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Ingrown toenail

Ingrown toenail – what to do?

An ingrown nail is a disease from which at least once 100% of the world’s population suffers.

At first glance, it seems like not a big deal – the edge of the nail presses on the edge of the nail wall. There is a slight reddening at first, morbidity appears, but the matter is serious, because the subsequent purulent inflammation can lead to amputation of the finger, and in the worst case to gangrene with amputation of the entire limb.

An ingrown nail (otherwise, the disease is called “onychrictosis”) is called an inflammatory disease due to ingrown nail plate into the edge of the nail bed.

Causes of ingrown nail

There are many reasons for ingrown nails; the most common are five main ones:

Violation of the rules of pruning nails
Tight shoes
Traumatization
Fungal infection
Hereditary factor

A separate aggravating factor in this disease is diabetes.

Wearing tight shoes, wearing shoes with a narrow toe, as well as the need for prolonged standing or walking are factors in the development of ingrown nails. Bruises, frostbite, injuries on toe due to the fall of heavy objects can also cause this disease along with a fungal infection that causes thickening of the nail plate and contributes to the appearance of suppuration.

However, the most common factor in the emergence of ingrown nails in the world is the violation of the rules of pruning nails. While cutting the nails you should leave the edges of the nail plate free. In case of regular circumcision of the “corners“, the nail plate eventually expands and sooner or later the nail grows into the cushion and appear the symptoms of the ingrown nail.

Symptoms of ingrown nail

In connection with the constant increasing pressure of the nail plate, a local inflammation develops on the soft tissues of the nail wall, accompanied by reddening, swelling, and sharp pain. In a number of cases, it hurts even to step on leg, person starts to limp. Later on, inflammation is accompanied by the appearance of a liquid, and then a purulent discharge. Appear post-inflammatory granulations (called “wild meat”).

The nail generally changes color and shape. In the future, if you do not take measures to treat ingrown nails, purulent inflammation can quickly spread to healthy tissues of the finger and even the entire limb.

How to treat an ingrown nail?

The Internet describes mass of ways of self-medication for ingrown nail so-called folk remedies, a tea fungus, butter and so on, however surgeons of the Vitaclinika do not recommend in case of purulent inflammation of ingrown nail to engage in self-medication! The later the patient turns to the doctor, the higher the probability of dangerous infections.

The most optimal way to treat an ingrown nail is to call a surgeon when the first symptoms of the disease appear. In this case, it is possible to use conservative (non-surgical) methods of treatment. In the event that the symptoms of the disease involve surgical treatment, one of the many surgical procedures is used. Currently, there are more than a hundred operations for the treatment of ingrown nails, the most common of these is the Emmert operation (angular or marginal resection of the nail plate).

These operations are performed on an outpatient basis in the comfortable conditions of the procedural room at Vitaclinika. Operations do not require special preparation of the patient. The procedure takes about 10 minutes and will be done under local anesthesia. After surgery, the patient can return to normal rhythm of life. A few days after the operation is recommend coming to check up visit.

To make an appointment to a surgeon in Vitaclinika, you can call by phone or book visit online.

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How to avoid the ingrown nails?

Prevention of the disease is always much cheaper than its treatment. In order to avoid the ingrown nail Vitaclinika surgeons advise their patients to follow simple rules: