Ouch! Make it Stop!
With this heat wave upon us in the Hudson Valley everyone is breaking out his or her flip-flops!! But what is that painful, digging feeling in your toe? You may have an ingrown toenail and not even realize it.
An ingrown toenail is when the nail, typically on your big toe, grows into the skin around the corner or corners of your toe. This can be uncomfortable and at times extremely painful. Many Americans suffer from recurrent ingrown toenails and now is the time to finally do something about it!
What can cause an Ingrown toenail?
- Wearing shoes that are too tight or crowd your toes
- Trimming your toenails too short
- Injuring your toe, like stubbing your toe
- Heredity (runs in your family)
- Fungal infection
- Poor foot structure
What can you do if you have an ingrown toenail?
- Don’t try to trim the nail yourself if it’s already progressed to this stage. You may do further harm by spreading the infection or damaging the nail.
- Soak the foot in warm, soapy water several times each day.
- If your toe is red, swollen, warm to the touch, you may have an infection and should make an appointment to see the doctor right away.
- A Podiatrist, like Dr. Yavor Geshev, can trim the nail back so that it is not digging into the skin anymore and can begin to grow normally again
If you suffer from recurrent ingrown toenails, there is a treatment option to have the corner of the nail removed permanently! The skin around the toe will then begin to grow back normally and you’ll be ingrown toenail-free and you won’t even know the difference!
If you have diabetes you are especially at risk for problems because the circulation in your feet is weakened. The interruption in blood flow to the corner of the toe due to the ingrown nail can cause infection, bone damage, calluses, ulcers, and even gangrene. If you begin to feel that nagging, painful sensation, it is important to treat the ingrown toenail right away.
Dr. Yavor Geshev at Hollowbrook Foot Specialist in Wappinger Falls is can help you take care of those ingrown toenails. Talk to Dr. Yavor Geshev about your options and stop suffering from those pesky ingrown toenails!!
By Dr. Yavor Geshev, DPM, FACPM
