Ingrown toenails are a problem for many people and often appear on the feet. In medicine, this disease is called onychocryptosis. A person with him experiences severe discomfort. We will discuss the causes and treatment of ingrown toenails later in the article.
Why does it appear?
The main factor in the occurrence of the disease is hereditary predisposition. In medicine, many cases have been recorded when the disease appeared in representatives of one family and passed on to the next generation. Some experts attribute the following factors to the causes of an ingrown toenail:
- Wearing tight shoes. Due to the compression of the fingers, the nail plate cuts into soft tissues, which leads to the appearance of an ulcer on the skin. As a result, granulations grow.
- Fungal infections. Mycotic lesions of the nail lead to its thickening and deformation, and therefore the plate goes deep into soft tissues.
- Injuries. Damage occurs from falling heavy objects, walking on your fingertips.
- Features of the structure. Severely curved underlying bone, flat feet are anatomical factors leading toingrown toenails. Incorrect processing. Trimming the corners of the nails produces sharp edges that lead to onychocryptosis.
These are the main factors leading to illness. But only a doctor can accurately determine its presence, and whatever the cause of the pathology, proper and timely treatment is necessary.
Symptoms
The disease can affect different fingers. But it usually appears on the big toe. Most often, the outer edge of the nail plate deepens into the soft tissues. And since there are many nerve endings in the tissues of the fingertips, they are very sensitive, which is why an ingrown toenail leads to sharp pain, which can increase when wearing tight shoes.
Depending on the severity of the pathology, the following symptoms may also be observed:
- In the first degree of severity, there is a slight soreness, swelling, hyperemia of the nail fold.
- The second stage is characterized by ulceration, a purulent-inflammatory process.
- A blood-purulent granuloma appears in the third degree.
If these symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor. This is especially important if an ingrown toenail hurts a lot. The specialist will choose an effective method of treatment, thanks to which it will be possible to quickly get rid of the problem.
Probable consequences of an ingrown toenail
With prolonged inflammation due to granuloma and hyperplasticlateral roller, the nail plate undergoes deformation, becomes thickened and dull. The spread of the disease to the tissues of the posterior roller can lead to paronychia, panaritium of the finger, phlegmon, fungal or papillomavirus infection and other complications due to which a person may lose his ability to work. So, serious complications include:
- lymphangitis;
- erysipelas;
- osteomyelitis of the finger phalanx;
- hyperkeratosis;
- malignant process.
Timely and adequate treatment will prevent these consequences. The main thing is that an effective method be chosen.
Treatments
Due to insufficient study of the etiology and pathogenesis, the named ailment is difficult to treat. Its secondary manifestations occur in approximately 30% of patients. Treatment of ingrown toenails should be comprehensive. Treatment can be done in the following ways:
- conservative;
- surgical;
- orthopedic.
Each of them has its own characteristics, which we will discuss later. But do not self-medicate, it is better to consult a doctor.
Conservative method
If an ingrown toenail has become inflamed, then medical treatment is first carried out without surgery. The therapy is aimed at combating the purulent-inflammatory process, reducing the intensity of pain in the affected area, preventing injury to the plate and providing conditions for its growth.
Conservativetreatment of an ingrown toenail involves the use of lotions with antiseptic solutions, as well as hot baths in potassium permanganate or infusions of medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory effects. It is also desirable to use Levomekol, antimicrobial agents, for example, Baneocin, which includes neomycin. This drug penetrates the nail plate, negatively affecting pathogens, but without affecting wound healing.
The above procedures should be supplemented with displacement of inflamed tissues. Gauze strips, rollers soaked in a solution or ointment with antiseptic substances are brought under the sharp edge of the nail. During treatment, you need to properly cut your nails, observing antiseptic measures, and also wear only loose shoes.
Orthopedic methods
If the toenail begins to grow in, the following methods will also be effective. They are based on the gradual extension and increase in the radius of curvature of the nail by changing the direction of tension. Because of this, the edges of the plate rise, moving away from the tissues of the roller. A softening agent is applied to hard spots in advance. Orthopedic treatment uses individually designed braces (Frozer braces) or springs. Correction is carried out with plates.
These designs adapt to the curvature of the nail and are attached to it with glue. The duration of treatment is 3-4 months.
If the cause of ingrownness is the deformation of the bones of the foot, then orthoses are needed - medical devices that change the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems. Thesedevices eliminate corns that lead to ingrown nails. Orthoses also serve to protect the phalanges of the fingers from pressure and strong friction.
Surgical options
This treatment is required if conservative therapy has failed. How to remove an ingrown toenail surgically? This method is carried out by marginal wedge resection of the pathological area. In difficult cases, resection is performed not only of the problem area, but also of adjacent he althy areas with matrix electrocoagulation.
If the nail has grown into the toe, festering, then the following surgical methods are used:
1. Classical. The operation is performed with a scalpel, so it is traumatic and involves a long rehabilitation. The procedure is carried out under local anesthesia. In case of inflammation of the lateral ridges, before the operation, the ingrown area is tamponade by placing a special material under the corner of the plate, which is impregnated with an antiseptic solution. Surgical removal of the affected area can be performed by the following methods:
- Marginal resection. The method allows you to eliminate the affected area at an angle of 45 °. To avoid relapses, a bilateral resection of the nail plate is carried out, the matrix is treated with phenol.
- Selective resection. During the operation, the ingrown area and the growth zone are eliminated. Compared to other surgical methods, this one gives relapses in 2% of cases.
- Complete resection. With this method, the nail plate is removed.
- Phenolization. With thisthe growth zone is also eliminated in this way, after which the plate does not grow back.
2. Radio waves. The operation is carried out with the installation of "Surgitron". Due to the high accuracy of the radio knife, it will be possible to prevent thermal damage to he althy nail tissues. This event requires local anesthesia. The radioknife, outwardly similar to a stick with a loop, cuts the skin without touching it, and eliminates the damaged area. Then the doctor treats the growth zone, after which the stitches may not be applied. The treated area will heal in a few days.
3. laser method. During this procedure, evaporation and dissection of pathological inflammations are performed. The procedure consists of 3 stages. First, the corrected area is treated with an analgesic. Then the damaged area is removed so that the nail plastic gains a normal width. At the end, a deep sanitation of the side wall of the finger is carried out. Photocoagulant action protects against bleeding. The method allows you to carefully eliminate the granulation, so as not to severely injure the nearest tissue. The laser produces a strong antimicrobial effect, so secondary infection is excluded. The recovery period is 2-3 days. It should be noted that this effect on the toe with an ingrown toenail is considered the most effective.
Surgery should only be prescribed by a doctor. Correctly performed procedure quickly leads to recovery.
Traditional medicine
Ingrown toenails on the little toes and other fingers can be eliminated if the disease is at an early stage, when painthe syndrome is not very pronounced. During this period, tight shoes should not be worn. And if loved ones have at least some medical knowledge, you can lift the corner that has cut into the skin.
To do this, you need a cotton swab, which is placed on the place that appeared after the displacement. After a warm bath, it is necessary to advance the lining material further. Change the flagella every day.
If the toenail grows into the skin, treatment is performed to correct the problem:
- Butter. Feet should be steamed in a soda solution. Treat sore spots with butter, cover with gauze and polyethylene, and then bandage your fingers and leave everything overnight. In the morning, the bandage is removed, and the legs should be steamed in a saline solution. It is necessary to lift the ingrown area and place a cotton swab under it. The procedure must be performed daily for 2 weeks until the plate grows back.
- Aloe. A fresh sheet must be cut, and then attached to the problem area and bandaged. The agent is left overnight. In the morning, cut off the protruding stratum corneum and attach a new sheet. The procedure is carried out until the nail grows.
- Honey-onion compress. You need to chop the onion to a pulp, and then add honey (1 tbsp. L.). Steam the legs and process the composition under the bandage. Perform the procedure every night for 10 days, and lift the ingrown edge in the morning.
- Baths with infusions of medicinal herbs. You will need chamomile, St. John's wort, calendula flowers (2 tablespoons each). Raw materials must be poured with boiling water andlet it brew for 30 minutes. In the filtered infusion, the feet are kept for 20-30 minutes. Then you should lift the steamed ingrown edge of the nail on the big toe and put a piece of gauze under it. Activities should be done every day for 2 weeks.
It will be possible to eliminate the ingrown nail on your own only in the initial stages of the disease. If the inflammation becomes severe, the problem is eliminated surgically. In this case, traditional medicine is ineffective, besides, when using its means, re-infection is likely.
Prevention
It is important to choose the right shoes and take good care of your feet. To prevent ingrown, you need to follow the advice of orthopedists. Experts recommend wearing comfortable shoes that have a wide front. It will not restrict the movement of fingers and lead to the growth of bumps, calluses.
How to cut ingrown toenails? This should be done without removing the corners - so that the edge of the plate creates a straight line. To prevent the disease, it is advisable to do a medical pedicure every month. It involves hardware processing of nails, nail ridges with frescoes. Then, capolin is laid between the plate and the lateral soft tissues to cushion and lift the painful corner - a soft tissue that is used for tamponade of the ingrown edge.
In order to prevent complications, at the first sign of illness, you should contact a surgeon or a podiatrist. The specialist will assess the neglect of the process, and then send him for a blood test, probablywill recommend setting the glucose level as well.
If you suspect a nail fungus, it is important to visit a dermatologist who will be prescribed the appropriate treatment.
Choice of shoes
To prevent foot problems, you must follow simple rules:
- Feet will be he althy only with proper shoes. It should keep your feet dry and comfortable.
- In the heat, wear breathable shoes to protect your feet from overheating. Otherwise, an unpleasant odor occurs, and then a fungus develops.
- In winter, you should keep your feet warm and dry. It is better to choose waterproof high boots and woolen socks, otherwise there is a risk of frostbite.
Footcare
In order to avoid ingrownness, it is necessary to perform quality foot care:
- Feet get dirty faster than other parts of the body. If bathing occurs in the morning, then it is necessary to rinse the feet before going to bed. Cleansing procedures protect against the appearance of fungus.
- Feet are washed with warm water and detergent to eliminate bacteria, sweat and dirt. Be sure to wash the areas between your fingers thoroughly, because the fungus appears there.
- Feet should be wiped dry, rubbing the indentations thoroughly. If open shoes are worn in the summer, then you should pay more attention to your nails, cleaning them with a soft brush and soap.
After water procedures, you need to moisturize your legs and feet, treating them with a nourishing cream or lotion, this will make the skin soft. You can use cosmetic Vaseline - after applying it, you need to wear socks. It is important to monitor the amount of the composition, since excessive application leads to fungus.
Still need to remove the cuticle. To soften it, an essential oil is used, which will protect against skin rupture in this place. Cuticles need regular care. First, it is steamed with an herbal bath, and then moved to the base of the finger with an orange stylus.
Correct cutting of nails
It is important to follow this procedure correctly:
- Cut your nails once every 3-4 weeks. This ensures their he alth. If the event is not carried out correctly, then not only an ingrown nail may appear, but also painful sensations.
- First you need to steam, and cut the free edge in a straight line.
- To make nails of a rounded shape it will turn out thanks to a special file. The plate should be cut without rounding. No need to cut your nails to the root.
Thus, ingrown toenails are a common problem, especially on the feet. It is necessary to follow the rules of prevention in order to prevent this phenomenon. But if it has appeared, then it is important to take effective measures to eliminate it.
