Causes, treatment of ingrown nail

In medical terminology, an ingrown nail is called an onychocryotype. This disease is due to the fact that the nail plate grows into the lateral part of the nail roller. That is, the edge of the nail grows into the skin of the finger. Sometimes ingrownion occurs from two sides. At the same time soft tissues become inflamed, redness arises, soft tissues swell and this process causes painful sensations.

Most often the nail grows on the big toe, in rare cases the fingernail grows on the other toes. On the skin at the site of ingrownness immediately there is redness, there is a strong pain when pressing on the skin around the nail and on the nail itself. As a result, an abscess is formed, which eventually develops into a tumor. This place can bleed. The finger acquires a cyanotic shade and begins to fester. A finger with an ingrown toenail increases in size, which prevents walking, your shoes become impossible to wear.

The causes of ingrown nails are associated with a hereditary predisposition. According to doctors, if one of the parents has such a problem, the likelihood that the child will periodically grow a fingernail, is very large. But do not panic, but rather take all the necessary measures to prevent the development of this disease.

A common problem with the onset of this disease is the wrong pedicure. THAT is meant an incorrect cutting of the edges of the nail. Strongly deep pruning very often leads to ingrown nails. When wearing crushing shoes, uncomfortable, narrow or substandard shoes that cause sweating of the feet, it can cause ingrown nails. Injuries to the toes on the legs are another reason for the onychocryotype.

What to do with an ingrown nail, and how should we deal with this problem in the future?

Despite the reasons, the treatment of ingrown nail depends on the extent to which the nail has grown into the skin and what symptoms are present.

In the early stages, while the nail is not very grown up and there is no suppuration, treatment of ingrown nails is carried out with warm baths. It is necessary to dilute a weak solution of potassium permanganate and in it to warm legs. Instead of manganese, you can add baking soda into the water. Take baths should be 3 times a day for 10-15 minutes. After the baths, you can try to trim the nail.

When the form is started, when suppuration has already formed, the balsamic liniment is used according to Vishnevsky or ichthyol ointment. To do this, apply the ointment on the bandage, folded in several layers and attach to the inflamed skin areas. Then the patient's finger is bandaged so that the ointment can not be spread can be wrapped with polyethylene on top. You can fix the bandage by wearing a sock. The bandage with ointments is used at night, when the leg is in complete tranquility. In the morning, after removing the bandage, you can try to cut off the nail and re-apply the bandage. If pain and suppuration do not go away, you should immediately consult a doctor.

The main treatment for ingrown nails is removing it. During surgery, the surgeon removes the ingrown nail and cleans the wound from the pus. Then a dressing with anesthetic preparations is applied. The dressing should be changed daily until a new nail grows. Duration of treatment is about one month.

Surgical treatment.

Surgical treatment of a nail ingrown can be of different plan. In mild cases, when in the inflammatory process a thickening of the roller around the nail appeared, in this case part of the roller or part of the nail is removed. After the operation, the patient significantly reduces pain, and the inflammatory process decreases. The process of restoration of nail platinum will take about a month. With neglected forms with the formation of pus, the nail is removed. During the operation, the nail growth zone is often affected. Therefore, the new nail can have an irregular shape.

Another ingrown nail is treated with laser therapy. This method consists in the laser correction of the nail roller. Using a laser, remove the overgrown skin around the nail. The only disadvantage of this method of treatment is that the wound after excision with a laser burns for a very long time, because the laser burns soft tissues. Usually, recovery after surgery or after laser therapy is very long and painful. But this problem can not be launched, because the inflammatory process can spread even more. The advantage of laser correction is that the frequency of re-ingrowing of the nail is sharply reduced, because the inner edge of the nail plate no longer grows. If the ingrown nail is affected by a fungal disease, then in this case a laser is used to sterilize the nail surface from fungal spores, with the subsequent administration of antifungal agents.

To avoid surgical treatment can be through conservative treatment. At which corrective devices are used. Which gradually unbend the deformed nail plate. For this, springs, metal or plastic plates and staples are used. These attachments are attached to the nail, and they do not interfere with walking in shoes. With such plates you can play sports. The main effect of the plates is that they raise the ingrown nail, while the pain sensations decrease and, accordingly, the inflammatory process decreases, the growing nail is corrected.

Some rules.

To avoid re-ingrowth of the nail, some rules should be followed.

The shoes you wear should not be tight. It should be primarily comfortable, spacious and breathable, and only then look at its beauty. The rules of personal hygiene should be observed. Every day before going to bed you should wash your feet. If you like to visit baths, swimming pools or saunas, be sure to wear appropriate shoes, wear slippers or slates. Be careful when doing a pedicure. Crop very hard edges of the nails on the legs can not. If you yourself can not do this, then you can turn to professionals in specialized salons.