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How To Deal With An Ingrown Toenail

May 30, 2008



Untreated toenails are painful and should be dealt with on an urgent basis. A common form of nail disease, a nail cutting into the nail bed is called an ingrown toenail. Cutting the nails too short, ill fitting shoes, trauma to the nail plate as a result of stubbing the toe or dropping something heavy on it, are some of the reasons behind ingrown toenails. Left untreated, an ingrown nail can expose you to a high risk of dangerous infection. Prevent ingrown toenails by cutting nails straight across and don’t wear footwear that is too small in size or width.

You can treat ingrown toenails either by soaking them or getting them surgically removed. The appropriate method is dictated by the severity of the condition. In nearly all cases, drainage of blood or watery discharge means a trip to the doctor, usually a podiatrist.

Mild cases can be treated at home by soaking afflicted digit daily in a mixture of warm water and Epsom salts and then applying an over-the-counter antiseptic. This enables the nail to grow out so it may be trimmed properly allowing the flesh to heal. Use Peroxide to help clean minor infections but iodine is more effective in the long term as it continues to prevent bacterial growth even after it is dry. Bandage the affected digit to keep out bacteria. Silver nitrate can be used in the very early stages of an ingrown toenail to prevent further growth.

As bacteria grows quickly in the warm conditions of a closed shoe, it is advisable to walk around barefoot to allow air to circulate. While, effective for mild cases, these home remedies won’t work when the flesh is far too swollen and infected. For more severe cases professional help is required, meaning surgery may be required for dealing with an ingrown toenail.


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