Help needed for recurring ingrown toenails

Carmen asks Check Up to help her with her recurring ingrown toenails. She asks why this keep on occurring.

There are several causes for ingrown toenails.

These include: wearing tight shoes, wearing pointy-toed shoes, poor nail-cutting techniques like cutting the nails too short, wearing tight stockings, trauma to the toes, bad nail care, and toenail infections

An ingrown toenail can be quite a painful condition. It occurs when the sharp corner or nail edge digs into the skin at the end or side of the toenail.

When this happens, pain and then inflammation, swelling and infection occurs. Often, when caught early, a good nail technician can get rid of the ingrown area of the nail.

But when it’s infected with pus, deeply ingrown or very swollen, a doctor’s attention might be needed to solve the problem.

And don’t joke around with an ingrown toenail if you’re diabetic! See the doctor! Complications can be severe as a mild foot infection, left untreated, can lead to gangrene and leg amputation.

To help prevent an ingrown toenail:

Trim toenails straight across. Don’t curve them to match the shape of the front of the toe.

Keep toenails at a moderate length so that they are even with the tips of the toes.

Wear properly fitting shoes which do not put pressure on your toes. If you have diabetes, check your toes daily for signs of ingrown toe nails and infection. Write Check Up at PO Box 1731 Kgn 8. Email: arnaj56@gmail.com