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Q: 

What is an ingrown toenail?

By Anonymous July 22, 2014 - 11:56pm
 
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I've never had an ingrown toenail but heard they're extremly painful. What exactly is an ingrown toenail? How can you treat it?

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Anonymous

Hi Anon,

Welcome to EmpowHER and thanks for your question. Ingrown toenails is a condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, redness, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect your big toe. Often you can take care of ingrown toenails on your own. If the pain is severe or spreading, your doctor can take steps to relieve your discomfort and help you avoid complications of ingrown toenails.

If you have diabetes or another condition that causes poor blood flow to your feet, you're at greater risk of complications of ingrown toenails. For a more severe ingrown toenail (redness, pain and pus), your doctor may trim or remove the ingrown portion of the nail. Before this procedure, your doctor may temporarily numb your toe by injecting it with an anesthetic. Hope this has answered your question. 

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July 25, 2014 - 4:35am
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