Onychocryptosis |
Overview Symptoms of an ingrown nail include pain and granulation along the margins of the nail, worsening of pain when wearing shoes or other tight articles, and sensitivity to pressure of any kind, even from light bedding. By the very nature of the condition, ingrown nails become easily infected unless special care is taken to treat the condition early on and keep the area as clean as possible. Signs of infection include redness and swelling of the area around the nail, drainage of pus and/or a watery discharge tinged with blood. The main symptom is swelling at the base of the nail on whichever side the ingrowing nail is forming. Causes While many things can cause ingrown nails, the most common causes are improperly fitted shoes and nails that are improperly trimmed. Shoes or stockings that are too tight press on the sides of the nail, causing it to curl and dig into the skin. Nails that are cut too short, rounded off at the tip, or are peeled off at the edges instead of being cut straight across are more likely to become ingrown as well. Other causes include an abnormally shaped nail bed, trauma to the nail plate or toe and other nail deformities. Proneness to nail deformities that cause ingrown nails can also be genetic. Treatment Treatment of ingrown nails ranges from soaking the afflicted area to surgery. In mild cases, doctors recommend daily soaking of the foot or hand in a mixture of warm water and Epsom salts and applying over-the-counter antibiotic creams while allowing the nail to grow out so it may be trimmed properly. If an ingrown nail is left untreated, you will run the risk of infection. When the skin around the nail gets infected, it begins to swell up and put even more pressure against the nail. In the worst case, the swelling will begin putting sideways pressure on the nail causing it to grow at a slant. This will cause both sides of the nail to eventually become ingrown and swollen. Eventually the swollen parts of the skin will begin to harden and fold over the nail. An untreated ingrown toenail will cause a person to walk with a slight limp, which in a long period of time may cause further pain and injury in a foot or leg due to improper distribution of weight. Amputation of the toe may be the final outcome if the infection is left untreated for several months and turns to gangrene. Infection may be somewhat difficult to prevent in cleaning and treating ingrown nails due to the warm, dark, and damp environment in people's shoes. Peroxide is immediately effective to help clean minor infections but iodine is more effective in the long term as it continues to prevent bacterial growth even after it is dry. Iodine should not be used on deep wounds. In such cases you should talk with your doctor. Prevention The most common place for ingrown nails is in the big toe due to improper nail trimming. Cut toe nails straight across without a curve, do not pick at them and do not cut the nail too short. Wearing shoes/trainers which are too small, either in size, width or those with too shallow a 'toe box' will encourage any underlying problem with a toenail to get worse. |