If your child is complaining about pain in their toe or if you notice redness and swelling around the area, they likely have an ingrown toenail. Ingrown toenails are a common cause of foot pain in children, affecting twenty out of one hundred people who visit a doctor for foot pain. However, they can be extremely painful and agitating if left untreated.
Untreated ingrown toenails can lead to infection and cause additional discomfort. Today, the team at Physicians Footcare, your local podiatry office, will delve into the best practices for treating your child’s ingrown toenail.
Recognizing Symptoms of Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails occur when the edge of the toenail grows into the surrounding skin, causing pain, redness, swelling, and in some cases, infection. While they may occur naturally, other causes include cutting toenails too short, poorly fitting shoes, and improper foot hygiene.
Children may be unable to articulate their symptoms, making it important for parents to recognize the common signs of ingrown toenails. Recognizable symptoms of ingrown toenails include:
- Pain and discomfort: Your child may complain about foot pain around the big toe area.
- Redness and swelling: The affected area may appear red and swollen.
- Fluid and pus: A build-up of fluid or pus may surround the affected area.
- Bleeding: Bleeding may occur around the affected area.
- Footwear discomfort: Pain around the affected area when wearing shoes.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your child, be sure to contact a podiatrist to get proper treatment.
Home Treatment Options for Your Child’s Ingrown Toenail
If the nail is not infected or too painful, you can perform several treatment options at home to ease foot pain and prevent the ingrown toenail from growing back. Home treatment options include:
- Trim the toenail straight across to encourage it to grow back straighter.
- Soak your child’s foot in warm water daily for 15-20 minutes to ease foot pain and reduce swelling.
- Gently place cotton under the ingrown toenail to redirect the growth, and change it daily.
- Invest in proper footwear for your child that leaves room in the toe area.
If the ingrown toenail is not too severe, these treatment methods will ease discomfort and allow the toenail to grow straight. Most importantly, never attempt to remove the ingrown toenail at home as it can cause infection or symptoms to persist. If your child continues to complain about foot pain following these at-home treatment methods, consider scheduling an appointment with a podiatrist.
Professional Treatment Options
Podiatrists offer several professional treatments depending on the severity of the toenail that offer permanent relief. As experienced podiatrist professionals, here are four professional treatments to address an ingrown toenail:
- Antibiotics: Your podiatrist may prescribe antibiotics in the case of an infection. Be sure to complete the full course of antibiotics even if symptoms subside.
- Lifting the Nail: Gently lifting the nail and placing a splint or cotton under the nail is a solution some podiatrists may perform when the ingrown is not too severe.
- Partial Nail Removal: If the ingrown is more severe or infected, a podiatrist may partially remove the nail using a local anesthetic to numb the area.
- Full Nail Removal: In the most severe cases, full nail removal may be necessary for the ingrown to heal fully. Similar to partial nail removal, your podiatrist will use a local anesthetic to remove the entire toenail. This procedure requires a longer recovery time, and it can take months for your toenail to regrow.
Taking Preventative Measures
Once you have properly treated your child’s ingrown toenail, it is important to teach them preventative measures so the foot pain doesn’t reoccur. To prevent ingrown toenails in the future, we recommend you:
- Trim Toenails Properly: Trim toenails straight across and avoid cutting them too short.
- Buy Proper Fitting Footwear: Ensure your footwear leaves room for your toes to move around.
- Practice Good Hygiene: Wash your feet daily and keep nails dry and clean.
Deciding What Treatment is Best For Your Child
Treating your child’s ingrown toenail promptly after symptoms arise can prevent further discomfort or infection. If you have noticed some of the symptoms listed above, do not hesitate to contact a podiatrist to decipher what treatment method is the best for your child. Understanding the symptoms and knowing when to seek professional help will keep your child happy and healthy.
At Physicians Footcare, we are committed to helping you get back on your feet. As the southeast’s premier podiatry practice, we serve locations all throughout South Carolina and Georgia. If you notice symptoms of an ingrown toenail in your child, request an appointment with us here today.
