Ingrown Toenails Onychocryptosis
By Christopher Lubrano
Ingrown toenails are a pain
Ingrown toenails are common. They happen when the side or corner of the toenail grows into the skin.
*Ingrown toenails can affect people of all ages both male and female. Ingrown nails can happen on fingers and toes, but mostly the toes and big toe.
*Ingrown toenails don’t happen in barefoot cultures.
*Sometimes people that can’t reach their toenails or see them cut poorly and can get them.
*18 percent of people over 21 have had an ingrown toenail
(over 40 million people)
Integumentary system and Immune system are affected
Integumentary system
Our Integumentary system is made up of our skin, hair, and nails. Our skin protects our body from physical harm and disease. Our hair and nails extend from our skin. Fingernails and toenails protect our fingers and toes. Ingrown toenails occur when the nail grows into the nail bed and through the skin. This is why ingrown toenails can also affect the Immune system.
Immune system
Our Immune system is our body’s defense system, it’s job is to protect the body from infection. Our nails constantly grow to protect us. If we have an ingrown toenail, there is swelling, which sends more blood to the area. This is our immune system fighting infection.
A badly infected ingrown toenail
A person with an ingrown toenail can have swelling, pain, redness, and stinky white liquid that looks like pus on the toe.
A doctor can tell by examining a patient’s toe and also checking for infection, it’s pretty obvious if someone sees it.
Signs and symptoms of an ingrown toenail
Pain around the edge of a nail
Swelling
Redness
Sensitivity to pressure of any kind
Watery discharge (blood and pus)
How do people get ingrown toenails?
A number of things can cause ingrown toenails:
*Poor nail trimming or cutting your nails too short
*Tight shoes
*An accident
*Foot trauma
*Predisposition - which means curved nails or thick nails
How are ingrown toenails treated?
Sometimes you can treat ingrown toenails at home as long as it isn’t infected, you don’t have diabetes, nerve damage or circulation problems that can affect blood flow. If you have diabetes, it can affect blood flow.
*Soak your foot in warm water
*Epson salt in the warm water can help
*Gently massaging can also help the swelling
*Wear comfortable shoes while recovering from ingrown toenails
If infected, you have to see a doctor so they can give you medicine
Sometimes, surgery is needed to remove part of the nail
Prognosis for people with ingrown toenails
If left untreated and ingrown toenail can become infected and turn into an abscess which is a swollen area filled with pus.
If treated at home or by a doctor, ingrown toenails are curable, but they can keep coming back
Why I wanted to learn about ingrown toenails
Mrs. Mona, Mrs. Bechok’s helper, used to have ingrown toenails. I have also found ingrown toenails interesting.
Works Cited
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"Ingrown Toenails." | Institute for Preventive Foothealth (IPFH). Web. 12 Jan. 2015. <http://www.ipfh.org/foot-conditions/foot-conditions-a-z/ingrown-toenails/>.
"Ingrown Nail." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 07 Jan. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrown_nail>.
"Ingrown Toenail: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 07 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001237.htm>.
"Ingrown Toenails." Definition. Web. 12 Jan. 2015. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ingrown-toenails/basics/definition/con-20019655>.
"Integumentary System." InnerBody. Web. 07 Jan. 2015. <http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/integumentary>.
"Understanding Ingrown Nail -- Prevention." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 07 Jan. 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understanding-ingrown-nail-prevention>.Images used
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARemoval_of_an_ingrown_toenail.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AIngrownnail_postop.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABild_Emmert-Plastik.png
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAnatomy_The_Skin_-_NCI_Visuals_Online.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AImmune_system_test.JPG