Ingrown toe nail is very common. All ages are affected by the problem.
What causes of ingrown toenail?
- Wearing tight shoes.
- Nylon socks which can barely allowsweating.
- CUTTING NAILS CURVED INSTEAD OFSTRAIGHT.
- Poor hygiene of the feet.
- Frequent washing and using a lot of soap.
How to diagnose ingrown toe nail?
- Extreme pain around the nail.
- Swelling around the nail area.
- Redness
- Pus might or might not form.
What is the treatment for ingrown toenail?
- If it is in an early phase, starting on the right antibiotic might avoid surgery.
- But once pus forms and infection is deep-seated, surgery will usually be required.
- Surgery involves removing only a wedge of nail, called wedge resection.
- Surgery is usually done under local anaesthesia.
- Nerves on either side of your big toe and the ankle area are blocked using local anaesthesia injection.
- All pus and debris is removed along with a wedge of nail that has curved inward.
Is there any method to avoid recurrences after removal of the toenail?
- We go the extra mile to prevent recurrences in our centre.
- We use a cautery agent to apply not only at surgery but daily after to prevent the nail from regrowing in the area
where removed.
What precautions do I need to take after procedure?
- Daily dressing needs to be done for a week or so.
- You need to keep the wound dry at shower time.
- Daily application of cautery ensures no recurrences.
How do you prevent ingrown toenail in the first place?
- When nails are cut they are trimmed in a straight manner at the centre of the nail edge. Trimming is avoided at both the edges where the nail curves inward.
- Frequent nail cleaning below the nail edge to remove dirt will prevent infection.
- Wearing cotton socks will allow the foot to perspire and avoid sweat pore blockade.