The pain starts out as more annoying than anything. When tossing on a pair of shoes, one toe seems to be uncomfortable. Then, the pain increases, especially when the end of that same toe comes in contact with anything. After taking a quick peek, it’s obvious the issue is an ingrown toenail. While many people try to handle the issue on their own, there is a chance that things can be made worse if not handled by Podiatrists.
Amount of Pain
Even after soaking the toe and getting the cuticle soft, there is still a lot of pain associated with taking care of an ingrown toenail. It takes a lot of patience and the right tools. Unfortunately, most people have little patience and lack the necessary tools. Instead, Podiatrists can take one look at the problem, numb the area, and handle the problem. The solution is simple, easy, and doesn’t take much time.
Bad to Worse
Digging into the toe to find the nail doesn’t always end well. It often results in cuts and tears of the skin surrounding the nail, leaving the area more damaged than when things started. This could be a real problem as the toe will take even longer to recover from the other damage done. Instead of risking more pain and more injury, it makes sense to allow a professional from Foot & Ankle Specialists of NJ to take a look and handle the issue.
Risk of Infection
The ingrown toe, or any of the injuries that were done while trying to dig it out, all run the risk of infection. This means more pain, more damage to the area, and potential complications with the toe. The tools used to get the job done at home aren’t always clean, and leaving the wound open without treatment ups the potential for infection. This could lead to other issues with the body and require a visit to a primary care physician. It seems that one small problem with the toe, if not treated correctly, could lead to lots of other problems. Instead, contact a local podiatrist and set up an appointment to eliminate the pain and prevent another ingrown toe in the future. You can also follow them on Twitter for more updates.