Bunions Treatment

Toenail pain is a very frequent symptom of the dermatological and surgical outdoor patient department and because of this, most of the general practitioners are adept in treating this condition. Although in the initial stages it can be managed well at home, it is always advisable to consult a physician in order to avoid unnecessary agony.

Mostly acute toenail pains present in emergency reception of the hospital in the form of injuries like lacerations, avulsions, amputations and even fractures. However, another major segment comprises of people suffering from ingrown nails, fungal infections, subungual hematoma or black nails. A few patients also present with relatively less common causes of toenail pain like dermatomyosits and melanoma. The latter two groups are routine outdoor cases which require no acute management.

Although home remedies have shown very promising results in treating toenail pains, the management in expert clinical settings has no match. For this reason, all toenail problems should be referred to the general practitioner without wasting time. It will shorten the pain and discomfort of patients.

Every cause of toenail pain has a different management plan. Acute emergencies of toenail like amputation and fracture require an appropriate first aid in order to prevent tissue loss. Bleeding should be stopped abruptly, intravenous analgesics should be administered and detached parts should be preserved in an ice box.  Then comes the role of reconstructive surgery which is carried out under general anesthesia.

An ingrown nail causing pain is usually removed with a minor surgical procedure after giving local anesthesia. After the procedure, acidic dressing is applied in order to prevent the growth of the new nail going in to the skin. Surgery for ingrown nails has a very high recovery rate. For later treatment, patients are advised to use the acid on the lesion for a few weeks to get better results.

Bruises or subungual hematomas causing toenail pains are to be drained if they occupy one third to one half of the nail surface. Drainage is usually done as an office procedure using a sterile technique. A small hole is made with the help of a drill and blood is drained which relieves pressure and results in speedy healing of the toe.

Fungal infection medically termed as ‘onychomycosis’ is a terrible disease of the nail causing severe pain. Moreover, foul odor from the lesion makes the life of the patient unpleasant. A combination of oral and topical therapy is carried out for six to twelve weeks in order to get rid of the fungal infections. Commonly used drugs are Terbinafine and Itraconazole; they kill the invading fungi and thus relieve toenail pain.

Toenail pain is one of the most frequent conditions encountered in medical practice because most of the time, people do not exercise proper foot care which can prevent this pain. Here we will try our best to acquaint you with a few basic concepts about causation of toenail pain and their appropriate remedies, both at home and in hospital.

A long list of causes of toenail pain can be generated but a few common and frequent causes are highlighted here. Ingrown nail is considered the most common cause. Other causes include fungal infections, wearing loose fitting or tight fitting shoes, repetitive injuries to the nails, thickening of the nails due to chronic pressure, a few skin disorders like psoriasis, and malignant conditions of the skin and nail, like melanoma. Although rare, melanoma can be a cause of toenail pain.

‘Prevention is better than cure’, and in the case of toenail pain, prevention lies in proper and adequate foot care. It includes regular washing of the feet with soap and then drying them with a clean towel to keep them infection free. Sharing of towels and shoes should also be avoided.  Moreover, proper nail trimming practices should be carried out in order to prevent the possibility of an ingrown nail. Nails should be cut straight, so that the new nail does not grow in the skin. A proper selection of shoes is also very important for athletes to have a comfortable run and prevent bruises causing toenail pain.

Despite these preventive measures if one manages to get toenail pain, simple home remedies should be tried because they have proved very effective. For ingrown nails, soaking your foot in warm water with iodine added to it for twenty minutes and applying cotton to it daily can help a lot. Vinegar has proved an effective antiseptic and antifungal in most of the fungal infections of the toenail. Tea tree oil is another good antiseptic and helps to relieve the pain due to a fungal infection. Toenail pain due to hematoma can be relieved by elevating the foot and keeping it above the level of the heart. Moreover, cold compressions also help to relieve the pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen and Aspirin help in providing comfort.

Once all these measures have failed then it is the right time to consult a podiatrist as soon as possible for expert opinion in order to avoid further tissue damage and loss. In hospital, the podiatrist will base his decision according to the cause, as to whether conservative management or surgery is required to tackle the problem of the toenail pain.

Toenail pain is a condition which is frequently encountered by most of us in daily life, because of our exposure to a large number of factors causing this problem. It is one of the worst experiences one can have in his or her life. It is better is to avoid it by appropriate foot care.

The most common and frequent cause of toenail pain is ingrown toe nail (IGTN). Medical science has determined two main causes of ingrown nails; either it can be present as an inherited disorder early in life or as an acquired one in later stages of life. Whatever the cause is, the pain can be acute.

An ingrown nail is usually acquired due to steady damage to the underlying tissue nurturing the nail, called ‘the nail matrix’. Common causes adding insult to nail matrix are recurring injuries to the toenail, using shoes with poor fitting and recurrent bruising of the nail, especially in sportsmen. Poor practice of nail trimming also leads to an ingrown nail. Pain is a must feature, including other features like redness, swelling and discharge of pus. It can be managed by soaking the foot in iodinated warm water for twenty to thirty minutes daily. If the condition worsens then minor surgery is required. The recovery rate of surgery is quite good.

Another important cause of toenail pain is the fungal infection of the toe. It usually occurs in people who continuously have moist and dirty feet. The fungi grows well in moist environments. Fungal infection coagulates and discolors the nail. Moreover, the nail gets loose to the underlying skin. A coagulated nail is the major cause of the pain in fungal infection. Fungal infection can be avoided by keeping the feet dry and clean all the times. Definitive treatment for fungal infection is systemic antifungal drugs like Terbinafine and Itraconazole. Oral preparations are preferred because most of the fungal infections dig deep in the skin, leaving topical drugs ineffective.

A large number of systemic diseases manifest in the form of toenail pain. In a few disorders toenail pain is the very first sign of presentation. These include certain disorders of skin like psoriasis, connective tissue disorders like polymyositis, dermatomyositis and systemic lupus erythematosus . In these cases treatment of the systemic diseases is the mainstay. However, topical and systemic analgesics like Ibuprofen can be used to relieve toenail pain.

Toenail pain is a condition which is frequently encountered by most of us in daily life, because of our exposure to a large number of factors causing this problem. It is one of the worst experiences one can have in your life, best avoided through appropriate foot care.

The most common and frequent cause of toenail pain is an ingrown toe nail, known as IGTN in the medical professsion. Medical science has determined two main causes of ingrown nails; either it can present as an inherited disorder early in life or as an acquired one in later stages of life. Whatever the cause is, the pain can be acute. Ingrown nail is usually acquired due to steady damage to the underlying tissue nurturing the nail, called ‘nail matrix’. Common causes adding insult to nail matrix are recurring injuries to the toenail, using shoes with poor fitting and recurrent bruising of the nail, especially found in sportsmen. Poor practice of nail trimming can also leads to an ingrown toenail. Pain is a must feature, including other features like redness, swelling and discharge of pus. It can be managed by soaking the foot in the iodinated warm water for twenty to thirty minutes daily. If the condition worsens then minor surgery is required. The recovery rate from surgery is good.

Another important cause of toenail pain is fungal infection of the toe. It usually occurs in people with moist and dirty feet. The fungi grow well in moist environments. Fungal infection coagulates and discolors the nail. Moreover, the nail gets loose from the underlying skin. A coagulated nail is the major cause of the pain in fungal infection, as it strikes more frequently against the shoes than a normal thin nail. Fungal infection can be avoided by keeping the feet dry and clean all the times. Definitive treatment of fungal infection is systemic antifungal drugs like Terbinafine and Itraconazole. Oral preparations are preferred because most of the fungal infections dig deep in the skin, leaving topical drugs ineffective.

A large number of systemic diseases manifest in the form of toenail pain. In a few disorders toenail pain is the first sign of presentation. These include certain disorders of skin like psoriasis, connective tissue disorders like polymyositis, dermatomyositis and systemic lupus erythematosus. In these cases treatment of the systemic diseases is the mainstay. However, topical and systemic analgesics like Ibuprofen can be used to relieve toenail pain.