Is It a Sprain or a Fracture? How to Tell the Difference
The symptoms of a fracture in your foot or ankle can closely mirror the symptoms of a sprain. This guide helps you figure out what’s going on — and decide if it’s time to see a doctor.
Let's Take Care of Your Ingrown Toenail
Your toenails are supposed to protect your toes. That makes it ironic — and particularly annoying — when they become a source of toe pain.
If you develop an ingrown toenail, or a nail that’s growing down into your skin, keep an eye on it. Some ingrown nails resolve on their own. If it’s painful, not getting better, or looks infected, it’s time to see us.
Joseph DiMenna, DPM, and our team have extensive experience addressing ingrown toenails. At Family Foot and Ankle Center of South Jersey in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, we can apply the treatment you need to fix the problem.
Your options for treating an ingrown toenail
You have several options for relieving an ingrown toenail. The right path forward depends on the severity of the problem.
Early-stage treatment
If your nail has just started to grow into your skin, we might be able to treat it by gently lifting the nail. We may put something under the nail, such as a small bit of cotton, to help it separate from your skin.
Soaking your foot for about 15 minutes a few times also helps. If we put something under your nail, replace it after each soak.
If we catch your ingrown early, the issue usually resolves within about a week of treatment.
Treatment for an infection
If your ingrown toenail becomes infected, you need a layer of treatment to eradicate the bacteria.
Signs of an infected ingrown toenail include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pus
- Warmth to the touch
We can give you an antibiotic you apply as an ointment or take orally to clear up the infection.
Late-stage treatment
At a certain point, ingrown toenails need surgery. This allows us to remove the part of the nail that’s grown down into your skin. We offer ingrown toenail surgery right here at our office.
Preventing future ingrown nails
It can take a while to recover from an ingrown toenail. If we had to remove part of the nail, it might take months to grow back.
You want to avoid this issue again in the future. Proactively preventing ingrown toenails means:
- Avoiding narrow-toed shoes
- Cutting your toenails straight across (curved edges grow down into skin more easily)
- Cutting them when they’re soft, like after a shower
- Cleaning your nail trimmer before each use
- Refraining from wearing shoes that are too small
With these tips in your back pocket, you should be able to avoid another ingrown toenail.
To take care of the one you have now, see our team. Call our team at 856-667-8222 to book your appointment.
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