At first, an ingrown toenail doesn’t seem like much to worry about. A little pain. A little redness. A little swelling. But left untreated, ingrown toenails can lead to more serious problems. That’s why you should never ignore an ingrown toenail.
Ingrown toenail is a common condition that you can sometimes take care of at home. Normally, the pain ain and swelling around your toe and the inability to wear certain shoes might be signs of an ingrown toenail. But if the pain becomes unbearable, or you can see an infection in the tissue around your toenail, you may need to seek medical treatment from our Culver City Foot and Ankle Specialist.
When the edges of your toenail grow into the soft, surrounding skin, it’s called an ingrown toenail. You usually get ingrown toenails on your big toe, but any toenail can become ingrown and is resulted from:
Incorrect toenail cutting
Irregular and thick toenails
Genetic predisposition
Shoes and socks at are too tight
Toenail trauma and injury
Wet feet
Here at Associated Foot Care Clinic Inc., our Board Certified Podiatric Surgeon Dr. Leonard Knudson is a Foot and Ankle Specialist that will help treat your ingrown toenails and get rid of any possible infection and alleviating painful symptoms. We've put together this helpful guide to help you identify when your ingrown toenail requires medical attention.
If you’ve ever had the corner or side of your toenail become red and inflamed, you’ve probably had an ingrown toenail. This common condition most often occurs when you cut your toenails too short, wear tight shoes, or stub your toe. Older people whose toenails thicken are prone to ingrown toenails; so are teens with sweaty feet.
Additionally, some people have toenails that naturally curve into the skin, making them more susceptible to ingrown toenails and infections. While you can resolve most ingrown toenails on your own, if they become infected and the infection spreads, or if you have certain pre-existing health conditions, an ingrown toenail can become more serious than just an irritated toe.
ASSESS YOUR SYMPTOMS
Ingrown toenails commonly occur in your big toe. Signs that you have an ingrown toenail include:
Swollen, red skin on one side of the affected toenail
Pain and tenderness in your toe
Pain from the pressure of wearing shoes
Overgrown skin at the tip of the toe or alongside the nail
Blood or pus that leaks from the toenail or an open sore
INGROWN TOENAILS COMPLICATIONS
Ingrown toenails commonly occur in your big toe. Signs that you have an ingrown toenail include:
A bone infection
Open sores
Foot ulcers
Oozing pus
Compromised circulation to the affected area
Ultimately, tissue can decay and die. People with diabetes, who already have poor foot circulation and nerve insensitivity, are particularly vulnerable to ingrown toenail complications.
WHEN TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH CULVER CITY'S
DR. LEONARD KNUDSON
Our Podiatrist have several options for treating an infected ingrown toenail. If you have diabetes or a condition that causes poor circulation in your feet, we can definitely assist you! After careful examination and talking to you about your overall health and wellness, Dr. Knudson may be able to carefully lift your toenail to separate the nail from the skin which will help your nail grow above the skin instead of into it.
PREVENTION
Protect your feet from injury.
Wear proper fitting shoes that don’t pinch or put pressure on your toes.
Cut your toenails so they’re even with the tips of your toes.
Consider surgery if your toenails are abnormally curved or thick.
In more severe cases, your doctor may need to remove some or all of your toenail. If necessary, your podiatrist may use a local anesthetic to numb your toe and remove the nail and a small area of skin that’s contributing to the problem. To treat the infection, you may need to use a topical antibiotic or take one orally. If you’re prone to ingrown toenails or foot infections, our Podiatrist will discuss preventive methods to minimize problems for you in the long term.
If the ingrown toenail is recurring frequently and its pain is unbearable, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Leonard J. Knudson, DPM of Associated Foot Care Clinic Inc. Since 1982, our Board Certified Podiatric Surgeon is a Foot and Ankle Specialist can determine what’s causing the recurring ingrown toenail and treat it accordingly.
CULVER CITY FOOT DOCTOR SINCE 1982 HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL CULVER CITY
Our services and treatments includes; Arch Disorders, Arch and Heel Pain, Ankle Pain, Ankle Therapy, Arthritis, Bunions, Calluses, Custom Orthotics, Diabetic Foot Treatments, Feet Pain, Foot Injury, Hammertoes, Heel Pain, Ingrown Toenails and more. View Full Service by clicking here.
The Associated Foot Care Clinic of Dr. Leonard J Knudson is located at 9808 Venice Blvd. Suite 600 in Culver City, California 90232. We are open from Mondays to Fridays, 9:00am to 5:00pm and we are closed during the weekends.
Dr. J. Leonard Knudson is a Foot and Ankle Surgeon located in Culver City and near West Los Angeles. We also tend to patients from nearby - UCLA, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica and the West Los Angeles area.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
CONTACT US to SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
310-876-1579
These are the Insurance Plans Accepted in our West Los Angeles Foot and Ankle Clinic
(We accept most PPO insurances and Medicare plans including)
Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm