Ingrown toenails often are the result of trimming your toenails too short, particularly on the sides of your big toes.
While they are common, ingrown toenails can be painful. When trimming your nails, avoid tapering the corners so that the nail curves with the shape of your toe. The sides of the nail will curl down and dig into your skin. Shoes that are too tight or short also may cause ingrown toenails.
Ingrown toenail start out hard, swollen and tender, and later, may become sore, red and infected. Your skin may start to grow over the ingrown toenail.
Soaking your foot in warm, soapy water several times each day is usually a good way to treat an ingrown nail. Also, you can try inserting some cotton or waxed dental floss between the nail and your skin. Please contact our office to determine the best course of treatment for your condition.
Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed if an infection is present. Part of your ingrown toenail (partial nail plate avulsion) may need to be surgically removed if an acute infection occurs. The procedure involves injecting the toe with an anesthetic and cutting out the ingrown part of the toenail.
You can prevent ingrown toenails by:
- Trimming your toenails straight across with no rounded corners.
- Ensuring that your shoes and socks are not too tight.
- Keeping your feet clean at all times.
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| Records indicate that amputations and other forms of surgery due to infections of the feet, many brought about by diabetes, have been significantly reduced in recent years because of early diagnosis and treatment. Further reduction in this area is a goal of Healthy People 2010, a US Department of Health and Human Services campaign endorsed by podiatric physicians, to encourage understanding and application of preventive medical practices. |
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