Treatment For Ingrown Toenails In Muncie IN
Ingrown toenails occur when the edge of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin, causing pain, swelling, and sometimes infection. This common condition often affects the big toe and can be both painful and bothersome. It’s important to understand when you’re dealing with an ingrown toenail and how you can relieve your pain.
Dealing With Ingrown Toenails
When you’re dealing with an ingrown toenail, it’s common that it can cause severe pain and make it difficult to function. You might find yourself missing out on certain activities due to pain from ingrown toenails. It’s important that you seek help before it becomes infected and find relief from your pain.
Ingrown toenails are often caused by cutting the toenail too short or rounding the edges of the nail. This usually encourages the nail to grow into the skin and cause an ingrown toenail. Other causes include wearing shoes that are too tight on the toes and experiencing trauma to the toe.
Common signs of an ingrown toenail can include:
- Pain and tenderness along one or both sides of the nail
- Redness and swelling around the nail
- Possible infection indicated by pus or oozing
If you’re dealing with an ingrown toenail, it’s important to talk to your podiatrist about treatment and how you can relieve your pain. You can soak your foot in warm, soapy water to reduce swelling and alleviate your pain. Wearing comfortable shoes can also help reduce pain. If you’re dealing with severe pain, you can gently lift the edge of the nail and place a piece of cotton or dental floss under it to encourage proper growth.
In some cases, part of the nail or the entire nail may need to be removed.
To prevent ingrown toenails, it’s important to care for your feet and take the proper steps to ensure that your nails grow correctly. You should make sure that you trim your nails straight across and avoid cutting them too short. If you’re unable to trim your nails properly, you can talk to your podiatrist about getting them professionally cut. Make sure that you wear shoes that give your toes room to breathe.
It’s also important to maintain proper foot hygiene to prevent any infections if you are dealing with an ingrown toenail. Make sure that you clean and dry your feet completely, and always wear clean shoes and socks.
Contact Our Podiatrist Today
Make sure you know how to deal with ingrown toenails. Contact Dr. Tod Reed at Cardinal Foot & Ankle in Muncie, IN, at (765) 287-8279 to learn more about ingrown toenails and how they can be dealt with and prevented in the future.