What is an ingrown toenail?
This is a condition in which the edge of the nail plate cuts into the surrounding skin, causing pain and possibly leading to infection and suppuration. It can happen to any toe, but is most common in the big toes.
Ingrown toenail is a common problem, especially in teenagers and young adults. Ingrown toenail is a chronic disease that tends to relapse even after surgical treatment; it causes a lot of suffering and is an important socio-medical problem.
Predisposing and contributing factors
- Hereditary factor: many cases of ingrown toenails have been reported in members of the same family and the disease has been transmitted from one generation to another;
- Poorly ventilated, too narrow shoes with high heels or with insufficient support;
- Incorrect nail treatment with cutting of their corners;
- Transverse flatfoot, accompanied by a significant deviation of the direction of the big toe outward or inward;
- Wide toes with pronounced nail folds and convex nails, the lateral edges of which bend steeply (almost at a right angle);
- Congenital foot deformities, including excessive length of the first toe;
- Excessive human mobility, heavy dynamic or static loads and excess body weight, especially in the presence of functional weakness of the ligamentous-muscular apparatus of the feet - all this contributes to the flattening of their arch and the development of hallux valgus (inward deviation) of the big toes as a result of muscular-ligamentous imbalance;
- Finger trauma;
- Congenital thickening of the nail plates;
- Nail dysplasia.
There are three degrees of severity of the disease:
- Grade I — mild pain when walking, inflammatory reaction of the soft tissues of the fold in the form of slight swelling and hyperemia (redness).
- Grade II is associated with an increase in the acute angle of the nail plate and its further ingrowth into the fold. This leads to increased redness and swelling of the tissues, the occurrence of a purulent-inflammatory process and ulceration.
- Grade III — the formation of a bloody-purulent granuloma (excessive granulation in the form of a reddish nodule that bleeds easily). In the case of a long-term chronic course of the inflammatory process, under the influence of the pressure of the granuloma and the enlarged (as a result of edema) lateral ridge, the nail plate is curved.
If the nail fold is inflamed?
Then you will feel pain, notice swelling and hyperemia (redness) of the skin in the area of the ingrown nail plate. Sometimes you can notice purulent discharge at the base of the ingrown part. Increased pain and spreading redness will mean increased inflammation.
When should I contact a specialist?
As soon as problems with the fingers begin. The sooner you contact, the faster you will receive qualified help. This will significantly reduce your suffering.
Treatment
Treatment of an ingrown nail comes down to removing a small ingrown flap of the nail plate. Complete removal of the nail plate is a thing of the past: even if the nail plate grows in on both sides, it is recommended to preserve the nail plate and remove only the ingrown flaps.
- Local anesthesia is administered (with a thin needle at the base of the nail);
- A longitudinal incision is made, stepping back 1.5-2 mm from the ingrown edge to the growth zone;
- The flap is removed.
- The growth zone of the removed flap is treated with a surgitron (radio waves) in order to minimize the likelihood of new ingrowth;
- A tight sterile bandage is applied with antibacterial ointment.
The entire procedure is painless and takes no more than 8-10 minutes. You return to your normal rhythm of life immediately after the procedure. On the 1st (and sometimes 2nd) day, you may need a painkiller (Paracetamol).
It is recommended to change the dressings once every 2 days until the wound is completely healed. The period of complete wound healing takes from 8 to 15 days, depending on the severity of the inflammatory process.
Most patients seek help very late, sometimes even several months after the onset of inflammation.
How to prevent a relapse?
- Cut your nails carefully and not too short (it is better to do this after a bath or shower when your nails are soft);
- Maintain good hygiene and keep your feet warm;
- Stop wearing tight shoes and socks made of synthetic material;
- Treat the wound with an antiseptic and antibacterial ointment for several days if the skin is damaged when cutting your nails.