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Ingrown Toenails, or Onychocryptosis,
is a common form of nail disease. It is a painful condition in which
the nail cuts or grows into 1 or both sides of the nail bed. While
ingrown nails may occur in both nails of the hands and feet, they
occur most often with toenails.
Causes
Many things can cause ingrown nails, but they most commonly result
from improperly fitted shoes and nails that are improperly trimmed.
Shoes or socks that are too tight press on the sides of the nail,
causing it to curl and dig into the skin. Nails cut too short, rounded
off at the tip, or are peeled off at the edge vs. being cut straight
across are also more likely to become ingrown.. Additional causes
include abnormally shaped nail beds, trauma to the nail or toe and
other nail deformities. Proneness to ingrown-nail causing deformities
can also be genetic.
Symptoms
Symptoms of ingrown nails include pain along the margins of the
nail, increased pain while wearing shoes, & sensitivity to pressure of
any kind, By the very nature of the condition, ingrown nails become
easily infected unless special care is taken to treat the condition
early on & keep the area as clean as possible. Signs of infection
include redness and swelling of the area around the nail, drainage of
pus and/or a watery discharge tinged with blood.
Treatment
Treatment of ingrown nails ranges from soaking the afflicted area to
surgery. In mild cases, doctors may recommend daily soaking of the
foot or hand in a mixture of warm water and Epsom salts and applying
overthecounter antibiotics while allowing the nail to grow out so it
may be trimmed properly. Another remedy is to file the top of the nail
flat. This will cause the nail to contract and pull the ingrown sides
up.
More severe cases, such as when the area around the nail becomes
infected or the nail will not grow back properly, should always be
treated by a professional health practitioner. |
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