Ingrown Toenail: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

An ingrown toenail is a condition that can affect any toe, although it frequently affects the big toe. It is a very common condition in which the nail penetrates the flesh from the top or side.

Mild cases are easily treatable at home, but if the pain is severe, or there is pus or spreading redness, you should see your doctor to help you avoid possible complications.

Symptoms

In the early stages, there is redness with some swelling. As the nail becomes more ingrown due to growth, an infection may develop in the tissue surrounding the nail. This causes a painful swelling that is very tender to the touch.

Causes

The predominant causes of the formation of an ingrown toenail are 4:

• Wearing narrow shoes that compress the foot and cause the nails to be too close together.
• Cutting your nails too short
• Hitting yourself so hard that your nail is damaged
• Having very curved nails

Complications:

Complications arise exclusively from not treating the active infection, which can continue its course and infect the bone, producing a serious infection in the area.

Diabetics must take special care, as the disease reduces blood flow, which can even damage nerves. This is especially important for diabetics because any injury, such as a scrape, cut, or ingrown toenail, may not heal properly and may lead to infection. These open wounds or ulcers may even require surgery to prevent tissue necrosis or gangrene.

Prevention:

The best possible prevention is good hygiene and nail care.

• We should cut our nails straight across, not along the shape of our fingers. This will help prevent the nail from bending and help it grow straight. If you have trouble cutting your nails, visit a podiatrist regularly for help with nail care.
• Check your feet and toenails daily. Many diabetics have decreased sensation and don't feel pain as much as others. To avoid future complications, you should check your feet daily for cuts, calluses, abrasions, or ingrown toenails.
• Don't cut the nail too short. Cut the nail to the same length as the tip of the finger, and never shorter.
• Wear appropriate shoes. Wearing shoes that are too tight or the wrong size can cause ingrown toenails due to pressure.

Treatment:

If you have an active infection, diabetes, poor circulation, or nerve damage in your foot, you should see a doctor and not treat the problem at home due to possible complications.

Home treatment when there is no active infection (PUS):

• Place a small piece of cotton soaked in antiseptic between the nail and the skin. You can use tweezers to insert the cotton. The cotton should be changed daily.
• Soak your foot in warm (not boiling) water 3 or 4 times a day for 15–20 minutes. This will soften the area and prevent further ingrown toes.

If this doesn't work and the ingrown toenail gets worse, see your doctor, a foot specialist (podiatrist), or a skin specialist (dermatologist).

Medical treatment:

After examining the injury, the doctor will decide the type of treatment needed.

In case of infection, your doctor will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic to treat it. One of the most commonly used medications is Anaclosil, a specific antibiotic for treating soft tissue infections.

If the nail doesn't improve after treatment, you may need a minor outpatient procedure to remove the ingrown part and correct the growth. This is a very simple procedure that can be performed right in the office.

The best treatment is prevention

Angel The Vanaclocha Order

Community Pharmacist at Nuria Vanaclocha Pharmacy

Literature:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3362847/

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14764170410029077

https://journals.lww.com/dermatologicsurgery/Abstract/2010/08000/Partial_Excision_of_Matrix_and_Phenolic_Ablation.11.aspx