If your toe throbs and hurts when you walk or run, you may have an ingrown toenail, a common condition that results when a part of your toenail cuts into the corner of the skin around your toes.
Often, soaking the affected toe and trimming toenails correctly will help get rid of and prevent ingrown toenails. But sometimes, ingrown toenails are so painful and stubborn that you need the help of a podiatrist, like the professionals at The Foot and Ankle Specialists, with offices in Lapeer, Caro, and Bay City, Michigan.
Many factors cause or contribute to an ingrown toenail, which usually affects your big toe:
Luckily, an ingrown toenail usually isn’t a serious or urgent problem. But ingrown toenails can be painful and should initially be treated with these home remedies.
When an ingrown toenail causes significant problems, you should seek professional help:
If your toe feels warm, displays red streaks, or oozes pus, you should seek immediate help to prevent an infection from spreading to your soft tissues or bones.
If pain from an ingrown toenail slows you down, keeps you up at night, or prevents you from doing and enjoying everyday activities, you should get professional help.
If you have diabetes, you must take extra precautions to care for your feet. Foot problems that stem from sores, calluses, ingrown toenails, and corns are primary reasons that diabetics seek care at a hospital.
A relatively small problem like an ingrown toenail can become a big deal if vascular disease causes blood flow problems and nerve damage. Nerve damage often prevents you from discerning the extent of a problem until the situation is advanced.
Our skilled professionals treat your ingrown toenails by gently lifting and removing the piece of your nail that causes the problem. We use a local anesthetic to make sure you’re comfortable during the quick procedure.
In some cases, we may suggest lifting and splinting the nail instead of removing it. This trains it to grow away from the skin and prevents future problems.
For fast relief from your ingrown toenail, call The Foot and Ankle Specialists at 810-969-4016 (Lapeer), 989-673-3338 (Caro), or 989-667-3668 (Bay City); or use our online scheduling tool.
