Suffering from ingrown nail? What is it? Why see a podiatrist in Chino? Ingrown toenails result from the interaction between the nail and the flesh, causing inflammation, pain, and, sometimes, infection. It is a pathology that usually affects the first toe. In most cases, only the nail of the first toe of a single foot is affected. It is unusual for the patient to have the first two toes affected.
What refers to an ingrown nail in Chino?
The term ‘ingrown toenail’ refers to the red or ingrown color and the nail itself does not acquire that color. ‘ingrown nail’ comes from the Latin word ‘incarnatus,’ which also means ingrown. Thus, it is a relatively common condition of the nail plate, which causes pain and/or inflammation of the lateral fold or folds of the nail, in which the distal end interacts abnormally with the periungual tissues, becoming embedded and sometimes causing an infectious condition.
In other words, “an ingrown nail (onychocryptosis) consists of the tissue surrounding the nail invading the space that it should occupy. Our Chino podiatrist points out that in 70% of cases, the first toe of both feet is usually affected.
Prevalence
In epidemiological studies in the general population, a prevalence of up to 5% of onychocryptosis has been detected, although in the diabetic population, this percentage can reach up to 30%.
Chino podiatrists have found that it is a widespread pathology and that it can account for between 15 and 20% of the patients who come to our clinics. It is usually the second decade of life when most cases occur, accompanied by inflammation and infection.
Our podiatrist in Chino states that “onychocryptosis can appear at any age of life since we have patients from a few months old to those who are ninety years old. However, there is a high peak of the appearance of the lesion in adolescents when they move from parental care to self-care, where if they do not have good information, they can cut their nails incorrectly. In addition, other factors, such as excessive sweating (due to hormonal changes in children) or the use of inappropriate footwear, can cause the nails to become ingrown.
Regarding whether it affects both sexes equally, Chino podiatrist points out that most authors agree that onychocryptosis, which causes pain, inflammation, and infection, is more common in men than in women – mainly in adolescence and youth – perhaps due to sports practices; excessive use of sports shoes; the presence of hyperhidrosis; and, sometimes, inadequate hygiene habits. In adulthood, from age 30, the proportion may be higher in women than in men since onychocryptosis is more associated with the curvature of the nail and the presence of periungual corns or calluses.
Causes
Ingrown nails in Chino are multifactorial pathologies, but the triggering factor would be incorrect handling of nail cutting, cutting the edges, and leaving them very short and rounded. Other factors are also influenced, such as the foot’s morphology (feet with bunions are more prone), obesity, excessive sweating, high and narrow footwear, and certain drugs (such as oral retinoids).
When talking about the possible causes of ingrown toenails, we prefer to divide them between external or extrinsic factors and internal or intrinsic ones:
External or extrinsic factors: Examples include inadequate nail cutting, inappropriate footwear, self-treatment of the condition, and inadequate hygiene.
Among the internal or intrinsic factors, we highlight the genetic predisposition, nail dystrophy or hypertrophy of the nail folds, biomechanical alterations, digital deformities, presence of hyperhidrosis, bone pathology in the underlying phalanx, etc.
Prevention
Ingrown nails can be prevented. The important thing is to perform a correct nail cut. Chino podiatrists always say that nails should be cut straight and protrude above the flesh. Sometimes, this is possible, and other times, not so much. Nails should be cut according to their morphology and not cut the corners obliquely.
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