Do You Have An Ingrown Toenail?
Posted on: 28 December 2019
Sometimes, toenails do not grow the way that they should. Instead of growing up and out, they grow into the soft flesh of the toe, which can lead to pain and other problems, including infection.
While, for most people, ingrown toenails are usually not serious, they can be for people who have weakened immune systems, who struggle with diabetes, or who have other health issues.
Thus, it's important, especially if you are in one of these high-risk groups, to know the warning signs of ingrown toenails and to act quickly and seek professional medical help and treatment if you think you may have one.
Pains At The Sides Of The Nail
For most individuals, the first indicator of an ingrown toenail will be pain at the affected site.
Often, this pain will manifest as a throbbing or sudden sharp pain, and it's most common among the sides of the toenails.
If you are experiencing this type of pain, and you haven't recently stubbed or otherwise injured your toe, an ingrown toenail could be to blame.
Pain After Wearing Confining Shoes
If you experience pain in your toes, think back to what you were doing and, more specifically, what you were wearing before the pain started.
If you were wearing very tight shoes or socks or special footwear, such as hiking boots or skates there were confining, this could be a dead giveaway of an ingrown toenail
Confining footwear can often cause this issue, and it often acts quickly. So, see a doctor if your toe pain occurs soon after wearing such items and, when possible, avoid wearing tight footwear for long periods.
Redness
An ingrown toenail usually makes itself known by redness or other discoloration at the site.
If your toe is bright red in spots, this could mean you have an ingrown toenail.
In fact, any discoloration in the toe area should be taken seriously, since, whether it's caused by an ingrown toenail or not, it can often indicate the presence of an infection, which could be serious.
Discharge
Finally, be on the lookout for any liquid discharge from the toe.
Clear or yellow pus could mean that your ingrown toenail has gotten infected and may require medical attention.
Fortunately, there are many treatments available for ingrown toenails and related infections, and most of them are non-invasive and relatively painless. However, to prevent the problem from getting worse and from making treatment complicated, be sure to see a podiatrist at the first sign of trouble.
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