Ingrown Toenails
What is an ingrown toenail?
When your nails grow into the skin around them, it can be painful and even lead to the development of an infection. This often causes redness, swelling, and even discharge of pus from the toe. Ingrown toenails are most common in the large toe, but may also occur on other toes.
While treatable at home, it's best not to; this can often lead to more problems if diagnosed or treated incorrectly. Serious medical conditions should always be treated by a medical professional. While many people are able to treat lesser conditions like a headache at home with simple remedies like paracetamol, serious or persistent conditions such as ingrown toenails should be diagnosed and treated by a professional podiatrist like ourselves at The Foot Lab Glossop.
This is especially true if you have diabetes or another condition that could cause poor circulation in your feet.
What can cause an ingrown toenail?
Ingrown toenails can occur in both men and women alike. According to the NHS, they occur most frequently in people that have sweaty feet and older people due to the fact that toenails tend to thicken with age. Having sweaty feet can be a nuisance for a couple of reasons, be it an ingrown toenail or a fungal nail infection, sweaty feet do not help the situation.
Some of the other main causes of ingrown toenails are:
Irregularly shaped toenails (curved).
Improper foot care and general foot hygiene - this can prompt fungal infections which can in turn lead to a problem with your toenails.
Trauma to the toe - This includes stubbing your toe, having an object fall on your toe, or participating in activities that involve repeated pressure on toes.
Incorrectly cutting your toenails - Cutting your nails too short is the most common cause of ingrown toenails. If you cut your nails too short, it invites your skin to fold over the nail and into the groove where the nail meets the skin, creating an uncomfortable and unattractive situation that can be painful and difficult to get rid of.
Genetic predisposition - If your family members have also had ingrown toenails, you can be at risk for the condition. This is because the condition can be some what hereditary.
Those who are very athletic are also more prone to getting ingrown toenails, especially those involved in sports that require a lot of use in your feet for things like kicking or running. Sports like football or kickboxing are especially bad for this reason, high-impact sports, like kickboxing or football, put your feet through a lot of wear and tear, from contact with other players to the constant pounding of the ground.
How do you know if you have an ingrown toenail?
You can usually tell if you have an ingrown toenail by the way your toe looks or feels. When suffering from an ingrown toenail, the skin next to the nail will become tender and swollen, it will often hurt if pressure is applied, and there could be a build-up of fluid around the nail.
If the problem is to worsen and the toenail becomes infected, there are some other signs to look out for, but the best option for treatment is to see a podiatrist or your GP before the problem becomes worse.
If infected, the toenail will exhibit some more symptoms such as:
Further reddening or swelling of the skin near the nail
An oozing of puss or fluid
Bleeding
An overgrowth of skin around the toe.
Preventing Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails can after be avoided by taking a couple of precautionary steps. Some of these steps include:
Proper trimming - The ends of toenails should never be cut too far back, as this can lead to ingrown toenails. Toe nails should be cut straight across, but not too short. You should be able to get your fingernail underneath the sides of the nail.
Well-fitting shoes and socks - Staying mindful of what you wear on your feet is essential to avoiding injury. It is important to avoid badly fitting shoes whether that means they are too tight or short because they can cause discomfort, ingrown toenails and potentially other problems such as callus, corns or bunions. Loose fitting shoes may cause similar issues if the person wears them for a long period of time.
Wear protective footwear - If you work in an industry where there is an increased risk of hurting your toes, remember to wear protective footwear like steel-toed shoes.
Check your feet - Don't let a foot problem go untreated. If you have diabetes, take a look at your feet daily for any signs of ingrown toenails or any other issues that could be present. People that suffer with diabetes can be especially susceptible to foot issues so it is important that you check your feet regularly.
If you think you may have an ingrown toenail or any other foot problems, contact us today to book an appointment.