“Ouch. My toenail hurts even when the sheet touches it at night” This is a quote often heard in the Podiatrist’s office. Ingrown toenails refer to pressure from the nail on the skin along the nail border. The great toe is the most common toe affected, but it can occur on any toe. Causes of ingrown toenails can be genetics, tight shoes, improper cutting of the nails, injury to the nail, fungus in the nail or often is unknown. The most common presentation will be pain on pressure of the affected nail border. This is usually most apparent while in shoes and on ambulation. There is often redness and/or swelling present in the area. In more severe cases, the nail can penetrate through the skin and result in an abscess and infection.
Treatment requires removal of the offending portion of the toenail. Here at East Avenue Podiatry, we have specialized nail clippers designed for excision of the ingrown portion of the nail. Local anaesthesia is often utilized to correct the issue in a painfree manner. If there is an abscess present, it will be drained at the same time. Once the offending portion of the nail is removed, a few days of antibiotic ointment and a bandaid daily will usually allow for complete healing. It is important to see a Podiatrist right away with this condition as it will not usually resolve on it’s own and avoiding infection is always desired.
Proper shoes and nailcare can prevent the problem from reoccuring in many cases. However, once the nail is growing on an angle, this can become a reoccuring problem. In these cases, a permanent removal of the nail border may be required and is a relatively simple procedure.
Please remember that foot pain of any kind is not normal and can affect you quality of life. When your feet hurt, you tend to change your gait and often end up with pain in your knees, back or elsewhere. East Avenue Podiatry looks forward to helping you maintain your foot health.