resolve on its own:

• Soak your toe in warm water for 15-20 minutes several times a day
• Apply antibiotic ointment to the toe and cover it with a bandage
• Wear sandals so there’s no pressure on your toe
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever
• Avoid cutting the toenail

If your toe begins to feel better after a couple days with these solutions, you’re probably not at risk of the infection spreading or becoming debilitating. However, if your symptoms worsen, or get better at first, but then the pain and swelling return, it’s a good idea to seek medical treatment.

When to make an appointment with one of our podiatrists

When home remedies don’t work, or you have recurring ingrown toenails, it’s time to schedule an appointment with us. Your podiatrist at Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers can determine what’s causing the recurring ingrown toenail and treat it accordingly.

If you have diabetes or a condition that causes poor circulation in your feet, you have a greater risk for an ingrown toenail becoming a serious medical problem. It’s especially important that you don’t wait to seek medical attention. Left untreated, an ingrown toenail can lead to an infection or an abscess on your toe that may require surgical intervention. Or the infection can spread into the bone in your toe.

How a podiatrist treats your ingrown toenail

After careful examination and talking to you about your overall health and wellness, your podiatrist may be able to carefully lift your toenail to separate the nail from the skin. This helps your nail grow above the skin instead of into it.

In more severe cases, your doctor may need to remove some or all of your toenail. If necessary, your podiatrist may use a local anesthetic to numb your toe and remove the nail and a small area of skin that’s contributing to the problem.

To treat the infection, you may need to use a topical antibiotic or take one orally. If you’re prone to ingrown toenails or foot infections, your doctor will discuss preventive methods to minimize problems for you in the long term.

If you’re concerned about an ingrown toenail becoming a more serious health complication, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation at one of our offices in Arlington or Mansfield, Texas. Click the “book online” button or call us to get the medical attention you need in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

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Ingrown Toenails: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

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Ingrown toenails occur when the edges or corners of your nails grow into the skin next to the nail. Your big toe is most likely to get an ingrown toenail.

If a toenail grows back into the skin around the nail bed, it’s known as an ingrown toenail. These can be painful and can become infected.

You can treat ingrown toenails at home. However, they can cause complications that might require medical treatment. Your risk of complications is higher if you have diabetes or other conditions that cause poor circulation.

Ingrown toenails occur in both men and women. According to the National Health Services (NHS), ingrown toenails may be more common in people with sweaty feet, such as teenagers. Older people may also be at higher risk because toenails thicken with age.

Many things can cause an ingrown toenail, including:

• cutting toenails incorrectly (Cut straight across, since angling the sides of the nail can encourage the nail to grow into the skin.)
• irregular, curved toenails
• footwear that places a lot of pressure on the big toes, such as socks and stockings that are too tight or shoes that are too tight, narrow, or flat for your feet
• toenail injury, including stubbing your toe, dropping something heavy on your foot, or kicking a ball repeatedly
• poor posture
• improper foot hygiene, such as not keeping your feet clean or dry
• genetic predisposition

Using your feet extensively during athletic activities can make you especially prone to getting ingrown toenails. Activities in which you repeatedly kick an object or put pressure on your feet for long periods of time can cause toenail damage and increase your risk of ingrown toenails. These activities include:

• ballet
• football
• kickboxing
• soccer

Ingrown toenails can be painful, and they usually worsen in stages.

Early-stage symptoms include:

• skin next to the nail becoming tender, swollen, or hard
• pain when pressure is placed on the toe
• fluid building up around the toe

If your toe becomes infected, symptoms may include:

• red, swollen skin
• pain
• bleeding
• oozing pus
• overgrowth of skin around the toe

Treat your ingrown toenail as soon as possible to avoid worsening symptoms.

Your doctor will most likely be able to diagnose your toe with a physical exam. If your toe seems infected, you might need an X-ray to show how deep the nail has grown into the skin. An X-ray can also reveal if your ingrown nail was caused by injury.

If you need help finding a primary care doctor or gastroenterologist, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.

Ingrown toenails that aren’t infected can normally be treated at home. However, if your toenail has pierced the skin, or there is any sign of infection, seek medical treatment. Signs of infection include:

• warmth
• pus
• redness and swelling

Home treatment

To treat your ingrown toenail at home, try:

• soaking your feet in warm water for about 15 to 20 minutes three to four times per day (At other times, your shoes and feet should be kept dry.)
• pushing skin away from the toenail edge with a cotton ball soaked in olive oil
• using over-the-counter medicines, like acetaminophen (Tylenol), for the pain
• applying a topical antibiotic, such as polymyxin and neomycin (both present in Neosporin) or a steroid cream, to prevent infection

Try home treatments for a few days to a few weeks. If the pain worsens or you find it difficult to walk or perform other activities because of the nail, see your doctor.

If the toenail does not respond to home treatments or an infection occurs, you may need surgery. In cases of infection, stop all home treatments and see your doctor.

Surgical treatment

There are different types of surgical treatments for ingrown toenails. Partial nail removal only involves removing the piece of nail that is digging into your skin. Your doctor numbs your toe and then narrows the toenail. According to the NHS, partial nail removal is 98 percent effective for preventing future ingrown toenails.

During a partial nail removal, the sides of the nail are cut away so that the edges are completely straight. A piece of cotton is placed under the remaining portion of the nail to keep the ingrown toenail from recurring. Your doctor may also treat your toe with a compound called phenol, which keeps the nail from growing back.

Total nail removal may be used if your ingrown nail is caused by thickening. Your doctor will give you a local pain injection and then remove the entire nail in a procedure called a matrixectomy.

After surgery

After surgery, your doctor will send you home with your toe bandaged. You will probably need to keep your foot raised for the next one to two days and wear special footwear to allow your toe to heal properly.

Avoid movement as much as possible. Your bandage is usually removed two days after surgery. Your doctor will advise you to wear open-toe shoes and to do daily salt water soaks until your toe heals. You will also be prescribed pain relief medication and antibiotics to prevent infection.

Your toenail will likely grow back a few months after a partial nail removal surgery. If the entire nail is removed down to the base (the nail matrix under your skin), a toenail can take over a year to grow back.

If left untreated, an ingrown toenail infection can cause an infection in the bone in your toe. A toenail infection can also lead to foot ulcers, or open sores, and a loss of blood flow to the infected area. Tissue decay and tissue death at the site of infection are possible.

A foot infection can be more serious if you have diabetes. Even a small cut, scrape, or ingrown toenail may quickly become infected due to the lack of blood flow and nerve sensitivity. See your doctor right away if you have diabetes and are concerned about an ingrown toenail infection.

If you have a genetic predisposition to ingrown toenails, they may keep coming back or appear on multiple toes at once. Your quality of life may be affected by pain, infections, and other painful foot issues that require multiple treatments or surgeries. In this case, your doctor may recommend a partial or full matrixectomy to remove the toenails causing chronic pain. Read more about foot care and diabetes.

Ingrown toenails can be prevented by making several lifestyle changes:

• Trim your toenails straight across and make sure that the edges do not curve in.
• Avoid cutting toenails too short.
• Wear proper fitting shoes, socks, and tights.
• Wear steel-toe boots if you work in hazardous conditions.
• If your toenails are abnormally curved or thick, surgery may be necessary to prevent ingrown nails.

A:

Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

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Ingrown nail – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

Ingrown nail is a rather painful and unpleasant disease that occurs frequently, especially in summer.

What is an ingrown nail

An ingrown nail (onychocryptosis) is an ingrowth of the nail plate into the lateral edge of the nail fold, accompanied by pain.

This disease occurs in people regardless of age or gender. The most common location for an ingrown toenail is on the inside of the first toe. Most often, people notice the problem in the spring or summer, which is a consequence of wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes.

The nail grows due to the division of germ cells that move the nail plate forward.

A complete change of the nail occurs within 3 months, while in women it occurs more slowly than in men, in childhood the growth rate of nails is more intense than in adults.

The convex shape of the nail also has a certain meaning: it muffles the mechanical effect and distributes it to the side rollers. They, in turn, absorb the load, so when their integrity occurs, it harms the protective structures.

What causes an ingrown toenail

There are several causes of the disease. Let’s talk about the main ones

1. Incorrect cutting of nails. In the case when the nail is cut very deeply, there is a risk of infection and the development of an inflammatory process. The nail, which is cut to the very base, may begin to grow into the side ridges in order to fix more firmly on the nail bed. Therefore, when cutting the nail, it is necessary that it protrudes at least 1 mm.
2. Tight shoes can cause ingrown toenails. When the shoes are so uncomfortable that they put a lot of pressure on the fingers, the foot is in an unnatural position for a long time (heels, high instep), the nail is deformed. This is due to three pressure points:
   • Skin on the nail.
   • Shoe sides.
   • Shoe top.

   All this provokes the bending of the nail in a semicircle, which, in turn, provokes pain.

3. Genetic predisposition to excessive soft tissue growth.
4. Overweight or pregnancy. The load on the lower extremities is very large, as a result of which nails can also grow.
5. Performing chemical or radiation therapy.

Finger injuries, both on the legs and on the hands, an inflammatory process, pedicure, which is carried out in violation of sanitary standards, can also provoke the appearance of ingrown nails.

Ingrown toenail symptoms

• Redness of the skin where the nail begins to penetrate the soft tissue of the finger.
• Pain.
• Swelling, puffiness.
• Discharge of pus and blood from skin irritation when infection occurs.
• Curvature of the nail, tarnishing of the nail plate.

Stages of development of an ingrown nail

Mild stage: the problem begins when the skin around the nail begins to redden, then swelling occurs, discomfort appears, especially if pressure is applied to the nail or inflamed skin. But visually, changes in the nail plate are not yet visible.

Moderate stage: if the current situation is allowed to take its course, then the next stage will be the appearance of bloody discharge, sometimes accompanied by the release of pus. The skin is edematous, the nail plate is dull.

Severe stage: further development of the disease is accompanied by bone tissue involvement. Ingrown becomes chronic, its treatment is possible only through surgical intervention. The volume of the phalanx increases due to the defeat of the nail folds.

Diagnostic methods

A surgeon, before making a diagnosis, takes an anamnesis, finds out what preceded the ingrown nail, what symptoms are observed, how long they last. Special attention is paid to issues of heredity.

Next, an examination of the inflamed area of ​​the skin is carried out, the doctor may prescribe such examinations as a complete blood count to exclude the development of an inflammatory process, diabetes mellitus. In addition, if the degree of damage is advanced, then an x-ray is prescribed to determine how deep the ingrown nail has occurred. Only in the complex of the above methods, a decision is made on further treatment.

Ingrown toenail treatments

• Treatment of ingrown toenails

If the problem was detected at the initial stage, then conservative treatment is applied. It consists in correcting the shape of the nail with the help of special plates, tubes or cotton turundas. The plates are made individually for each client, with preliminary measurements of the nail. The nail, as a result of wearing the plate, should change its shape and, in the future, grow so as not to injure the nail folds. This method is quite time consuming and not always effective. In addition, its significant drawback is that the disease can recur if the causes leading to the ingrown nail are ignored.

In the case when the problem is detected at an advanced stage, then a surgical method of treatment is used: marginal resection of the nail plate with a growth zone. The surgeon removes the part of the nail that has grown into the skin along its entire length. Not only the visible segment is subject to removal, but also the one that is under the skin. The manipulation takes place under local anesthesia and takes several minutes.

The first day it is necessary to adhere to bed rest, the minimum load on the leg. With severe pain, it is recommended to take analgesics in the doses recommended by the doctor. From the second day, the patient can live a normal life, but avoids strong physical exertion. Dressings are carried out first every day, after 4-5 days – 1 time in 2 days until complete healing.

• Ingrown toenail treatment

As with the foot, fingernail problems can be treated conservatively or with surgery. If you detect the onset of the disease in time, you can even try to fix it yourself by placing a cotton turunda or a small lump of bandage under the growing corner of the nail, lifting the nail. If the factor that provoked the ingrowth does not affect it, then there is a chance that the nail will change its shape and the problem will be solved.

In the event that the above method does not help, then the ingrown toenail is treated operatively under local anesthesia.

It is strictly forbidden to engage in amateur activities, to try to remove the nail at home. Thus, you can not only not remove the existing problem, but also acquire a new one, infecting the wound.

Disease Prevention

Good nail care is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to prevent ingrown toenails. Before you start trimming your nails, you need to make baths with sea salt and lemon juice. This will not only soften the skin and nail for further procedures, but also have a beneficial effect on the skin and the condition of the nails. Thus, the likelihood of injuring the nail and the skin around it is significantly reduced.

The next important point in prevention is careful cutting of nails. You can not cut your nails too much, to the very base. It is necessary to leave a margin of 1-2 millimeters. The movements of the scissors should be smooth so as not to injure the nail folds. If the sharp edge of the nail remains somewhere, it must be carefully processed with a nail file to avoid skin injuries.

In order to avoid ingrown toenails, it is important to carefully choose shoes: they should not be too narrow, pressing on the toes and deforming the foot. This is especially true for adolescent children, when intensive growth occurs, including the legs, it is necessary to carefully monitor that the shoes are comfortable and suitable in size.

Proper nutrition, moderate exercise also have a positive effect on the prevention of onychocryptosis.

Doctors of the clinic treating the disease

The Universum Clinic offers the services of highly qualified surgeons who are guided only by modern techniques and the latest protocols. They will diagnose an ingrown toenail and help in the fight against the disease. A timely appeal to the surgeon will save the nail plate and virtually eliminate the likelihood of a recurrence in the future.

Sign up for a consultation

Sign up for a consultation or get an answer to your question, you can 24/7 in our call center by phone:

+38 (044) 599-54-05

+38 (067) 242- 62-40

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