Most people underestimate the health impact of an ingrown toenail until it starts eating up their skin tissues, leading to an infection. While you can manage an ingrown toenail through good foot care practices, determining its seriousness can be daunting. Your best bet is to see a podiatrist, your Las Vegas ingrown toenail specialist. If you wonder when the right time to see a podiatrist is, the Battle Born Bone team will be ready to share their insights on the condition. Visiting a Podiatry Newtown might include routine preventive care, treatment of a specific issue, identification of symptoms like foot discomfort, heel pain.
The toe fungal infection known as athlete’s foot is a common problem that affects many people. It can be caused by walking barefoot in public places or not drying the feet thoroughly after swimming. Symptoms include itching, burning, and flaking of the skin on the feet. For more information, feel free to visit Podiatry Auckland.
How untreated ingrown toenail can affect you
An ingrown toenail can develop when you:
· Improperly trim your nails
· Have a family history of ingrown toenails
· Wear tight shoes leading to crowding of toes
· An impact from repeated tasks
Untreated toenails attract pain and unwanted infections. Over time, the infection may spread deeper into the skin tissue, leading to further complications such as bone infection. In some cases, the pain can be too excruciating to let you do your daily duties. It gets to the point where the site feels warm, appears reddish, and may sometimes produce an abscess. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or peripheral arterial disease (PAD), your chances of developing more infections due to your chronic condition are higher. The only way to salvage yourself from the predicament is by seeing a podiatrist for treatment. Visiting a podiatry toowoomba clinic might include routine preventive care, treatment of a specific issue, identification of symptoms like foot discomfort, heel pain.
How an ingrown toenail is treated
The first thing a podiatrist does when treating your ingrown toenail is to place a medicated cotton ball in between your nail and skin tissue to reduce the pain. This process also helps to remove the abscess. Alternatively, your doctor may remove the abscess through surgery after administering local anesthesia. After that, the doctor may place sterilized gauze to drain the infection. Finally, you will receive an antibiotic prescription along with an ointment to promote healing and prevent your future occurrence of infections.
How to prevent ingrown toenails
Developing ingrown nails might result from your lifestyle habits or hereditary factors. You can prevent them by wearing shoes that do not crowd your toes. If possible, go for rounded and not pointed shoes. When trimming your nails, do not overdo the edges of the nails. Doing that only increases your chances of interfering with steady nail growth. Also, cut your nails across. It should not be longer than your toes’ tips. To get the best trimming results, go for nail clippers instead of razor blades.
See a podiatrist for ingrown toenails
Toenails are delicate. Any slight wrong move can cause complicated health risks that may affect your quality of life. While home-based treatments can help relieve your pain and manage your infection, they might not guarantee future occurrences. Even if you successfully heal your affected toenail, there are high chances that your other nails might be at risk due to the infection. Seeing a podiatrist is the only way to determine if you are safe from the pain caused by ingrown toenails. To learn more about ingrown toenail treatment options, schedule a visit to your podiatrist today.
