Why is my toenail so painful?
We’re talking about ingrown toenails. They’re painful, sometimes smelly and can look awful! It’s much easier to keep them hidden under a band aid and hope they will get better. Some people don’t even realise the reason for their painful toe is due to an ingrown nail.
Ingrown toenails are very common, especially in kids heading into that ‘tricky’ age. Kids have enough to deal with on a day to day basis and usually they don’t let mum or dad know about their troublesome toes until the smell is so bad that they figure it out themselves or they are in desperate pain. Adults can experience ingrown toenails too, and usually they have been a problem on and off for many years.
Contrary to popular belief, ingrown toenails are not always due to poor nail cutting. There are many factors which can predispose someone to developing ingrown toenails. These include familial factors relating to the shape of the toe, the shape of the nail plate, biomechanical factors, bony lumps and bumps beneath the nail, structural deformities, and the amount of soft tissue around the nail.
Most kids put off telling anyone about their toes because of fear of needles. Let’s face it, nobody likes to have needles, and the thought of one poking into an already painful toe can make your eyes water and your legs start trembling.
The good news is there is a solution for ingrown toenails. Surgery for ingrown toenails can be undertaken as a day procedure in a hospital setting. This means you don’t need to be awake for the procedure. When you wake up, it’s all done. This is especially great in the case of kids, although adults (big kids) prefer this option as well.
