What To Do for an Ingrown Toenail

What To Do for an Ingrown Toenail

Are you having difficulty walking? Painful ingrown toenails are a treatable and very common dilemma. Dr. Jeffrey Agricola at Prestige Podiatry is located in Carmel and Indianapolis, IN.

What is an ingrown toenail?

Sometimes the skin around the nail bed grows over the side of the top edge of the nail. This position can trap the nail, increasing the risk of fungal infection and swelling. A person can be born with a genetic propensity for ingrown toenails, or it may be circumstantial.

Who gets ingrown toenails?

Anyone can get an ingrown toenail, but it is more common amongst those who have stubbed their toe, wear tight shoes, keep long toenails, or are in adolescence.

How do you treat them?

  • You may take over the counter medication to temporarily ease the pain. Soaking your feet in warm water with some Epsom Salt may help. This treatment reduces inflammation and softens the skin.
  • Some nails are firmly lodged in the skin. They should not be pried forcefully away from the rest of the toe.
  • If you were successful and separating the nail from the skin and the toenail is long, see if you can safely attempt to cut the nail back. Shorter nails may need a barrier placed between them and the nail bed while they grow out. Congenital and deeper ingrown toenails may require surgery to get relief.
  • Sometimes, bacterial infections afflict the site, necessitating medical attention. If this happens to you, do not hesitate to see your doctor have your toe examined.

Frustrated with your ingrown toenails? The good news is that a specialist can solve your problem relatively fast. Call Dr. Agricola at Prestige Podiatry at Carmel (317) 846-4111 or Indianapolis, IN, at (317) 881-0070 to schedule a consultation today.