In our opinion, the answer to that question is now. As in, right away when you notice it. Although some podiatrists might disagree, we strongly believe that seeking professional help immediately for your ingrown toenail is by far the best choice. Every day, that toenail gets longer, and it digs farther and farther into and through the toe.
Unfortunately, a Google search for ingrown toenail home care treatments will undoubtedly return tons of results—including from many reputable medical sites.
In some cases, they can be effective. Number one, even when successful, they usually take several days to work at a minimum. And number three, a large percentage of people who get ingrown toenails continue to get them again and again, unless professional intervention is undertaken. So why bother with them at all? In fact, some of our ingrown toenail patients are as young as 4 or 5 years old, and they tend to handle it very well. So you can too! First things first: we check for an infection.
If you have no infection or a mild one, we can usually go on to step two. What is step two? A quick removal of the ingrown edge of the nail under local anesthetic. When we remove the ingrown edge, we will also usually remove the corresponding part of the nail matrix. Infection in an ingrown toenail can occur due to improper or tight-fitting shoes, inappropriate trimming of toenails, fungal infection of the nail, injury or trauma around the nail area, heredity etc.
If you need ingrown toenail treatment in the Baltimore and the surrounding areas or have any questions about the treatments described above, check out our Podiatry Associates locations and find a podiatrist near you. Feel free to call our scheduling office to discuss your specific situation: FEET. Connect with Podiatry Associates for an evaluation. Your email address will not be published. Jun, Common Foot Problems. Anyone who has dealt with a hammertoe understands how painful it can be.
The condition goes beyond just a primary toe deformity. It can cause serious pain when wearing closed shoes, difficulty walking and unwanted corns and calluses. Unfortunately, hammertoes are not May, Common Foot Problems. Bunions are often not noticed during the early stages of development. The deformity may slowly worsen over time without treatment. One common problem Podiatry Associates treats is diabetic foot ulcers. The main symptom of an ingrown toenail is the pain from the nail growing into the skin instead of over it.
If the ingrown toenail gets infected, it might be swollen or red, and it might drain pus. The area around the ingrown toenail is often painful.
Your doctor will do a physical exam to diagnose an ingrown toenail. He or she will look at your toe where the nail has grown into the skin. You can try the following steps at home to relieve the pain caused by your ingrown toenail and help the nail to grow out naturally:. Use these home treatment steps for 3 days.
If they do not help, you might need to see your doctor. Be sure to see a doctor if your toe gets infected. Your toe might be infected if it hurts more than it did before you tried the home treatment. Call your doctor if your toe is red, warm, swollen, or drains pus, or if there are red streaks leading from your toe. Your doctor might give you antibiotics. If your toenail is very ingrown, your doctor might suggest minor surgery to remove all or part of the ingrown nail.
He or she may refer you to a podiatrist. During this surgery, the doctor will numb your toe. Then he or she will cut the edge of the ingrown toenail and pull out the piece of nail. To prevent the nail from growing into the skin again, your doctor might destroy all or part of the nail root. This is called ablation. If your doctor removes all or part of your nail but does not destroy the root, it will begin to grow back within a few months.
After the surgery it is important to take care of your toe so that it can heal. Your doctor will give you specific instructions to follow. He or she may tell you to:. You may be able to prevent ingrown toenails by wearing roomy and comfortable shoes and socks that do not press on your toes. If you work in a place where your toe might get hurt, wear sturdy shoes such as steel-toed boots to protect your toes.
Be sure to trim your toenails properly. You can do this by cutting your toenail straight across, not curved. Make sure you do not cut your toenail too short. You can also leave your toenail a little longer at the corners to help it grow over the skin. If you have diabetes or peripheral arterial disease , talk with your doctor before you trim your own toenails. People with diabetes have a hard time feeling their toes and might cut themselves without realizing it.
Peripheral arterial disease can cause toes to be very painful. Many hospitals and health care centers have foot care clinics, where someone can help you trim your toenails.
0コメント