Do You Have Ingrown Toenails?

Appropriate & Adequate Treatment is Essentail

The medical term for an ingrown toenail is Paronychia. Toenails that curl in on the sides can penetrate through the toe’s skin causing a great deal of discomfort and even infection. If you’ve ever had an ingrown toenail, you know that the pain coming from that tiny little area on your body is excruciating and not easily overlooked.

There are ways that you can try to alleviate the pain, but the best option is to see your podiatrist, especially if you have diabetes, have any vascular disease or circulatory complications like venous insufficiency.

What causes ingrown toenails?
If you wear tight shoes, or shoes with limited toe box space, your toes will be crammed together, and the sides of the toenail can curl in due to the pressure on the nail bed. Other causes are not cutting your nails correctly, repetitious trauma or injury to the toes.

Risk factors for an ingrown toenail include:

Abnormal bone anatomy or position of the big toe
Abnormal bone growth beneath the nail
Poor-fitting shoes — too tight at the toes or too loose
Trauma to toe
Symptoms of ingrown toenails
Redness
Warmth
Pain
Bleeding
Oozing Discharge
Nails embedded into the sides of the toe skin

Treatment Options
The typical treatment that the podiatrist will perform for ingrown toenails is to soak the feet in warm saltwater or an antiseptic solution, cutting the ingrown portion out of the toe, prescribing oral or topical antibiotics, and applying a dressing the area.

For chronic toenail issues, there is a procedure to permanently treat the area, so that it does not continue to happen over time. The ingrown portion of the toenail is removed, along with the root of that area through a laser procedure. If you experience ongoing toenail infections, this may be the best option for you.

Podiatrists focus on the feet and everything associated with the foot and ankle, such as the tendons, muscles, ligaments, and bones. Podiatric specialists regularly treat anything that makes up the structure, function, and health of the entire foot. In the state of Florida, a podiatrist is not only able to medically treat the foot, but they also treat the entire lower extremity of the body from the legs down. Because the leg and knee are in such close relation to the effects of the foot and ankle, podiatrists regularly treat bone disorders from the knee down and soft tissue disorders from the hip down. Mid Florida Foot, Ankle & Vein Clinic are the experts in the field of podiatry.

Mid Florida Foot, Ankle & Vein Clinic provides pain-reducing, comprehensive, cutting-edge treatment. Their podiatrist, Dr. Gabriel Delgado, can treat all foot problems and even performs in-office surgeries. Rest assured you’ll get patient-focused care from their highly skilled and compassionate staff.

To find out more, or to schedule your appointment, please contact Mid Florida Foot, Ankle & Vein Clinic today.

Gabriel F. Delgado, DPM is bilingual and was born and raised in Lakeland. He’s married with 2 children and has been in practice for 18 years. He has 2 offices, Bartow & Lakeland. He’s a graduate of University of Florida and Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine. He’s certified by the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons as well as the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery.

Mid Florida Foot, Ankle & Vein Clinic

Lakeland Office
203 Kerneywood St.
Lakeland, FL 33803

Bartow Office
510 West Main St.
Bartow, FL 33830

863-686-1641
midflfootanklevein.com