Symptoms and Treatment for Ingrown Toenails, Lubbock, Texas

 

An ingrown toenail is caused by the pressure from the ingrowth of the nail edge into the skin of the toe. Once the edge of the nail breaks through the skin, it produces inflammation. Initially presenting as a minor discomfort, it may progress into an infection in the adjacent skin and/or become a reoccurring problem. Ingrown toenails most commonly affect the large (great) toes.

Causes of Ingrown Toenails

An ingrown toenail happens when the corner or edge of your toenail curves and grows into the surrounding skin. This may cause pain, redness, and swelling. The condition is very common in both men and women. Your big toe is most likely to be affected.

Common causes of ingrown toenails are:

·         toenail trauma, such as stubbing your toe

·         wearing shoes that are too tight

·         cutting toenails too short

·         cutting toenails at an angle

To prevent infection, it’s important to treat ingrown toenails as soon as they occur. Mild cases may require minor treatment with home remedies. Serious cases may need surgical intervention.

Symptoms of Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown toenail symptoms and signs include redness, pain, and swelling. Sometimes there may be a clear yellowish drainage, or if it becomes infected, pus drainage.

Young children may show signs of limping in order to avoid putting pressure at the ingrown toenail site. If the ingrown toenail has been present for a long time, a very vascular tissue called granulation tissue may form that easily bleeds.

Minor foot problems like ingrown toenails may cause serious complications in some people. See doctor if you have an ingrown toenail and have diabetes or another condition that causes poor circulation, or you have a compromised immune system.

Patient should also see a doctor if:

·         Pain and swelling are severe.

·         Home remedies don’t improve the condition.

·         You have an allergic skin reaction to a home remedy.

·         You have questions about how to care for an ingrown toenail.

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 skin.

Following surgery, it is advisable to keep a bandage around the wound until it heals.

An ingrown toenail, which doctors might call onychocryptosis, is a common complaint. This painful condition happens when the toenail grows down into the skin. It most commonly affects the big toe, with the corner of the nail growing into the nail bed.

People can often treat ingrown toenails at home by wearing sandals to avoid putting pressure on the toe, soaking the toe in warm water, and keeping the area clean to help it heal on its own.

Ingrown toenails irritate the skin. As a result, they can make it easier for bacteria and other microbes to get in, which increases the risk of infection. Promptly treating an ingrown toenail reduces this risk. Some signs of infection include:

·         swelling

·         pus

·         redness

·         extreme pain

·         a fever

If the toenail is very swollen or inflamed, or it does not get better after a few days, a doctor may diagnose an infection and prescribe antibiotics. They might also prescribe a special splint to prevent the toenail from growing deeper into the skin. If the toe still does not heal, a doctor may recommend surgery.

About Aftercare Treatment 

Now, there will be some mild swelling and maybe some aches at the surgical site during the healing process. 

We’ll send you home with a post-op kit with extra wound dressing, wash, gauze and bandages, and you should do best to avoid stubbing or injuring your toe as it heals. 

We may also recommend you avoid swimming or vigorous athletic exercise for some period of time after the ingrown toenail surgery. 

By the time your anesthetic wears off and feeling returns to your toe, there’ll be no more nail digging into the skin, and your symptoms will be a lot better than before you came in. 

In fact, most people are able to wear normal shoes and return to normal activities (work, school, etc.) the very next day. It’s about as close to walk in, walk out as it gets for any kind of surgical procedure. 

Treatment Reference