What can happen if you leave an ingrown toenail untreated?

Leaving an ingrown toenail untreated can become very serious. If left untreated, an ingrown toenail can spread to the bone beneath and infect your bone. You can also develop gangrene, which is the death and decay of the tissue. Diabetes is a particularly serious risk for foot disorders.

Is it OK to leave an ingrown toenail?

If the infected ingrown nail is left untreated the infection can spread to the bone beneath the nail or, in extreme cases, enter the blood stream and cause sepsis, gangrene or a flesh eating disorder. For those with diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, an ingrown toenail should never be left untreated.

How long can you leave an ingrown toenail untreated?

They will not go away without intervention, but people can usually treat them at home over a few days. A person should speak to a doctor if: the ingrown toenail does not improve with home care. they have an underlying health condition that affects the feet, such as diabetes.

Can ingrown toenail lead to amputation?

The biggest risk of an ingrown toenail is that it may become infected. An infection can lead to a condition called gangrene, in which tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply. In severe cases, gangrene can even lead to amputation.

Will an ingrown nail heal itself?

Minor ingrown toenails can heal on their own as the nail grows out. However, severe or infected ingrown nails require professional medical care.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN INGROWN TOENAILS AREN'T TREATED?!

Can an infected toenail make you sick?

Left untreated, an infection caused by an ingrown toenail can lead to serious illness, amputation, and even death.

Can you get sepsis from ingrown toenail?

In some cases, an untreated ingrown toenail can spread the infection to the bone beneath the nail. And, if the infection continues to be left untreated, it can even enter the bloodstream and cause a serious condition, such as sepsis or gangrene.

How can I remove an ingrown toenail myself?

Use a pair of tweezers to gently push a tiny piece of cotton or gauze into the corner of your toenail where it's ingrown. This helps to make a space between the nail and the skin. Cut the visible nail corner or the ingrown spur away to help relieve the pressure and pain.

How painful is ingrown toenail surgery?

Since the surgery is carried out under a local anaesthetic, the patients do not experience any pain during the procedure. However, when the anaesthesia wears off after the surgery, patients often experience some level of soreness around the toe that underwent surgery.

How does a ingrown toenail affect the body?

An ingrown toenail may cause pain, inflamed skin, swelling and, sometimes, infection around the toenail. Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, inflamed skin, swelling and, sometimes, an infection.

When should I be concerned about ingrown toenail?

Pain and swelling around your toe and the inability to wear certain shoes might be signs of an ingrown toenail. It's a common condition that you can sometimes take care of at home. But if the pain becomes unbearable, or you can see an infection in the tissue around your toenail, you may need to seek medical treatment.

Should I go to the doctor for an infected ingrown toenail?

If you detect any signs of an ingrown toenail infection like pain, swelling, irritation, abscess, redness, you should immediately go to see a foot doctor or podiatrist.

When should you see a doctor for an ingrown toenail?

When to see a doctor. The dividing line between relying on home care and seeking medical help for an ingrown toenail is if you see signs of infection. If the pain worsens considerably, or if you see pus or blood, increased redness, nail discoloration, or notice a bad odor, you need to seek professional care promptly.

Can ingrown toenails cause nerve damage?

It's unlikely – especially given that the problem is at the tip of the toe, and if your whole toe is numb, we'd expect the nerve interruption/damage to occur further up the toe or foot.

Is ingrown toenail surgery expensive?

Ingrown toenail treatment typically is covered by health insurance. For patients without health insurance, ingrown toenail treatment typically costs less than $50 for at-home treatment, but can reach $200-$1,000 or more if a doctor visit and a procedure to remove all or part of the toenail is required.

Can ingrown toenail cure without surgery?

Most of the time, an ingrown toenail heals without surgery. In severe cases, your healthcare provider may need to remove part of the nail surgically. The procedure is called a nail avulsion. Surgery keeps the edge of the nail from growing inward and cutting into the skin.

How long does it take for an ingrown toenail to grow out?

An exposed nail bed may be very painful. Removing your whole ingrown toenail (complete nail plate avulsion) increases the likelihood your toenail will come back deformed. It may take 3-4 months for your nail to regrow.

What kills ingrown toenail?

Apple cider vinegar will kill some of the bacteria in your ingrown toenail and reduce inflammation. For the best result, fill a basin with warm water and add a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar. Schedule an appointment with Dr.

Does Vaseline help ingrown toenails?

Soak your toe in warm water for 15 minutes 2 to 3 times each day. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, 2 times each day on the toe where the nail was removed. Wear a bandage on your toe.

Does putting cotton under ingrown toenail hurt?

Here's what not to do when it comes to ingrown toenail care: Don't shove cotton under the edge of an ingrown toenail. It can cause a nasty infection or foreign body reaction. Don't cut a “V” in the center of the toenail to take pressure away from the sides.

What does an infected toe look like?

Redness. Soreness or pain. A pus-filled blister, or pus that drains from your toe. Cracked, thickened, yellow toenails (from a fungal infection)

Can ingrown toenail infection spread?

It can happen to any toe, but is most often experienced in the big toe. An untreated ingrown toenail can eventually lead to an infection, which can subsequently spread through the bone structure of the foot and result in substantial pain.

Can toenail fungus get into bloodstream?

Widespread infection.

In severe cases of cellulitis, the infection can enter the bloodstream and be deadly. “And it can all start from a simple fungal infection,” Joseph says.

How do I know if my ingrown toenail is infected?

Can an ingrown toenail cause bone infection?

Complications of ingrown toenails

Medically known as osteomyelitis, a bone infection can develop when bacteria from an infection begin attacking the outer layer of bone. This can happen when the toenail or surrounding tissue becomes infected, and the infection makes its way to the bone.