ASK THE DOCTOR: Ingrown tonails can be a pain
By DR. JIM MITTERANDOQ - I have had an ingrown toenail for the past two months. What can I do?
A - Soaking the toe can help symptoms - especially when the redness or irritation worsens. Antibiotics may be used to temporarily decrease worsening pain, drainage and redness. Sometimes your doctor or podiatrist can cut out the irritating nail edge, though this can be painful and result in only temporary relief. Other temporary measures include taping the skin to pull it away from the nail or inserting cotton underneath the irritating nail edge.
For persistent ingrown toenails, simple trimming methods will not solve this problem.
The only real solution is having your doctor or podiatrist remove the offending toenail edge. This is minor office surgery in which the toe is numbed with local anesthetic and a side of the toenail is removed all the way to its base. The nail bed is treated with a chemical called phenol to prevent the nail edge from growing back. Occasionally an ingrown toenail can recur after this surgery.
Recovery involves 1 to 2 weeks of swelling, discomfort and decreased activity. But most people with persistent ingrown toenails already experience these problems and are willing to put up with this temporary inconvenience.
An ingrown toenail happens when the sides or corners of the nail curl down and dig into the skin, causing swelling, pain, redness and sometimes infection. The skin on the side of the nail often grows over the nail edge worsening the problem. It is a common nuisance that affects both children and adults.
Some people are more predisposed to this problem having curled toenails or skin that overlaps the nails. Tight fitting shoes also contribute to this problem. Improper nail trimming by cutting the corners too short may also be a cause. To prevent ingrown toenails, it is commonly recommended to cut the nail straight across; but this has never been tested to see whether it makes a difference.
Dr. Jim Mitterando is a family doctor at Cohasset Family Practice and a staff member at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.
Readers should send questions to: Ask the Doctor, The Patriot Ledger, P.O. Box 699159, Quincy, MA 02269-9159, or by E-mail to his attention at features@ledger.com.
Questions of general interest will be answered in this column. The information in this column is not intended to diagnose individual conditions, and individual replies are not possible. Readers should see their own doctors about specific problems.
Copyright 2004 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, January 06, 2004