Ingrown toenails are one of the most common foot complaints treated by a chiropodist. This condition can be very painful and patients may often be very reluctant to have the condition treated. However, we can assure you that this condition will not resolve itself and requires specialist care. An Ingrown toenail is caused by a splinter of nail or the whole nail causing pressure into the skin. Some Ingrown toenails are acute which means that they have occurred due to an injury to the toe. Others are chronic, which means the patient has had the problem for a long period of time.

The large toe is usually affected; however, it can also affect the lesser toes. In the acute condition, the toe will be very red, swollen, and painful to touch and there may be a discharge of pus or a watery discharge with a hint of blood. In the chronic condition the toe will appear slightly inflamed at the corner of the nail. If the condition is chronic then the chiropodist will trim a small section of the nail to relieve the pressure from the ingrown toenail. He/she may also use dressings, pads, nail braces and silicone devices in order to prevent the condition occurring again.

If the condition is at a acute stage, then surgical removal of a section of the nail plate or the entire nail plate may be necessary. This is called a partial nail avulsion (PNA). A PNA involves injected the toe with a local anaesthetic followed by removal of the section of nail which is ingrown. The nail bed will then be treated with a chemical in order to prevent the section of nail which was removed from growing back. This procedure is very common and is not painful. The site usually heals within 4-6 weeks following the surgery.

The chiropodist may recommend the use of an antibiotic to combat an infected ingrown toenail.

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