Ingrown toenails are a common, painful problem that may limit your ability to go about your normal daily activities. This condition most frequently occurs on the big toe, but may arise in the smaller toes as well. Though ingrown toenails can be a problem for individuals of any age, this condition most commonly occurs in young adults and adolescents. The causes of ingrown toenails are diverse and can include improperly sized footwear, improper nail trimming technique, direct trauma to the toe, genetic predisposition or repetitive trauma from normal daily activity. The symptoms of an ingrown toenail vary based on the stage of the condition.
Stage 1
If you have an ingrown toenail in stage 1, you may notice that the skin and tissue surrounding your toenail appears red and inflamed. Certain people may also experience swelling as the site where the nail has pierced the surrounding skin. Pain is also a common symptom that accompanies an ingrown toenail, and typically occurs where the side of the nail meets the surrounding tissue. A warm foot bath and proper nail care may help alleviate the symptoms associated with stage 1.
Stage 2
If you have an ingrown toenail in stage 2, you will likely experience a worsening of the symptoms experienced during stage 1. You may also experience discharge from the edge of the nail where it has pierced the surrounding tissue. This likely indicates that you have a bacterial nail infection, which may also cause discoloration of the nail or skin surrounding the nail. Topical or oral antibiotics may be necessary to treat the bacterial infection of the nail. A warm foot bath and proper nail care may also help alleviate stage 2 symptoms.
Stage 3
If you have an ingrown toenail in stage 3, you will likely experience a worsening of the symptoms experienced during stage 2. You may also notice the appearance of a bright red overgrowth of tissue surrounding the site of infection. This growth is called hypertrophic granulation tissue, and is your body's attempt to heal the ingrown toenail infection. In addition to topical or oral antibiotics, you may need to have a portion of your toenail surgically removed, depending on the extent of infection. A warm foot bath and proper nail care may help prevent the recurrence of ingrown toenails.
References
- "Canadian Family Physician"; Managing infected ingrown toenails--longitudinal band method; Ogur R., et al.; February 2005
- Mayo Clinic: Ingrown Toenails
- FloridaHealthFinder.gov: Ingrown Toenail
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