When the toenails grow into the fingers, life becomes unbearable. When walking the foot pierces a sharp pain, you have to carefully calculate each step. In this case, it becomes so difficult to maintain hygiene that an infection almost always joins, because of which an abscess forms on the nail roller. In the future, a night's sleep disappears due to unbearable pain. If you miss the moment you go to the doctor, a complication of panaritium appears. And it is so dangerous that you can lose your finger.
The problem starts small. A normal, healthy nail has a natural transverse bend. Suddenly, he begins to bend too much on one side and grows deep into the side roller. If you do not take measures, the direction of growth of the nail plate changes and the situation worsens. Why is this happening?
Symptoms of nail ingrowth
It is possible to determine independently whether a large nail grows or not, only when the process has gone far. The pain does not appear immediately. At first there is a feeling of fullness in the side roller, then when putting on the shoe it may seem that it has become cramped. Later, when walking, a foreign body sensation appears under the nail. This means that the nail on the big toe began to grow.
When growing in, there is always swelling of the lateral cushion, it is hyperemic, painful. Pain often appears under the healthy edge of the nail from the end (from the ingrown side). The skin on the roller is thinning and shiny. The swelling is quite large, so it is impossible to wear closed shoes.
When ingrown, the nail changes its transverse bend, this is clearly visible from the end. Its edge can be bent under the nail plate, thereby clamping soft tissue. The transverse bend can, on the contrary, decrease and become almost flat in the transverse section, trapezoidal. He injures the side roller, increasing the width of the nail bed.
The disease begins with the formation of an ulcer in this place. It gets wet, the body tries to heal the wound, but the excessive growth of soft tissue begins. The people, this granulation was called "wild meat". The condition becomes chronic.
Diagnose a problem
It is possible to diagnose onychocryptosis (the so-called nail ingrowth) only when viewed from the end. You can’t do it yourself, but you can visit the pedicure room. The master will determine the cause of the discomfort and differentiate nail ingrowth from corns, warts, improperly cut free edges or injuries. Often a foreign body is found in the sinus of the lateral cushion, which irritates delicate skin. This can be a splinter, a hair, a grain of sand or a part of your own nail that has not been removed previously when cutting the length. Such shavings fall first on the roller, and then can be deeply rubbed when wearing tight shoes.
If the diagnosis determines that the problem is not ingrown, it will be immediately resolved. It will be more difficult in the case when the plate has already begun to bend, the roller is hyperemic and enlarged due to edema. To determine if there is inflammation of the tissues, you can tap on the nail. In response, the person will indicate the point at which pain is felt.
When the infection has joined and an abscess appears, this means that the fusion of tissues has begun. In this case, it is better to consult a podologist. If he decides that conservative treatment can be dispensed with, ointments will be prescribed. Otherwise, you will have to fix the nail with a bracket. The surgeon usually just removes part of the nail along with the root. But after such a radical treatment, the width of the nail plate decreases, and the cause of ingrowth is not always eliminated.
Tests that will need to be done include a blood glucose test to rule out diabetes and a general test to confirm the inflammatory process.
Situations in which the nail grows
There are several conditions under which toenails grow into fingers. These are the following situations:
- Incorrect nail cutting. It is well known that a straight cut is made on the legs. But it is also important to cut off the overgrown length in time, so as not to spoil the natural transverse bending of the nail plate. When this is rarely done, the nails begin to grow trapezoidal. Their corners break off when they grow back. Therefore, a person begins to cut them, forming not a straight line, but a semicircular cut. With the next length correction, you can easily injure the delicate skin of the roller with the sharp ends of the scissors. Or, conversely, insufficient penetration of scissors causes an incision in the nail. It is cut off, but a burr remains. As the length grows, this sharp piece moves forward and grows into the roller. The bending of the side of the plate changes, and the situation consolidates.
- Tight shoes.
- Excess weight and, as a result, a large load on the foot.
- Injury.
- Flatfoot and valgus.
- Psoriasis.
- Sclerosis of small vessels causes malnutrition of tissues. Metabolic disorders, diabetes, fungal diseases and many other diseases can cause a similar problem.
Sometimes it’s difficult to determine why the nail on the big toe grows. There may be several reasons for this.
Complications
Untreated granulation leads to a densification of the tissue and causes a change in the structure of the nail plate. Her form is changing. The ingrown nail digs, the toe swells strongly. Chronic inflammation spreads to surrounding tissues, affects the bone. At a certain point, the nail is rejected, and the process goes to the whole foot. This is fraught with gangrene, especially for patients with diabetes. For these people, even the slightest violation of the skin is very dangerous, especially such a closed process as onychocryptosis. No less serious danger is this condition for patients with atherosclerosis. In this case, trophism of the extremities is disrupted, immunity and the regenerative ability of the body fall.
There are several consequences of such a situation when the toenails grow into the fingers:
- Fungal lesions of the surface of the wound and their progression.
- Abscess.
- Lymphadenitis - pain and inflammation of blood vessels and lymph nodes.
- Periostitis, otherwise inflammation of the periosteum.
- Osteomyelitis, in which the purulent process spreads to the bone.
- Gangrene.
If the nail has grown, the toe is festering and sore, then you should immediately consult a doctor and take tests. Radiography may be necessary to rule out inflammation of the periosteum. For all its simplicity, onychocryptosis is a very dangerous disease.
Solution
The specialist will decide how to remove the ingrown toenail. It is best to contact the podologist, who deals with the foot and all its diseases. Experts in this area have a lot of ways to treat onychocryptosis, and removing the nail is an extreme measure.
Often you just need to make an oblique section from the ingrowth side, prescribe bactericidal baths and therapeutic ointment for wound healing. A napkin is placed under the cut, preventing further trauma to the side roller.
If the doctor finds granulation, you will have to pass tests. After receiving the results, it will become clear at what stage the disease is. Is it possible to do with a cut of the ingrown part of the nail plate and the appointment of drugs or will I have to resort to excision of the surrounding tissues. Often, an incision is made through the entire nail plate with cutting out a segment and the subsequent combination of two parts of the nail.
When an ingrown toenail hurts, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. After surgery, add antihistamines.
With timely treatment, the doctor often puts a bracket on the incorrectly growing nail that prevents it from bending, after two months it simply is removed. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe laser treatment.
Pathology Prevention
After treatment, it is necessary to undergo a rehabilitation course and learn to avoid problems again. This includes the selection of shoes in size, the correction of the transverse flat feet with special inserts or insoles, the rejection of high heels and weight control. In many ways, non-compliance with these preventive measures is the reason why the toenails grow. Unfortunately, relapses often occur after the first episode of onychocryptosis.
Another important factor in prevention is the correct reduction in the length of nails. It is necessary to perform a direct cut on all fingers, notice and remove the overdried areas of hyperkeratosis in time, treat the corns and prevent the appearance of a fungal infection.
With age, a whole bunch of disturbances in the body's activity appears. Correction with medications of the main diseases will not only increase the quality of life, but also protect against vascular disorders, due to which onychocryptosis can develop.
Often the reason why the nail on the big toe grows is the valgus. This is the so-called bone. The problem is successfully solved by the surgeon, and after some time the patient can even wear model shoes. Gout is also one of the reasons for changing the position of the big toe. The accumulation of deposits in the joint is due to a violation of the general metabolism. Surgical intervention and lifelong dieting will help get rid of the problem.
What will help the pedicure master
When an ingrown nail on the big toe hurts, do not try to solve the problem yourself. It is better to contact the podologist. If this is difficult, then go to the pedicure master. By virtue of their profession, these specialists have rich experience and extensive practice. They can easily cure uncomplicated pathological conditions of the foot both promptly and with the help of therapeutic creams and baths. In the arsenal of the master there are special sterile tools for removing ingrown nails, sterile wipes for putting under the corrected plate and curettes for fixing the staples.
A modern pedicure master is an educated specialist who combines foot care with nail decoration. The pedicure staples placed in the cabin come in different colors, resembling gold, copper or chrome rings, creating a beautiful design on their own. In addition, the master may decide to use modeling materials to repair part of the nail plate, mask a crack in the nail, and advise on special creams and ointments for each specific case.
The dangers of self pedicure
Although pedicure tools can be purchased at any professional store, self-cutting of an ingrown nail is very dangerous. Each master in practice had more than one case of such attempts on the part of his clients, after which a person turns to the nearest pedicure office for help. Indeed, there is a lot of information on the Internet on how to remove an ingrown toenail. But optimists do not take into account the knowledge that a specialist owns. A simple change in skin color can tell him a lot. In addition, it is worth noting insufficient lighting during home pedicure, a different angle of view and holding tools.
There are situations in which the use of certain techniques is unacceptable. This applies primarily to patients with diabetes. Such clients receive only unedged pedicures in order to avoid gangrenous complications. It is clear that the master will also remove the ingrown nail by the hardware method. So self-intervention can be very dangerous.
Another complication when removing the ingrown part of the nail may be the attachment of a fungal infection. Therefore, the specialist immediately applies an antifungal agent for prevention. It is dripped onto the roller at the cut site, repeating this operation throughout the healing period. If this is not done, then the nail may possibly be corrected, but the sore formed due to trauma to the roller may be delayed with spores of the fungus. And then it will begin to capture the bed of the nail, get close to the matrix and spread unnoticed until the nail suddenly falls off.
Conservative treatment
If you consult a specialist on time, he may limit himself to prescribing conservative treatment. It includes baths, lotions, ointments and dressings. If the abscess has not formed, disinfectant baths are prescribed three times a day for a quarter of an hour. The ingrown corner is cut off, and the baths continue to be done until completely cured.
In the case of the development of the abscess, which provoked an ingrown toenail on the big toe, Vishnevsky's ointment will perfectly stretch the pus and healing will go quickly. The infection will not spread. To apply the product, a warming compress is used. A layer of ointment is applied to the bandage folded several times and fixed on a finger. The bandage is insulated with plastic wrap on top.
Alternative methods of treatment
Alternative medicine has medicines for all occasions. But they should be used with extreme caution. Usually use chamomile collection, which is brewed for taking baths. It is used until “wild meat” has appeared.
Bath recipe:
- Boiling water - 2 liters.
- Chamomile flowers - 6 tablespoons.
An infusion is prepared, having stood the grass flooded with water for an hour, filtered and, if necessary, heated. Take half an hour with a complete immersion of the foot. After cutting the length of the nail and bandaging the finger.
To stretch the pus, a warming dressing with an aloe leaf is used. Well-strengthening berry collection, enhancing immunity. Medical dressings with a leaf of burdock relieve swelling, and a warming alcohol compress - inflammation.
Unfortunately, many people believe in conspiracies, prayers and other miracles. Confident that they know how to remove the ingrown toenail, people spend time, and the disease progresses in the meantime. Such folk methods are not suitable.
Toe surgery: ingrown toenail and its correction
When neither conservative treatment methods nor traditional medicine help, they turn to surgical treatment. But now there are so many methods for the correction of onychocryptosis that surgical correction of it has many opponents. Among the arguments put forward is large blood loss, a long healing period and severe pain in the postoperative period. The whole period of the growth of a new nail, it is not less than four months, or even six months, a person can not wear closed shoes due to discomfort. But most importantly, removal of the nail does not lead to a solution to the main problem, and correction of the growth of the nail plate is necessary to prevent relapse.
This is solved by applying a carbon dioxide laser. It acts on granulation pointwise, removes abnormal tissue under the influence of high temperatures and completely does not affect healthy tissue.
Conclusion
Such a common problem, when the toenails grow into the fingers, should be addressed by specialists. Only in this case can it be said with certainty that it will be solved as quickly and as least traumatically as possible.