The Joys and Pains of Toenails
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Have you ever paid much thought to your toenails? Perhaps you enjoy painting them or getting a pedicure, delicately prepping them for the next big event in which you can display them to the world in your newest pair of designer sandals. Or maybe your inner John Wayne prevents you from dolling them up, and you’d rather take your pair of hedge cutters, lop them off and be done with it. Either way, chances are you don’t think of them with every step you take, unless they are painful and cause you trouble. One very common culprit of a painful toe/toenail is an ingrown toenail.
An ingrown toenail occurs when the sharp edge of the nail grows down into the skin of the toe. This usually causes pain, and may involve redness and swelling around the nail. When this happens, it’s usually a good idea to take care of the problem promptly. This will avoid prolonged irritation by the nail, which in turn can increase the chances of harboring infection, not to mention the longer you wait, the longer you’ll likely be in pain.
There are a number of potential causes of ingrown toenails. Two of the more common ones are wearing ill-fitting shoes and neglecting the importance of trimming your toenails properly. Having poor eyesight or being physically unable to reach your toes easily can also make it difficult to properly trim your nails. Also, if you’re one of those people who have a tendency to pick or tear at the corners of your toenails with your fingers, just know that you can increase the likelihood of developing an ingrown toenail by continuing this seemingly harmless habit. Unfortunately for some people, being prone to ingrown toenails is just in their DNA. You may have toenails that are simply too large for your toes It is also possible that you were born with curved nails that grow downward, into the skin. Although the big toe is the usual suspect, harboring the greatest potential for developing an ingrown toenail, any toenail can become ingrown.
There are a few practices you may want to either begin, or continue if you already employ them, to help prevent the development of an ingrown toenail. First, you may soak your feet in warm water to soften the nails, being sure to use a clean bowl or tub. When trimming your nails, always use a clean, sharp nail trimmer or cutter, and try to trim your toenails straight across as opposed to tapering or rounding off the corners, as this may only put you at an increased risk of developing an ingrown toenail. Also be sure not to trim your nails too short.
If you have diabetes, poor blood circulation, any kind of nerve damage, or an infection around your toenail, absolutely do NOT try to treat an ingrown toenail on your own. Go to your podiatrist right away. For the rest of you, while there are some home remedies for ingrown toenails that may work, it is usually best to see your local podiatrist, who as a foot specialist, is the most qualified doctor to deal with such a problem.
