Treating Ingrown Toenails

 Having an ingrown toenail can happen to anyone and is fairly common worldwide.  When this happens, you have a nail that grows in such a way that it cuts into the underlying tissue of your toe.  This is also referred to as the nail bed, which is rich in blood vessels.  This is one reason that it becomes vulnerable to infection once that tissue has been pierced.  Some like to try to take it out themselves but you should visit the East Ivanhoe Podiatry office to have it taken care of.  Doing it yourself, you run a bigger risk o infection.

It seems that ingrown toenails generally only affect people who wear shoes, but not those that go barefoot.  Two symptoms of an ingrown toenail are swelling and pain along the borders of the toenail.  The symptoms will get worse the longer it is untreated, especially when you are wearing shoes.  When you aggravate the toe that is affected it can cause sharp pain when the nail is pushed deeper into the nail bed.  This is what will generally cause an infection, causing a watery, pus, blood-tinged discharge.  At this time, you need to see your podiatrist Ivanhoe Parade for treatment.

Although many ingrown toenails are caused by ill-fitting shoes, there is another major cause.  This is when your toenails are cut unevenly, jagged, or too short.  They can also occur due to dropping something heavy on the toe, injuring the toe, or stubbing it hard.

When visiting East Ivanhoe Podiatry, the podiatrist will look at the toe first.  If it is infected, they will prescribe an antibiotic in order to counter the microbial infection.  If the podiatrist is not licensed to prescribe medicine, you will need to see your family physician for a prescription.  If it is a mild case before infection sets in, they will use a tool to make a small opening so the toenail grows safely.  If it is a severe case, the podiatrist may need to remove the ingrown toenail after the infection is cleared up.  Some may opt to remove the nail and then prescribe antibiotics.

The podiatrist may cut away part of the nail after numbing the toe, or if it is severe, or the ingrown toenail keeps coming back, they may have to remove the entire toenail and some tissue  There are some home remedies you can use to help with the pain until you can see the podiatrist Ivanhoe Parade.  One thing you can do is to soak them in warm water for 15-20 minutes four times a day.  This can help with the swelling and make the area feel less tender.

You should also watch your shoes to make sure they fit right and are not squeezing them too tight or just ill-fitting.  If you have an ingrown toenail, go barefoot or wear flip-flops or any open-toed shoe to keep pressure off the ingrown toe.

Conclusion

If you have an ingrown toenail, do not remove it yourself as you could cause an infection.  See your podiatrist and have it treated