When should you go to urgent care for an ingrown toenail?

You will experience symptoms such as pain, swelling and redness around the toenail. The sharp end of your toenail will be pressing into your skin on one or both sides. When do I seek medical attention? If the nail becomes infected and you have severe pain or pus drainage, you must seek medical care.

Should I go to urgent care for an ingrown toenail?

If ingrown toenails are ignored for too long they will eventually develop an infection. If your foot appears infected or is only getting worse you should visit urgent care. If the same ingrown toenail bothers you for 2-3 days even after you try relieving the pain on your own, you should visit a doctor.

When should I go to the 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.

Is an ingrown toenail a medical emergency?

Most ingrown toenails can be definitively managed in the Emergency Department by the Emergency Physician. The toenail usually does not grow into the soft tissue. Instead, the soft tissue overgrows and obliterates the nail sulcus in response to external pressure and irritation.

Do I need to see a 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.

How to Best Handle and Treat an Ingrown Toenail

How do I stop my ingrown toenail from throbbing?

You can do several things at home to treat an ingrown or infected toenail to help relieve pain and pressure: Soak your toe in a warm foot bath with unscented Epsom salt. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of unscented Epsom salts into one quart of warm water and soak your foot for 15 minutes at a time.

How do I know if my ingrown toenail is infected?

What can be mistaken for an ingrown toenail?

Ingrown toenails may be mistaken for other conditions. For example, the swelling of your big toe could indicate a fracture or bunion. A swollen big toe can also indicate gout, which is a painful form of localized arthritis.

What can a doctor do for an infected ingrown toenail?

To treat an ingrown toenail, your doctor might lift the nail and place a piece of cotton or a splint underneath it. This will help the nail grow away from your skin. If lifting doesn't work, the doctor can remove part or all of the affected nail. Sometimes the infection can cause a pus-filled blister to form.

Does hydrogen peroxide help ingrown toenails?

Hydrogen peroxide is another great option to treat ingrown toenails at home. It is a natural disinfectant, which is the reason why it is commonly used to clean wounds. Soak your infected foot in a bucket of water and hydrogen peroxide solution for 15 to 20 minutes.

Can I leave an ingrown toenail alone?

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.

What happens if an ingrown toenail is left 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.

How much does it cost to get a ingrown toenail removed?

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 a primary care doctor treat an ingrown toenail?

When seeking ingrown toenail treatment, your general practitioner or family doctor typically can provide the ingrown toenail care you need. However, in some cases, your primary care provider may refer you to a podiatrist for more specialized care, especially if surgery is necessary.

How do you get rid of an ingrown toenail overnight?

What does it mean when your toenail is throbbing?

Your doctor may call it a “subungual hematoma” if you have bleeding under a fingernail or toenail. It usually happens if the nail gets crushed in an injury. It can cause symptoms such as intense pain and throbbing as blood collects under the nail.

Why does my big toenail hurt when I press?

Ingrown 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. Ingrown toenails usually affect the big toe. Often you can take care of ingrown toenails on your own.

Can I put Neosporin on an ingrown toenail?

Most ingrown toenails can be treated by soaking the foot in warm, soapy water and applying a topical antibiotic ointment, such as polymyxin/neomycin (one brand: Neosporin). Your doctor can also put cotton wisps, dental floss, or splints under the edge of the ingrown toenail between the toenail and the skin.

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 do Podiatrists treat ingrown toenails?

A podiatrist will remove the ingrown portion of the nail and may prescribe a topical or oral medication to treat the infection. If ingrown nails are a chronic problem, your podiatrist can perform a procedure to permanently prevent ingrown nails.

How long do ingrown toenails hurt?

Pain should be gone in 1 week. Area should be healed up in 2 weeks.

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.

Can a pharmacist help with ingrown toenail?

A pharmacist can help with an ingrown toenail

treatments to help ease the pain and prevent an infection. whether you need to see a GP.

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.

Do ingrown toenails hurt at night?

The pain is persistent

While an ingrown toenail is painful, it shouldn't stop you from enjoying your day-to-day activities. If the pain is slowing you down or keeping you up at night, see our team to get some much-needed relief.