beauty and health

Posts Tagged ‘fungus’

Lately it seems as if insurance companies are rejecting more and more small claims and those for minor foot issues are no different. Ingrown toe nails, also known as onychocryptosis, and nail fungus known as Onychomycosis can become a pesky problem and often need medical intervention. However there are several things you can do to prevent and treat this issue at home.

An ingrown toe nail is when the side or corner of your toenail grows into the soft flesh of that toe or the flesh of the toe grows over one or both edges of the nail. This causes swelling, inflammation, redness and can even lead to an nail fungus infection. It is a condition that can become severely painful. When left untreated it can lead to an infection. There are those who suffer from chronic ingrown toenails and experience constant episodes of pain and infection. They can occur in the nails of the hands and feet but are most common and known for affecting the toenails. The toe most affected is generally the big toe.

The first and most important step would be prevention. Nearly all cases of onychocryptosis are from wearing shoes that do not fit properly. This ranges from not enough room for your toes to fully extend, too much side pressure or a constant damp or wet environment without enough air circulation. Subjecting your feet to this daily causes the nail plate to soften and the skin to swell. Another frequent cause of this condition is cutting your toe nails improperly. Cutting the nail too low will allow the nail to bend more and grow into the skin. The angle of the cut is also important and should be straight across the nail. A trauma to the nail by stubbing it or dropping a heavy object onto your foot can cause damage to the nail and force it to grow improperly. Others suffer from this condition chronically due to genetics.

There are several forms of treatment that can be done at home and with proper prevention can cure you of this condition. Soaking a minor infection in an anti bacterial solution or warm salt water for 20 minutes and frequent cleaning of the nail will help ease the problem. Also raising the nail up by placing a cotton ball beneath it will help encourage the nail to grow back in the right place. A Band-Aid can be used to wrap underneath the toe and pull the soft flesh away from the nail to alleviate pain and help direct the nail to grow properly. If the general infection is treated then the nail should heal itself naturally.

In some cases an ingrown toenail results in a serious infection. This must be treated by a doctor and should not be ignored. Your doctor may try to fix the nail by using a splint if the infection is mild and may even suggest an over the counter medication to take. However there are times when surgery is required to remove a portion or the entire nail.