How your podiatrists in Louisville, KY, can help with an ingrown toenail

Ingrown toenails are painful. When you develop an ingrown toenail, it can be difficult to know what to do. If in doubt, ask your podiatrist, who is an expert at conditions affecting toes, feet, and ankles.

Drs. Chirag Patel, and Scott Hudzinski at New Horizons Foot and Ankle Associates in Louisville, KY, provide a wide range of podiatry services, including treatment of ingrown toenails.

If you have toenails that naturally curve downward, it puts you at higher risk of developing ingrown toenails. You can also develop an ingrown toenail if you:

• Cut your toenails too short
• Injure your toes
• Have bad foot structure
• Have a fungal infection beneath your toenail
• Wear shoes with a narrow toe area

There are some signs and symptoms of an ingrown toenail for you to know about, including:

• A toe that appears swollen and dark
• A toe that appears red
• Pus coming out from under your toenail
• Experiencing throbbing pain and pressure in your toe

You can help prevent an ingrown toenail if you:

• Cut your toenails straight across, without rounded corners
• Avoid cutting your toenails too short
• Wear comfortable, protective shoes to avoid trauma to your toes
• Wear shoes with a wide toe box, to avoid crushing your toes together

You can try a few simple tips at home to get relief from an ingrown toenail. Remember to:

• Soak your toe in warm water
• Apply antibiotic cream to your toe
• Cushion and bandage your toenail
• Place a piece of dental floss under your toenail to hold the toenail upward
• Wear sandals or open toe shoes to help heal your toenail

For an ingrown toenail that doesn’t respond to home therapies, you need to visit your podiatrist. Professional treatments for an ingrown toenail include:

• Lifting your toenail up from your skin to allow the toenail to grow freely
• Trimming and thinning your toenail to reduce pressure
• Removing the toenail completely so a new, healthy toenail can grow

To learn more about prevention and treatment of ingrown toenails and other foot and ankle services, call Drs. Chirag Patel, and Scott Hudzinski at New Horizons Foot and Ankle Associates in Louisville, KY. You can reach them in the office by calling (502) 808-3668, so call now.