Effective Ingrown Toenail Treatment 2021

Ingrown toenails, known medically as onychocryptosis, are a pretty common problem, especially among people who wear tight shoes. If you have painful infected ingrown toenails, your Avon, CT, podiatrist Dr. Richard Grayson of Avon Podiatry Associates, can help you with effective ingrown toenail treatments so that you can feel better.

Change Your Footwear

Wearing tight footwear that presses your toenail into the nail bed is one of the common causes of an ingrown toenail. Switching to comfortable shoes at the first sign of ingrown nails can prevent your condition from getting worse.

Altering your footwear to more comfortable options might be an excellent lifestyle choice for you, especially if you have recurrent cases of ingrown toenails.

Foot Soak

Soaking your feet in warm water is an at-home remedy for onychocryptosis. Warm soapy water is usually sufficient but you could add Epsom salts or apple cider vinegar to your foot soak solution.

The warm solution helps soften the skin around the ingrown nails which keep them from digging in. You might need multiple foot soak sessions before you get relief.

Pain Killers

Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can help you manage the pain from your foot. They don't provide a cure but provide relief while you attempt other treatments.

Allow the Nail to Grow Out

Cutting your ingrown toenail might seem like the right thing to do but it's not. It's best to leave the nail to grow out.

Repeatedly cutting your ingrown toenail might only worsen your condition.

See Your Podiatrist

When home remedies fail, it is time for an appointment with your Avon, CT, Podiatrist, Dr. Grayson. You might also be due for a visit to your podiatrist if your ingrown toenails become infected or you have underlying medical conditions that complicate foot conditions such as diabetes.

Signs that you might have an ingrown toenail infection include:

• Pus
• Foul odor
• Throbbing pain
• Increased swelling and redness
• High body temperature and shivering

To treat your infected toenail, your podiatrist might prescribe antibiotics. He might also recommend surgery under local anesthesia to extract the offending toenail.

If you are concerned about the progression of your ingrown toenails, you might need your podiatrist's help. Call Dr. Grayson of Avon Podiatry Associates, in Avon, CT, at (860) 677-7733 to schedule your appointment.