Ingrown nail – What should I do?

An ingrown nail can be very painful and uncomfortable. It is always best for persons to see a podiatrist or foot doctor if there is also an infection or if they have poor circulation in the foot, nerve damage or diabetes.

Ingrown nail – What should I do?

If you have an ingrown nail, your podiatrist will make a proper diagnosis after doing a physical examination of your toe. The following are some of the things that your foot doctor will recommend.

An antibiotic will be prescribed if the ingrown nail has an infection. You need to take all the prescribed medication even if the symptoms are not visible. You might also get relief from home treatments if you are not a diabetic or suffering from circulation or nerve problems. You could soak the affected foot in salt or warm daily three to four times and then gently massage the side areas to help lower the inflammation. After that, you can apply antiseptic to the area and put a bandage over it. Once the ingrown section and the accompanying infection are treated, your nail should return to its normal state.

You should wear sandals and other similar footwear to avoid putting pressure on the affected toe. You must not try to do a bathroom-like surgery which involves cutting out the ingrown area of your nail.

Another recommendation would be to avoid staying on your foot for long hours and to keep it raised. You don’t have to worry too much as you might be able allowed to resume most of your normal activities on the following day, as long as you avoid the vigorous movements such as running for at least two weeks.

Your podiatrist might also destroy the part of the nail root that is causing the ingrown problem, especially if it is a recurring one. This can be done with the use of a laser or a special medicine.

There are some instances where the entire nail falls off if a surgical procedure is done. When this happens, a new nail normally grows back in the next couple of months. This new nail might be somewhat narrower if your foot doctor destroyed a part of the nail root. It is also worth mentioning that the podiatrist might have to inject local anesthetic in the area as well as remove the portion of the nail that is causing the ingrown problem.

Ensure that you get help from a podiatrist to deal with your foot problems effectively if an ingrown nail condition does not improve or you have a bacterial infection or some other medical problem. This painful and uncomfortable condition will not show its ugly side again if treated quickly and properly.

Ingrown nail – What should I do?
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