Ingrown toenails are a very common condition amongst people, which affects the corner of the nails. Here the nails start to grow into the skin making it red, swollen, and painful. This condition can affect both the fingernails as well as the toenails. In most cases, people can get rid of it by soaking their legs in warm water along with Epsom salt. However, very rarely may need some medical attention.
You may need help from an experienced podiatrist who can help you solve this problem. Early treatment can help you prevent any infections and complications. In many cases, podiatrists use the method of ingrown toenail laser treatment, which is a very effective method nowadays.
At Dr. Sima Soltani Podiatry Office, you will get experienced providers who can offer different ingrown toenail treatments that will suit your condition. This doctor here does perform in-house surgery if required, but other than that tries to solve the condition non-surgically. They also do provide options like laser treatment for ingrown toenails.
Causes
Some of the causes of these toenail infections include:
- Cutting the nails too short or with a curved edge.
- Wearing a poorly fitted shoe or a shoe that crowds the toenails. This is especially caused due to longer nails.
- Injury caused to the nail and many other nail problems.
In very serious complications, an ingrown toenail can also lead to bone infection, called osteomyelitis. This happens especially to people who have diabetes and nerve damages.
Gangrene is also one serious complication of ingrown toenails. People who have diabetes are more prone to nerve damage that can make it difficult for their wounds to heal. In cases like ingrown toenails, there are more chances to have open sores that will take time to heal leading it to gangrene.
Treatment
As mentioned above, the most common in-house treatment includes soaking your feet in warm water. Apart from that, you can also apply some antibiotic ointments that can lower the risk of infections. In case of persistent swelling and pain, you can also take some over-the-counter medications.
Visit a podiatrist
If your condition does not get better with these in-house treatments and if they turn worse, you need to visit your podiatrist immediately to avoid worsening the situation.
Infections are very common to occur and these symptoms include:
- Redness and swelling in your toe
- A feeling of warmth
- A persistent pain in that area
- Seeping pus
Treatment at a podiatrist
Your podiatrist will diagnose the problem. He will then decide which treatment is preferable for you. He might also refer to a minor surgical procedure to remove the infection and ease your pain. Recently, a new procedure has come up and i.e., laser ingrown toenail treatment. Here a laser type device is used to remove the nail. It removes the nails from the root at the correct size, which eases your pain and lowers the chances of infection. The affected area is then treated with heat using the laser that corrects the nail.
For things not to get complicated, ingrown toenails at the root need to be treated. Apart from this, prevention is always better, and takes proper care of your foot.
