$Unique_ID{PAR00110}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Ingrown Toenails}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Ingrown Toenails Swollen red painful toenail infected watery pus
Epsom salt solution soak salts solutions soaks shoe shoes trim trimming}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Ingrown Toenails


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Swollen, red, and painful area near the toenail
     - Thin, watery pus from the infected area
     - Raw, red tissue covering part of the nail

     HOME CARE
     - Soak the toe frequently in warm water.
     - If possible, gently cut out the ingrown part of the nail.
     - If the ingrown spur cannot be removed, soak the bandaged foot in a
       solution of Epsom salts and encase the foot, complete with bandage, in
       plastic wrap or a plastic bag.
     - In the case of an infant, do not try to remove the ingrown nail.
       Instead, wipe the toe several times daily with rubbing alcohol and then
       soak in warm water.
     - Any time home treatment does not work, consult the doctor.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Be sure your child always wears well-fitting shoes.  If the shoes are
       too small or too pointed, they can cause ingrown toenails.
     - Show your child how to trim his toenails correctly.


     Sometimes the corners and edges of toenails break the skin surrounding
the nail.  Once the skin is broken, infection can set in.  The infection
causes the tissues to swell, forcing the corner of the nail farther into the
toe.  This condition cannot heal as long as the ingrown portion of the nail
remains within the tissues.
     The initial wound may be caused by injury to the toe as a result of being
stepped on or being squeezed by ill-fitting shoes.  Another possibility is
that the nail may have been trimmed to leave a sharp spur at the corner; this
spur pierces the skin as the nail grows.
     Most cases of ingrown toenails involve the big toes of older children;
however, any toe can be involved, at any age.  A baby can develop an ingrown
toenail by digging his bare toes into the crib mattress or into another
surface onto which he has been placed face down.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     The toe becomes red, painful, and tender to the touch.  The wound
produces a thin, watery pus that works its way under the nail.  The
tenderness, redness, pain, and swelling gradually get worse, eventually
involving one entire side of the toenail.  Often the nail becomes partly
covered by raw, red tissue and a wet crust.

     HOME CARE

     If you discover an ingrown toenail early, you can often treat it
successfully by gently cutting out the spur or the ingrown corner of the nail,
and then frequently soaking the toe in warm water for long periods.  Even if
the toe is so tender to the touch that you cannot release the embedded portion
of the nail, prolonged soaking in a strong Epsom salts solution (one cup to
one quart of water) may cure the condition.  Cover the foot with a bandage or
cloth, and soak both foot and bandage in the solution.  Then cover the
dripping foot with plastic wrap or encase the foot in a plastic bag.  In this
manner, the nail can be soaked for hours with little effort on your part.
     Because of the delicacy of an infant's nails, the ingrown toenail of an
infant can often be cured by wiping the area several times a day with rubbing
alcohol, and then soaking the toe in clear, warm water.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  If your child repeatedly has ingrown toenails, check his shoes; they may
     be too small or too pointed.
  -  Teach your child to trim his toenails straight across, without leaving
     sharp spurs that may cause problems.
  -  An infection near the nail that lasts for more than a few days is
     probably the result of an ingrown nail.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     If an ingrown toenail does not clear up with home treatment, your doctor
can remove the embedded piece of nail.  If the toe is very painful, the doctor
may apply a local anesthetic before removing the ingrown area of the nail.  If
ingrown toenails occur frequently, your doctor may suggest minor surgery to
narrow the nail and make ingrowing less likely.