Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the surrounding tissue. The outcome is painful and inflamed skin as well as swelling of the toe. Ingrown toenails most often occur on the big toenail.
Often, ingrown toenails can be taken care of by yourself. However, if the condition does not resolve within a few days of care, you should contact your physician because further treatment may be required. Your physician will treat you and can often resolve the issue on the day of your appointment.
Causes of Ingrown Toenails:
In order to avoid ingrown toenails, you need to know why you get them in the first place. Below are some of the causes of ingrown toenails. You must address these conditions to avoid toenail disorders.
1- Wearing tight shoes.
This is a common cause of toenail issues. If you wear tight shoes it will put stress on the toenail, and they may begin to get ingrown. You should use footwear that is well fitted to your foot
2- Cutting your nails.
Oftentimes, ingrown nails may be a result of how you are cutting your nails. If you aggressively dig into the skin, it may actually make the problem worse. In order to avoid this, you need to cut your nails straight and not too short.
3- Toenail injury;
An ingrown toenail may also happen due to an injury to the foot. This injury leads to inflammation and discomfort of the foot.
4- Medical conditions:
Certain medical conditions like diabetes may lead to ingrown toenail issues. Diabetics with ingrown nails are at high risk for infection.
Factors having more risk of Ingrown toenail:
There are many factors having associated risk with ingrown toenails. These risks need to be minimized in order to lessen the chances of this condition. Listed below are some factors which may increase your chances of getting an ingrown nail.
- Foot perspiration:
Some people have increased foot perspiration. Excessive perspiration softens the nail. The softness leads to the bending of nails and the development of ingrown nails. In order to avoid such conditions, you should keep your foot as dry as possible.
- Inability to care for the foot:
Failure to clean your feet daily and trim the nails regularly can often lead to infectious processes of the skin and nails.
- Athletics:
Sometimes participating in athletics like running, long jump, and kicking leads to injury or stress on the foot. This stress put your nail and foot in close contact
We here at Texas Foot and Ankle Consultants treat any and every foot and ankle condition. If you believe that you have an ingrown nail and it’s not responding to at-home care, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will resolve your pain the same day.