An ingrown toenail is a very common condition were the toenail grows into the nail fold causing pain and discomfort to the toe. Often times, ingrown toenails can become infected. When it does, the patient will typically experience, pain, swelling, redness and sometimes pus, blood or fluid draining from the sides of the nail. Some of the causes of ingrown toenails include:
Poor Nail Trimming
Shoe gear pressure
Presence of nail pathology for example, toenail fungus aka onychomycosis
Biomechanics
Congenital
Trauma
At home treatments include soaking in lukewarm water and epsom salt. Gently removing the debris on the corners of the nail, taking Advil or OTC anti-inflammatory medication, and applying Neosporin to prevent infection. If none of these at home treatments work, go visit your local Podiatrist or foot & ankle specialist. Do not try try and pull out the nail by yourself if you are diabetic, have poor circulation or neuropathy. This could make the problem worse.
If you are in the Richmond , Texas or surrounding areas, visit www.richmondpremierfootankle.com to schedule an appointment to see a highly trained licensed Podiatrist. Dr. Oteri and staff are always ready to help.