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How to Soak Ingrown Toenails

February 21, 2024 by admin Category: How To

You are viewing the article How to Soak Ingrown Toenails  at Tnhelearning.edu.vn you can quickly access the necessary information in the table of contents of the article below.

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This article was co-written by Mark Co, DPM. Mark Co is a podiatrist who runs a private practice in San Francisco, California. Co specializes in treating big toe deformities, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, warts, plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain. He also provides chiropractic services for the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle problems. Dr. Co holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. He earned his MD from the California School of Medicine, completing his residency and internship at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, California. Co was awarded San Francisco’s “Top 3 Podiatrists” in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Co is also a member of the American Association of Departmental Medicine.

There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 9,586 times.

Ingrown toenails (inflammation of the toenails) are usually caused by cutting the toenails too short, but can also be genetic (eg, too curved nail bed) or lifestyle (frequently wearing high heels). tight toes). [1] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source Ingrown toenails cause pain and inflammation because the angle or sides of the nail grow into the fleshy part of the toe, especially the big toe. You can control and treat an ingrown toenail at home, in part by soaking your feet in warm water. However, sometimes you will need medical intervention, especially if the nail is infected.

Table of Contents

  • Steps
    • Declaim food
    • Treatment of ingrown toenails after a foot bath
    • Assess the condition of the toenails
  • Advice
  • Warning

Steps

Declaim food

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 1

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 1

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Prepare warm water to soak your feet. The purpose of soaking your feet in warm water is to: reduce discomfort and soften the nail so that it can be cut or put something under the nail to relieve pressure. [2] X Research Source You should prepare a container large enough to fully submerge your feet and fill them with warm water. You can add Epsom salt to help reduce pain and reduce swelling significantly. [3] X Research Source Magnesium in salt also helps relax leg muscles.

  • Salt acts as a natural antibacterial, but you can still use other ingredients to prevent infection like white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, and iodine solutions.
  • The warmer the foot bath, the more fluid will be drawn out of the toe, thereby reducing swelling.
  • If you can find, buy, or borrow a small Jacuzzi tub, use it to soak your feet because the whirlpool effect of the tub will help the water circulate better and help give your feet a gentle massage.
  • You can use table salt if you don’t have Epsom salt at home.
Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 2

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 2

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Soak feet and toes with ingrown nails. Once the water is warm enough and Epsom salts and/or a natural disinfectant have been added, soak your entire foot in the water for 15-20 minutes. [4] X Source of Study Depending on the results you can repeat 3-5 times per day, so don’t empty out the salt water. If you use Epsom salts, you should see your legs “shrink back” after 20 minutes, which is a sign of fluid being sucked out of the foot/toe.

  • Constantly flexing your toes while soaking in water will help improve blood circulation.
  • If your toe is swollen, you should apply cold therapy (apply ice cubes wrapped in a thin towel) after soaking your feet until the toe feels numb (about 10 minutes). Ice helps to reduce acute inflammation and relieve pain.
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Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 3

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 3

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Massage your toes while soaking your feet. When you soak your feet in warm water, you can gently massage the inflamed tissues in waves to reduce inflammation. [5] X Research Source When you massage, you will see some pus or blood coming out of your toes and mixing with the water. This is normal and will help relieve pressure and pain in the toe.

  • Use your thumb and index finger to gently massage the part of the toe that is most inflamed, starting at the furthest part and working toward the ankle.
  • Massage your toes only when you soak your feet for about 5 minutes because longer massage can cause irritation.
Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 4

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 4

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Dry feet thoroughly. After soaking in warm water, you should use a clean towel to dry the water on your feet. [6] X Research Source Keeping toes dry is also an important step because bacteria and other potential pathogens (such as fungi) prefer a warm, moist environment to thrive and thrive.

  • After drying your toes/feet, you should elevate your legs (put pillows under) when sitting to improve blood flow from the feet, thereby helping to fight inflammation.
  • You can repeat this whole process every time you feel pain in your toenail.

Treatment of ingrown toenails after a foot bath

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 5

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 5

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Apply antibiotic cream. An antibiotic cream, lotion, or ointment should be applied to the ingrown toe at least several times per day, especially before going to bed at night. [7] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source Once the cream has penetrated the soft tissue around the inflamed toe, you can wrap a sterile bandage around it. Remember to change the bandage every time you reapply the antibiotic.

  • Use household ingredients with antibiotic properties like Clorox bleach, hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar, baking soda mixed in water, iodine solution, and fresh lemon juice.
  • Note that most home remedies for disinfecting are irritating if the skin is pierced/cut by an ingrown nail.
  • Colloidal silver Cploidal Silver is a strong antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal agent that does not cause stinging or skin irritation when applied. You can find colloidal silver at most drugstores or health food stores.
Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 6

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 6

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Tuck cotton or dental floss under the toenail. After soaking your feet in warm water, the ingrown toenail will soften and you can place a clean cotton ball, gauze or dental floss under the nail to soothe the sensitive soft tissues near the nail bed. [8] X Source of Study Carefully pull on the inflamed skin and pluck the nail with a nail file or similar, then gently place the cotton pad under the nail. Change cotton every day.

  • It can take 1-2 weeks for the ingrown toenail to grow back and not dig into the skin.
  • Absolutely do not “operate yourself” by cutting toenails to relieve pain because this will make the condition worse.
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Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 7

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 7

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Cut toenails properly. Once the nail grows back and is long enough, don’t let the same mistake repeat itself. Instead, cut nails straight, neat and not cut around the edge of the nail or the corner of the nail. [9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source Also, do not cut your nails too short to avoid irritating ingrown nails.

  • If you ask someone else to cut your nails, ask them to cut them straight and not close to the skin. Ideally, toenails should be trimmed so that they can fit under the sides and top of the toenail. [10] X Research Source
  • If home treatment and changes in nail clipping do not help or prevent an ingrown toenail, you should see a doctor or see a podiatrist for advice and/or treatment.

Assess the condition of the toenails

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 8

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 8

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Determine the cause of the pain. If your thumb (or other fingers) is inflamed and painful, you should take off your socks or shoes and look closely to determine the cause. Inflammation, pain that develops slowly, gets worse over several days, or if you’ve ever cut your toenails too short and/or wore tight shoes, it could be a sign of an ingrown toenail. [11] X Research Source In most cases, it will be very easy to spot where the toenail has penetrated or embedded in the soft tissue around the nail bed.

  • Besides pain and swelling, other signs to watch for include red, tender swelling on one or both sides of the nail.
  • Ingrown toenails are common among teenagers and athletes, especially men. [12] X Research Source
Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 9

Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 9

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Watch for signs of infection. The most serious consequence of an ingrown toenail is an infection that comes from the skin around the nail. [13] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source An infected ingrown toenail will become more swollen, more painful, quite hard and warm to the touch, and eventually release foul-smelling pus. Due to the feeling of warmth and swelling, some areas of the skin will peel and look like blisters.

  • Infected ingrown toenails are caused by the immune system sending white blood cells to destroy bacteria at the site of injury, but sometimes the bacteria multiply faster than the immune cells that contain them.
  • See your doctor if the toe infection does not improve after 1 week and/or appears to be spreading. Your doctor may surgically remove the ingrown toenail.
  • Trimming toenails at angles that cause the nail to curve in the shape of the toe will cause the toenail to grow into the skin on either side.
  • Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 10

    Image titled Soak an Ingrown Toenail Step 10

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    Rule out other causes of foot pain. There are many other problems with similar symptoms of an ingrown toenail that you need to be aware of. Examples include Gout (a type of arthritis), big toe deformity (chronic tendon ball of the thumb leading to deformity), broken or dislocated toe, rheumatoid arthritis, necrosis (tissue death due to lack of resources). blood supply), diabetic neuropathy, neuroma (benign tumor in the small nerves of the leg), fungal infection. [14] X Research Source

    • Gout can develop quickly, often within hours, and cause severe pain and inflammation in the big toe. Gout can be caused by a diet too high in purine-rich foods like seafood and organ meats.
    • Big toe deformity affects the big toe and is mainly caused by wearing shoes that are too tight for long periods of time. Essentially, this is a chronic joint sprain. The telltale sign is a bent, painful toe resembling arthritis.
    • Stumbling or other injuries to the toe can cause an ingrown toenail.
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  • Advice

    • Adding essential oils (just a few drops) to an ingrown toenail bath, such as lavender or tea tree oil, can help reduce infection.
    • Wear shoes that fit your feet to avoid putting pressure on your toes, causing the toenail to grow and puncture the surrounding tissues.
    • While you wait for the inflammation in your toenail to subside, wear open-toe sandals or slippers instead of tight-fitting shoes.
    • Buy shoes in the afternoon, as that’s when feet reach their greatest size, usually due to swelling and pressure on the soles of the feet.
    • If the ingrown toenail has been removed by a doctor, the new nail will take 2-4 months to grow back.

    Warning

    • Instead of treating an ingrown toenail at home, you should seek medical attention immediately if you have diabetes, nerve damage in your legs, poor blood circulation, or a weakened immune system.
    • A local nail infection can develop into a deeper soft tissue infection (cellulitis) and eventually a bone infection (osteomyelitis). Therefore, you should see a doctor if your nail swelling worsens or does not improve after a week.
    X

    This article was co-written by Mark Co, DPM. Mark Co is a podiatrist who runs a private practice in San Francisco, California. Co specializes in treating big toe deformities, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, warts, plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain. He also provides chiropractic services for the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle problems. Dr. Co holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. He earned his MD from the California School of Medicine, completing his residency and internship at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, California. Co was awarded San Francisco’s “Top 3 Podiatrists” in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Co is also a member of the American Association of Departmental Medicine.

    There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

    This article has been viewed 9,586 times.

    Ingrown toenails (inflammation of the toenails) are usually caused by cutting the toenails too short, but can also be genetic (eg, too curved nail bed) or lifestyle (frequently wearing high heels). tight toes). [1] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source Ingrown toenails cause pain and inflammation because the angle or sides of the nail grow into the fleshy part of the toe, especially the big toe. You can control and treat an ingrown toenail at home, in part by soaking your feet in warm water. However, sometimes you will need medical intervention, especially if the nail is infected.

    Thank you for reading this post How to Soak Ingrown Toenails at Tnhelearning.edu.vn You can comment, see more related articles below and hope to help you with interesting information.

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