Your feet, just like any other part of your body, require lots of care and maintenance. Many people often disregard the need to take care of their feet thinking that they are tough enough to stand up to anything that attacks. However, simple tendencies like failing to dry your feet properly after a shower expose you to diseases and other foot disorders. A bad nail cutting technique can also leave you with minor injuries and discomfort besides exposing you to infections. In this piece, you will learn about a common foot disorder called ingrown toenails. Read on to understand that this is a bigger problem than you may think:
Ingrown Toenails Explained
Naturally, your toenails are designed to grow away from the skin the toes such that they appear to be moving outwards with time. When this does not happen, then you are suffering from ingrown toenails. The disorder is characterised by the corners of your nails growing into the skin immediately adjacent to the nail.
The Causes of Ingrown Toenails
You now have a clear picture of the term ingrown toenails. Your interest now shifts to the causes of this disorder. Why does it happen in the first place? Some of the causes include the following:
Footwear that does not fit well. If your footwear doesn't fit well, then it exerts pressure on the toes and forces the nail to grow in an alternative direction. Make sure your footwear always fits right, and that cuts across all types of footwear, including strapped sandals and boots.
Trimming your toenails improperly. Cutting your toenails improperly such that the edges are too close skin traumatises them and interferes with normal growth. Additionally, rigorous activity such as running without proper footwear can injure the toenails.
The Symptoms of Ingrown Toenails
Spotting the symptoms of ingrown toenails in good time is necessary for timely intervention. Look out for persistent redness around the toenail, often accompanied by pain. You can also experience swelling and fluids draining from the toenail. Usually, the fluids show that an infection is present.
The Treatment and Management You Need
A podiatrist will examine your ingrown toenail and prescribe suitable antibiotics or other necessary medication. However, you can manage this effectively by doing the following things:
Washing your feet with anti-fungal or anti-bacterial soaps. It also helps if you dry your feet properly.
Wetting your feet before cutting your nails. The water makes the nails soft and easy to cut, reducing the chances of trauma.
Share14 September 2020
Hey there. My name is Wade, and I have been a first aid volunteer for the past twenty years. Most weekends you will find me at football games, rodeos, agricultural shows or fun runs. I really love being able to help at these events and provide the necessary level of assistance. As a first responder, my medical role is very limited, but, many injured people do contact me to give thanks after they recover. This has further sparked my interest in health and medicine. I love watching medical shows and reading basic texts to gain a greater understanding of particular medical problems. I'm sure there are others like me who take an amateur interest in health and medical matters. I started this blog to share intriguing information I come across. I hope you find my topics fascinating and instructive. Thank you for dropping by.