INGROWN TOENAIL, BATON ROUGE LA

Insights about our ingrown toenail treatment

We have had one of those pesky annoyances that get in the way with the simple things in life, an ingrown toenail. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones if you’ve never experienced an ingrown toenail. Since you’ve stumbled upon this page, we’re pretty sure you are currently experiencing some discomfort.

Imagine being a toe for a day, getting forced into our shoes in and out, stubbing an end table, or clipped improperly.

All these little mishaps and injuries can affect how the nail grows, especially with that big toe sticking out. Naturally, a nail grows in a straight path, but with these outside factors, the growth can impose itself digging down along the side of the skin. Then that’s when inflammation, redness, and pain occur.

We’ll go over some ways to manage mild ingrown toenail at home. Unfortunately, there’s several situations when it becomes necessary to see a podiatrist. You may call Dr. Formanek’s Podiatry Baton Rouge or Gonzales offices if you face any concerns as provided here. We’re here to help, so please do not hesitate to call our leading Baton Rouge Podiatrist clinic.

What are the leading causes of an ingrown toenail?

Heredity conditions are the number one cause, and preventative measures are not possible. Other preventable causes comprise of:

• The margin too short or irregular
• Participating in activities that put more pressure on toes
• Adjacent toes rubbing together
• Underlying bone spurs causing trauma to the toenail
• Injury to the toe
  (such as an object dropping or someone stepping on it)

What are the leading causes of an ingrown toenail?

Having an ingrown toenail every once in a while can be a regular occurrence. However, if you keep on getting this problem, it could be that you have an underlying problem that is influencing your condition. This problem could include improperly trimming your nails or wearing shoes that are too tight for your feet. It also could mean that you have a hereditary condition that causes your nails to curve inward. Regardless of the reason, we are here to help and find a solution that addresses the problem’s source–this could mean a minimally invasive surgery or adequately fitted for shoes that will not clump the toes together. Ultimately, the goal is to have relief.

What if I have diabetes and suffer from an ingrown toenail?

Please contact our clinic or another podiatrist immediately if you suffer from an ingrown toenail regardless of the intensity. Diabetes can be very detrimental to your feet, so you do not want to try to treat yourself. People with diabetes are more at risk for infection and other complications of their feet and extremities.

When do I need to see a podiatrist for an ingrown toenail?

If you have an ingrown toenail problem, asking for help is the proper thing to do. If the following pertains to your situation, please contact us:

What if your ingrown toenail is not improving from self-treatment?

If you have an ingrown toenail problem, asking for help is the proper thing to do. If the following pertains to your situation, please contact us:

What if your Ingrown Toenail is Especially Painful?

Pain may be an indicator of a complication or infection. One should never deal with agony or pain when walking. Dr. Formanek has the tools, experience, and expertise to provide care for your ingrown toenail in a gentle, more comfortable, and it will be much faster in terms of recovery. The infection would require an antibiotic and temporary removal of the margin or toenail to allow for drainage. A culture may be necessary to treat appropriately. Our process will undoubtedly save you anxiety and pain.

What if Your Ingrown Toenail is Showing Signs of Infection

An infection isn’t limited to just pain, and at the same time, it is undoubtedly not always red or swollen. We’ve added some additional information on the symptoms that results in an infection, which includes:

-Radiating toe pain with light red-colored streaks
-Build-up of white or yellow puss and discharge beneath the nail
-Unusually excessive swelling for an ingrown toenail
-Fevers and chills, which can be less common

An infected ingrown toenail may require special care. Additional treatment is needed to prevent more severe complications.

How does a physician diagnose this condition?

It is usually self-diagnosable but a medical professional can confirm the diagnosis by symptoms and looking at the nail.

What do I need to do to prepare for my appointment?

Before the appointment, you should compile a list of your medications and surgical history. Inform your podiatrist if this is a problem you have experienced before.

Taking Care of Mild Ingrown Toenail at Home

At your own risk, your ingrown toenail can be self-treated if none of the problems above apply to you. Before we get into treating yourself at home, there are some things to consider:

• Even in the best of circumstances, treatment will take longer be less consistent
• We don’t recommend it since there can be mixed results.
• You can also start to feel even worse or even further develop the infection you hope to heal. (We recommend early intervention at our clinic to avoid the condition from developing. We have a high patient satisfaction rate and avoid amputations that other clinics have suggested.)
• The last thing we want to do is to encourage you to do something that ends up harming you. Ultimately we don’t recommend attempting to treat your ingrown toenail at home. We suggest that we take a look at it since this is something we can take care of for you quickly to get back to the finer things in life.

Going back to our last question on whether or not you should see a podiatrist, our answer is a resounding yes! It is necessary if you want the best possible outcome.
If you’ve read our thoughts and expert opinion on this matter and still are dead set on treating your ingrown toenail first without seeing a podiatrist for a couple of days, follow these instructions and see how you feel:

• You’ll need Epson salt, antibiotic cream, adhesive bandage
• For 15-20 minutes, soak your feet with warm water (you can add a couple of tbsp of Epsom salt) to help soften the nail tissue and help relieve the pain
• Apply antibiotic cream to the nail
• Wrap the nail with an adhesive bandage

Give us a call immediately if you don’t see any improvement. We don’t recommend treating your ingrown toenail at home, but should you take matters to your own hands, we’d prefer you to come to us rather than increase the development of infection should it worsen.The last thing you want is to increase your risk of infection. And a disclaimer will never try to conduct “bathroom surgery” by cutting notches into your toenail, believing it will relieve pressure, or even try to cut out the ingrown toenail yourself.

It’s simply not worth it.

Have other foot problems beyond skin and nail?

From ingrown toenail removal to Minimally Invasive Surgery for foot deformities (MIS), we can help you clear up the problem and keep it from coming back at Dr. Formanek’s Footsteps Clinic.

Our process is upfront and straightforward

• Injection (anesthetic)
• Removal of the ingrown toenail
• Removal of the affected side or toenail after the toe is numbed with a local anesthetic
• Temporary removal of the toenail margin or toenail allows it to grow back
• Permanent removal with the use of a chemical preventing regrowth so reoccurrence cannot happen

Never worry again, we’ll get you back so you can use your own two feet again, especially when it’s a 3 percent lifetime reccurance rate.

Prevent suffering. Don’t let weeks, months, or even years go by without seeking treatment and call us TODAY.