If you have an ingrown toenail, you shouldn’t be doing any physical activity. The increased pressure on the toe from running, jumping, or other activities will make the ingrown worse. However, if you are an active person and can’t immediately get in to see a podiatrist, you may be wondering what physical activity you can do in the meantime. Since swimming has a very low impact on the feet, you may be wondering if this is a safe activity to do with an ingrown toenail.
The short answer is that it is not a good idea to be swimming with an ingrown toenail. If you are swimming in a chlorinated pool, the chance of getting an infection from the water is pretty low. However, the chlorine can irritate the skin of the ingrown toenail and dry out the skin. Additionally, the floors around public pools are notorious for harboring fungal spores and bacteria, which could then enter into your ingrown toenail wound. If you are swimming in a lake or other natural body of water, there are likely pathogens inside of that water that could infect your toenail. While the water you are swimming in could potentially help soften the skin around the ingrown toenail, the best thing to do is be safe and soak your feet in clean water at home instead.
If you have an ingrown toenail, you should get it treated by a licensed podiatrist so that you can resume all of your normal activities as soon as possible. A podiatrist will be able to remove the ingrown toenail so that you can swim without worrying about the ingrown getting worse or becoming infected. Your doctor will also be able to give expert advice on when you will be able to start swimming again. To schedule your consultation with a podiatrist, give us a call at (424)-299-4627 or visit our website for more information.