What your foot doctor in Naperville wants you to know

Ingrown toenails can keep you off of your feet, and can make it difficult to wear shoes. Fortunately, there are effective ways of preventing and treating an ingrown toenail. Dr. Nancy Jagodzinski at Ankle & Foot Center of Fox Valley, LTD in Naperville, IL, wants to share the facts about ingrown toenails.

An ingrown toenail can appear swollen and dark, and can show symptoms of infection like redness and draining. You may experience pounding pain and pressure under your toenail which can be severe. You may be more prone to ingrown toenails if you have toenails that naturally curve under. Other causes of ingrown toenails include:

• Cutting your toenails too short
• Wearing shoes that press against your toes
• Injury to your toes
• Fungal infections of your toes
• Heredity and bad foot structure

You can prevent ingrown toenails by following a few simple rules. Remember to:

• Cut toenails straight across, with no rounded corners
• Avoid cutting toenails too short
• Always wear shoes which protect and have room for your toes

Initially you can try some home remedies to heal your ingrown toenail, including:

• Soaking your toe in water several times each day
• Placing dental floss under your toenail to force up the toenail
• Applying antibiotic cream to your toe and toenail
• Bandaging your toenail
• Wearing open-toe shoes while your toe heals

For stubborn ingrown toenails, you should visit Dr. Jagodzinski for help. She can heal your ingrown toenail with effective treatments like these:

• Lifting and separating your toenail from your skin to allow it to grow without impairment
• Trimming your ingrown toenail or removing the entire toenail to allow a healthy toenail to grow

You don’t have to put up with an ingrown toenail when help is just a phone call away. To get some help for your ingrown toenail call Dr. Jagodzinski at Ankle & Foot Center of Fox Valley, LTD in Naperville, IL. Call today and get some relief for your toes!