ingrown toenail
Healthy nails can be achieved if the following advice is followed. Fungus thrive in a moist, warm environment so it is important to keep feet as cool and dry as possible so as not to create this atmosphere. Many may feel tempted to walk barefoot if infected but this can result in the infection being passed on to other people. This is often seen in places such as swimming baths. Feet need to be kept clean but they also need to be kept dry so many suggest showering in the evening rather than the morning so as to allow time to walk barefoot which means that the feet can properly dry. It is also recommended that socks are changed regularly and people uses shoes alternately so as to allow them to fully dry out. Maintaining healthy nails is a difficult conundrum as people should be encouraged to let their feet breathe as much as possible but damage to a toe could lead to an ingrown toenail so people need to take care.
ingrown toenail
Ingrown toenail is a condition also known as onychocryptosis and is a common form of nail disease. The condition is very painful as the nail cuts or grows into one or both sides of the nail bed. It can occur in either the fingernail or the toenail although the condition is far more common in the latter. There are a number of causes such as poor nail maintenance where the nail is cut too short or is peeled off at the edges, ill fitting shoes can cause bunching of the toes which cause the nail to dig into the skin, trauma can cause the nail to grow improperly such as stubbing of the toe and abnormal beds which can be caused by disease or a deformity can also be a problem.
Symptoms of an ingrown toenail include pain along the margin of the nail, and a worsening of the pain when a shoe is put on or pressure is exerted on the area. Banging the toe can be a cause of excruciating pain as the nail is plunged further into the tissue and the nail needs to be kept as clean as possible to prevent the possibility of infection. If this occurs the pain can become even more pronounced as the skin around the nail swells up exerting yet more pressure. The fact that the problem needs to be treated as quickly as possible is highlighted by the fact that leaving it can cause a person to walk with a limp which can in turn cause further pain to the foot and possibly the legs and back. In rare cases where the problem is allowed to become very serious a toe may need to be amputated as gangrene can set in.
By following simple advice and taking proper care people can avoid something like an in growing toenail and maintain healthy nails.
Ingrown toenail is a condition also known as onychocryptosis and is a common form of nail disease. The condition is very painful as the nail cuts or grows into one or both sides of the nail bed. It can occur in either the fingernail or the toenail although the condition is far more common in the latter. There are a number of causes such as poor nail maintenance where the nail is cut too short or is peeled off at the edges, ill fitting shoes can cause bunching of the toes which cause the nail to dig into the skin, trauma can cause the nail to grow improperly such as stubbing of the toe and abnormal beds which can be caused by disease or a deformity can also be a problem.
Symptoms of an ingrown toenail include pain along the margin of the nail, and a worsening of the pain when a shoe is put on or pressure is exerted on the area. Banging the toe can be a cause of excruciating pain as the nail is plunged further into the tissue and the nail needs to be kept as clean as possible to prevent the possibility of infection. If this occurs the pain can become even more pronounced as the skin around the nail swells up exerting yet more pressure. The fact that the problem needs to be treated as quickly as possible is highlighted by the fact that leaving it can cause a person to walk with a limp which can in turn cause further pain to the foot and possibly the legs and back. In rare cases where the problem is allowed to become very serious a toe may need to be amputated as gangrene can set in.
By following simple advice and taking proper care people can avoid something like an in growing toenail and maintain healthy nails.