Ingrown toenails usually affect the sides of the nail where the nail meets skin at the side of your toe. They may or may not hurt, but even painless ingrown toenails can lead to infections if they break your skin and allow bacteria to invade your body. Infected ingrown toenails can be extremely painful, swell and drain pus.
Causes
Your genetic makeup may predispose you to developing ingrown toenails. You can also develop ingrown toenails on the side of your toe as a result of trauma to that area. Kicking and running activities can also subject the side of your toe to repeated pressure that causes an ingrown toenail to form. You can get an ingrown toenail if you trim your toenail too short, as this encourages skin next to the nail to fold over the nail. An ingrown toenail may result from wearing socks or shoes that are too tight. Fungal infections or the loss of a nail can also lead to ingrown toenails.
Symptoms
An ingrown toenail may be hard, swollen and tender at first. Ingrown toenails may get red, infected and become more painful as the condition progresses. They may occur more frequently on your big toe. The condition occurs when skin on one or both sides of your toenail grows over the edge of the nail or when your toenail grows into the skin on the side of your toe. Infected ingrown toenails may drain small amounts of pus that may emit a foul odor.
At-home Treatment
Soak your foot in room-temperature water three to four times a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time, suggest FamilyDoctor.org, a website of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Gently massage the sides of the nail to help reduce the inflammation. Keep your foot dry the rest of the day and wear sandals or comfortable shoes that do not put too much pressure on the affected toe. You can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief. Call your doctor if your condition does not improve after two to three days of at-home treatment.
Physician Treatment
Your doctor may prescribe an oral antibiotic if he suspects an infection. Your doctor may inject anesthetic into your toe and use scissors to cut away the ingrown portion of or your toenail without disturbing the nail bed. Removing the entire ingrown toenail may increase your changes of growing a deformed toenail and it may take three to four months to grow back, reports the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Prevention
Wear shoes and socks that provide enough room for your toes without scrunching them together, to help avoid the formation of ingrown toenails. Cut your toenails straight across with a clean and sharp nail trimmer. Tapering your toenails at the edges increases your risk for developing ingrown toenails on the sides of your toes. Do not trim your nails any shorter than the edge of your toe.
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