SPECIAL THANKS
Thank you to the following Doctors for their referrals allowing us to participate in the care of their patients.
Barry Broomberg, MD
Robert Houghton, MD
Philip Milgram, MD
Thomas Buehner, MD
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Dear patients and friends,
Almost everyone, at one time or another in their life, has suffered from an ingrown toenail. Often, this first occurs during adolescence, but can occur at any age. The toenail curves into the skin, causing redness, irritation and pain. Most kids don't complain until their toe is swollen, red, and dripping pus! Don't worry, Mom, they hide them until they can't stand them anymore. Some older kids (yes, I mean you!) do the same thing from their spouses. Don't delay ingrown toenail treatment. You don't have to live with the pain. There are answers, and they are simple when the toenail is first aggravated, and become more complex the nastier the infection. In diabetics and those patients with poor circulation, an ingrown toenail can lead to a toe or foot amputation. Seek treatment when it is a minor annoyance!
What causes ingrown toenails? Toenails can be deformed due to hereditary reasons (blame Mom and Dad). They also can be from trauma, shoe pressure and improperly cut toenails (usually too short). Fungus in your toenails can also cause ingrown toenails. See our new treatment for fungus toenails at www.SDFootDoctor.com
Treatment for ingrown toenails can be as easy as reducing the pressure on the skin by trimming the toenail (with sterile instruments, not in your bathroom!) and then encouraging the skin away from the toenail as it grows. The old tale of cutting a notch in the toenail rarely works. You can try treatment at home after soaking your toe in warm water and gently massaging the skin away from the nail. If this doesn't work, call the office and make an appointment. Don't wait until you can't put you shoe on because it hurts too bad!
Minor surgical solutions are commonly needed because most people will delay care until the toe is significantly infected. A decompression of the infection, with removal of the nail spicule, is usually needed; and then followed by a permanent nail ablation procedure utilizing a chemical, laser, or other technique to remove the nail root. This is performed under local anesthesia after freezing the injection site for comfort. Local wound care is needed to help heal the area after your procedure is performed.
Even in the worst cases of ingrown toenails, most people are back to activity in just a few hours or days depending on pain and the extent of the infection. Rarely, the infection is so severe that oral antibiotics, hospitalization, and even IV antibiotics are needed to avoid toe amputation when an infected toe is neglected.
Bottom line: seek medical attention early in the case of ingrown toenails. Repeated nail trimming in your bathroom leads to significant deformity and infection of the nail. Call or contact the office for an appointment. Don't mess around with ingrown toenails!
For your foot health and comfort,
Dr. Ron Worley |
