You may have noticed and wondered why those who have nail fungus end up developing ingrown toenails, and vice versa. When you consider how these two conditions occur, the co-occurrence ends up making a lot of sense.
An ingrown toenail is when one or both edges of the nail grow into the skin and flesh of the toe. Ingrown toenails usually are seen on the big toe but can happen on the other toes too, and even ingrown fingernails are not unheard of. While a predisposition to ingrown toenails can be hereditary, the most common reason is that people tend to intuitively curve their toenails when they trim them instead of cutting them straight across, leading to corners that grow unevenly from the rest of the nail and so grow into the flesh.
Nail fungus happens when an injury to the nail leads to a crack, or a cut on the toe or fingers creates a site for exposure and infection for fungus. The fungus grows on the nail bed, and then infects the nail to cause it to thicken and become brittle.
When a fungal nail infection causes the nail to thicken, it can curve and dig into the flesh to create an ingrown toenail. On the other hand, an existing ingrown toenail cuts into the skin, and fungus can infect that wound on the toe to result in toenail fungus.
Regardless of whether you have toenail fungus or ingrown toenails, you should seek medical attention to get the best treatment possible for you. Call us today to schedule a consultation with one of our licensed podiatrists at one of our over 80 locations.