An ingrown toenail is a condition that can cause painful complications that may affect your daily life such as an infection. In the long run, ingrown toenails are caused by poor monitoring of the feet such as ill-fitting shoes. The condition can be divided into three different stages that can convey what type of treatment is needed.
- The first stage is indicated by pain at the lateral nail fold. This initial phase can be characterized by the inflammatory process, swelling, redness, and fluid build-up surrounding the nail of the toe(s)
- The second stage is indicated by the increase of pain where there might also be fluid coming out of the ingrown as well. Bacteria can also spread from this.
- The third stage is the most intense and can be characterized by the formation of hypertrophic granulation tissue and will develop after neglect of the ingrown toenail.
An advanced form of an ingrown toenail can be indicated by the following symptoms:
- Redness
- Hardening of the surrounding skin
- Swelling
- Blood
- Bad smell
- Throbbing
- Pain when touched
- Pus filled abscess
- Inflamed tissue overgrowth
- Thick, cracked, yellow nails (a sign of nail infection)
It is best to get treatment for your ingrown toenail in the early stages to prevent it from progresses into the much more painful later stages. Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our licensed podiatrists at one of our over 80 locations.