Ingrown toenails are a common condition for all ages. It is seen most frequently in the big toe, but can occur on any nail. It is not uncommon for ingrown toenails to reoccur if not treated properly.
Symptoms of an ingrown toenail include pain and tenderness around one or both edges of your nail, redness, swelling of your toe, and/or signs of infection around the nail. In some cases, an ingrown toenail can be treated at home. However, antibiotics may be required if infection is present. You should schedule an appointment with a podiatrist if you experience severe pain, redness or pus in your toe that seems to be spreading or are diabetic or have any other condition that causes poor blood flow to your feet and you experience any foot sore or infection.
Causes of an ingrown toenail include wearing shoes that are too tight that crowd your toenails, cutting your nails too short and/or not straight across, injuring your toenail or by genetically having unusually curved toenails.
You should never leave an ingrown toenail untreated. It could potentially infect the bone and lead to a serious bone infection.
The doctors at Gentle Foot Care can diagnose an ingrown toenail based on your symptoms and a physical exam of your nail and the surrounding skin.
Call our office today if you think you are experiencing signs of an ingrown toenail.