Ingrown Toenails – Symptoms, Causes, and How to Fix Them

Ingrown toenails are a bane that we often ignore until the condition worsens. For a lot of people, living with the discomfort and pain it brings sounds a lot easier than having it treated. In the long run, however, finding relief from the pain, swelling, and possible infection is a more effective approach than learning to live with it all.

If you’re someone who has noticed pain in their toenails while walking, wearing closed-feet footwear, or any time of the day at all, chances are that you have an ingrown toenail.

So, here’s everything you need to know about it in order to have it addressed.

Symptoms of an Ingrown Toenail

If you’ve noticed an ingrown toenail, it is essential that you visit your nearest medical clinic to keep the condition from worsening. Untreated ingrown toenails often invite bacteria which infect the nail, leading to severe symptoms. Some of the symptoms indicating an ingrown toenail include:

• Pain in the toe
• Pus or liquid oozing out of the toe
• Swelling in the toe
• Redness at the area or the area of the toe becoming darker

If there is any sign of pain or abnormality in the toe, be sure to head to a medical clinic.

Causes of Ingrown Toenails

There are many reasons why ingrown toenails occur. Understanding the cause can help prevent future occurrences of the ingrown toenails once you have it treated. If you’ve been suffering from ingrown toenails, here are some possible reasons why:

• Ill-fitted shoes
• Cutting off the corners of the nail
• Not cutting your toenails right
• Toe injury or trauma
• Your posture
• Poor hygiene of the foot
• Excessive sweating in the feet area
• Larger toenails in comparison to the toe
• Genetics
• The shape or curve of the toe

Treating an Ingrown Toenail Effectively

An ingrown toenail can be addressed by removing the nail either partially or completely. A partial toenail removal is carried out by administering a local anaesthetic and removing the edges of the affected toenail. The root of the toenail is also destroyed in certain cases. To keep the toenail from growing within the skin again, a bit of cotton is placed under the nail that needs to be changed every day to avoid infection.

Another treatment measure that practitioners at Lang Lang Doctors often recommend is removing the nail completely or removing a large part of it while destroying the root of the nail. This is done if the ingrown nail keeps recurring.

Depending on the condition of your toe and how frequently your ingrown toenails recur, your practitioner will recommend effective treatment plans that address the issue once and for all. If you’ve been dealing with one, make sure you don’t delay further and head to your nearest medical centre in Lang Lang right away!