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Ingrown Toenails And The Diabetic Foot

Poor baby! You have an ingrown toenail. Ouch! Nothing else hurts quite like that nail corner digging into your skin. Ok, so you don't want to run right to the doctor for help, well that is ok since there are a few things that you can try at home before your seek the help of your healthcare provider. But there is one cardinal rule, if you are diabetic or have diabetes or if you have any type of condition that impairs the circulation to your feet then you do not get a free pass for home care. No, you must call your physician now and have your physician treat your ingrown toenail. No home self care for you! Your overall health isn't worth it!

If you can successfully treat your ingrown nail at home, then you have a shot at preventing an infection and avoiding surgical intervention. So be brave and give it a try.

One of the first things that you can do for your ingrown toenail is to wash your foot twice a day. Pay close attention to the affected area. Wash the area gently with soap and water and then dry thoroughly. During the remainder of the day to make sure that you keep your foot clean and dry.

Self-care for ingrown toenails that often feels the best is to soak your foot in warm water at least four times a day. There is no need to add any antibacterial agents or even any soap to the soaking water. Soak your foot for approximately 20 minutes.

So, you are getting ready to go to work and trying to decide what kind of shoes to wear. Make a smart choice. Do not wear shoes that fit too tightly or that have a narrow toe box. Consider putting your high heels away for now since they can put too much pressure on your toes. You may even think about wearing an open toe shoe especially if you have a lot of pain or swelling. The key is to avoid pressure on your feet.

One of the most important aspects of ingrown toenail self-care is to try to lift up the corner of the toenail that is digging its way into the skin. This may cause you some pain while you are trying to do it, but in the long run it can relieve some pain as well. Take a very tiny piece of cotton or gauze and roll it between your fingers to form a wick or small roll. Then place the roll between the toenail and the skin to keep it elevated and to keep it from digging into the delicate skin area. This home treatment can help you to avoid surgery. After every 20 minutes that you spend soaking your toe and after drying your feet thoroughly try to push the roll in a little farther each and every time.

Home care therapies for ingrown toenails may also include the use of pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

However, the catch is that if you have seen no improvement in 72 hours after you've started to try and treat your ingrown toenail at home, then you should contact your healthcare provider for help. You simply should not ignore your nail since infection can set in leaving you with an even bigger problem.

Self-care for ingrown toenails is easy to do and not that time-consuming. But if you choose to ignore the ingrown toenail you are asking for further complications down the road.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

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