Most ingrown toenails can be treated right at home. Ingrown toenails need to be treated in their early stages in order to prevent further pain or infection. When cutting the ingrown toenail, be sure not to cut off too much of your nail. Doing this may lead bacteria and fungus to start growing on the nail. However, if there any signs of infection, you should go to podiatrist to remove it. Signs of an infected ingrown toenail are redness,swelling, and discharge.

Ingrown toenails can become painful if they are not treated properly. For more information about ingrown toenails, contact Dr. Paul R. Barton of Pennsylvania. Our doctors will answer any of your foot- and ankle-related questions.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails occur when a toenail grows sideways into the bed of the nail, causing pain, swelling, and possibly infection.

Causes

• Bacterial infections

• Improper nail cutting such as cutting it too short or not straight across

• Trauma to the toe, such as stubbing, which causes the nail to grow back irregularly

• Ill-fitting shoes that bunch the toes too close together

• Genetic predisposition

Prevention

Because ingrown toenails are not something found outside of shoe-wearing cultures, going barefoot as often as possible will decrease the likeliness of developing ingrown toenails. Wearing proper fitting shoes and using proper cutting techniques will also help decrease your risk of developing ingrown toenails.

Treatment

Ingrown toenails are a very treatable foot condition. In minor cases, soaking the affected area in salt or antibacterial soaps will not only help with the ingrown nail itself, but also help prevent any infections from occurring. In more severe cases, surgery is an option. In either case, speaking to your podiatrist about this condition will help you get a better understanding of specific treatment options that are right for you.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact one of our offices located in Tyrone, PA. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle needs.

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