Why an Ingrown Toenail Requires Expert Care When You Have Diabetes

Ingrown toenails are one of the most common foot ailments, affecting some 40 million adults at some point. And while they’re often not a big deal and resolve on their own, they’re riskier when you have diabetes.

At Mayfair Foot Care in Commack, New York, Drs. Edward Buro, Christine Peterson, and Rosario Saccomanno specialize in diabetic foot care to help ensure that your feet and their tissues stay healthy in the long term.

This blog post explores diabetes and ingrown toenails, including reasons to seek expert care and ways we can help.

Ingrown toenail basics

When the edge of a toenail starts growing into the skin of your toe, you have an ingrown toenail. Several factors contribute to ingrown toenails, including wearing tight shoes, cutting your toenails too short, having particularly sweaty feet or poor hygiene, and experiencing an injury.

While any toe can be affected, your big toe is the most likely. And symptoms tend to start mildly and worsen over time.

Common signs of an ingrown toenail include:

• Pain and tenderness
• Skin that visibly covers part of your nail
• Redness and swelling

Pain and swelling may increase when you wear shoes or spend a lot of time on your feet while wearing them. 

Diabetes complications of an ingrown toenail

Several factors can make an ingrown toenail more urgent when you have diabetes. If you develop diabetic neuropathy, for example, numbness in your feet might keep you from realizing you have an ingrown toenail — given that you may not notice any pain and swelling sensations.

If you ignore your ingrown toenail, whether you’ve noticed it or not, diabetes can stand in the way of healing. This is because the disease can hinder immune system activation. As an ingrown toenail worsens, you can develop a wound, known as a diabetic ulcer. 

And because your immune system may not be able to fend off harmful bacteria, that ulcer can become infected. Most ingrown toenails can become infected, but your risk is higher when you have diabetes. In the most severe cases, particularly ulcers that go untreated, you run the risk of foot amputation. Between 14% and 25% of people with diabetes end up requiring a lower limb amputation due to the ulcer-related infection gangrene.

Seeking expert care for your ingrown toenail

Expert care is important to avoid complications from ingrown toenails and experience relief as swiftly as possible. Our team at Mayfair Foot Care provides customized diabetes treatment for your feet, whether you have a mild ingrown toenail or require wound care.

Medical treatment for an ingrown toenail may involve debridement, surgical removal, a topical solution, or oral antibiotics. Depending on your condition, we may recommend home care measures, such as 15-minute foot soaks in water containing epsom salt. We can also recommend improved hygiene habits, such as showing you how to properly trim your toenails and recommending shoes that best suit your feet.

To learn more about ingrown toenails and diabetes or get started with compassionate care, call Mayfair Foot Care or schedule an appointment using our online booking feature today.