Usually, you only pay attention to your toenails when it is time to trim them and get yourself a pedicure. However, an ingrown toenail can leave you dealing with pain and even difficulty walking or standing. While most ingrown toenails clarksville heal without medical intervention, more serious cases may require a visit to a podiatrist. This specialist can treat your ingrown toenail and prevent complications. They can also address other feet and ankle issues you may experience. 

Why Ingrown Toenails Develop

Ingrown toenails can develop when you cut your nails with curved edges or too short. Other causes of ingrown toenails include foot injuries, wearing poorly fitting shoes, fungal infections, and other nail issues. Your risk of getting ingrown toe nail increases if you have sweaty feet and are diabetic.  

Ingrown Toenails Treatment

To temporarily alleviate the pain associated with ingrown toenails, you can soak the affected tooth in lukewarm water with salt. However, this will not fix the underlying issue. When not treated, persistent ingrown nails can result in severe health consequences such as infections that may spread to the bone and tissue around the affected toenail. Usually, podiatrists recommend the following to treat ingrown toenails. The right one for you depends on your condition’s severity and nature. Also, the podiatrist will take into account how frequently you get ingrown toenails:

• Lifting the nail. If you have slightly ingrown toenails, your podiatrist will separate the ingrowing edge from the skin, relieving the pain. Then, they will put cotton, a splint, or dental floss under your nail to ensure it doesn’t touch the skin. Also, this lets the nail grow above the edge of the skin.
• Remove the nail partially. If your ingrown toenails are causing pain, redness, and pus, your podiatrist may get rid of the nail’s ingrown part.
• Remove the entire nail and tissue. If your ingrown toenail is a chronic condition, your podiatrist may need to remove the nail and the underlying tissue with a laser. 

Following these procedures, you must take steps to prevent a toe infection and encourage healing. Your podiatrist may instruct you to clean the wound and soak in anti-microbial soap or Epsom salt daily for two weeks. Also, you may need to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound and cover it up with a small bandage. Wearing loose-fitting or open-toe shoes may also be recommended to keep pressure off your toe as it heals.