Common Toenail Problems

Our toenails have a rough time; they deal with a lot of stress. They rub against shoes, stub against objects, and are often in closed, dark places with lots of fungi and bacteria (the insides of your shoes can be dirty too). With these conditions that are toenails are often subject too, it's no wonder they have these three common toenail problems.
1. Ingrown Toenail
You get an ingrown toenail, usually on the big toe, when the edge of the toenail grows into the skin beside it. This can be very painful and often accompanied by swelling, redness, and discharge of pus that is a common characteristic of an infection. The ingrown part of the toenail is usually invisible because it is below the skin. An ingrown toenail can be caused by improperly fitting shoes or socks or by having an abnormal toe shape.
Treatment of an ingrown toenail involves having the ingrown part of the nail removed. There may be cases where surgery is necessary. Removal of the ingrown toenail can alleviate the pain but it can be a recurring problem.
2. Fungus
Toenail fungus is also known as onychomycosis. It is a slow-growing infection that affects the nail and the skin under it. This is usually caused by the same type of fungus that cause's athlete's foot. People who are likely to have athlete's foot may also be at risk of toenail fungal infections.
Toenail fungal infections can be seen as a yellow, brown, or white discoloration of the toenail. Eventually, the toenail will thicken and have debris. This infection can be difficult to treat because it is located under the nail. The most successful treatment method has been oral antifungal medicine, with the downside of having side effects.
3. Toenail Trauma
Injuries done to the nail's matrix, or growth center, can result in a lot of changes to the nail. Toenails can experience chronic and repetitive trauma from rubbing against a shoe when walking or running. Trauma can come from an acute injury, like stubbing the toe or having something dropped on it. There may be blood and bruising under the toenail, the toenail can thicken, or you can even lose the toenail completely.
When a nail does come loose, there may be secondary fungal or bacterial infection that occurs. Acute trauma can also cause the bone under the nail to fracture.
Depending on the amount of trauma and damage to the nail and its surround skin, you may need to get medical help.

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The Three Things You Need to Know About Neuroma

A neuroma or Morton's neuroma is a common painful foot condition. It may cause a burning or sharp pain or may feel like stepping on a marble. The condition seems to come about in response to injury, irritation, or pressure to one of the nerves that lead to the toes. This then leads to thickened nerve tissue as a response of the body to the injury or irritation.
There are many ways to treat neuroma. If you have foot pain that lasts several days or if you feel burning pain in the ball of your foot that fails to improve, you might be suffering from Morton's neuroma. It is best to see a doctor for further evaluation. Below are the three things that you need to know about neuroma.
1) You do not NEED surgery.
There are many new and improved ways to treat this painful lesion of the foot without going through surgery. The nonsurgical treatment for neuroma are equally as effective as removing the neuroma, but without any of the common side effects or risks associated with surgery. The best part is that these treatment options can be done multiple times without negative consequences, and in most cases even with previous surgery performed, the modalities can be very effective to lessen pain and improve your day to day walks.
2) After injection therapy or sclerosing agents, orthotics will be needed.
Most patients presume that once the pain is gone, wearing orthotics is no longer necessary. On the other hand, orthotics are very important at this stage because your foot will resume previous function after the neuroma pain is resolved, and this can make you prone to recurring pain later on. In the proper hands, a custom molded device, or an accommodative apparatus off the shelf can improve function in shoe gear which will help the metatarsal bones stay apart so that a future nerve problem can be much less likely to recur.
Custom orthotics that aim to restore the arch of the foot and relieve the pressure and irritation have been effective treatments. The more pressure that can be relieved from the nerve, the better the outcome.
3) Radiofrequency ablation works
Many patients have had previous treatments attempted. These include multiple cortisone injections, orthotic devices, and even surgery. The use of radio frequency ablation can give excellent results even with the most difficult cases. This is one of the latest and least invasive technologies to deal with foot pain.

Lorrine Yen has many years of experience as a medical researcher and a professional health and medical writer. She creates high quality articles and specializes in health and medicine.

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Neuroma Secrets

The pain of neuroma may feel like a persistent pain in the ball of the foot that may radiate to the toes. For others it may feel like walking on marbles, standing on a pebble inside the shoe, tingling, or numbness of the toes.
Anyone can be affected by neuroma.
The specific cause of neuroma is not known but there are certain factors that are believed to trigger the condition. Among these are foot problems such as high foot arches, flat feet, hammertoes, atypical positioning of the toes, and bunions. Previous foot injuries, irritation, or pressure to the nerves which lead to the toes can also contribute to neuroma formation. Other causes that may elicit the symptoms are wearing shoes that are too tight, wearing too narrow footwear, or constant use of high-heeled shoes.
High-heeled shoes, particularly those over three inches, pointed at the toes, or shoes with a tight shoe box may squash the toes together, worsening the symptoms. People with flat feet are also more at risk. This is a condition in which almost the entire soles of the feet come into contact with the ground. High arches, on the other hand are more likely to suffer from Morton's neuroma. A hammertoe is a deformity of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the toes, more commonly the second, third, and fourth toes. The toes appear to be permanently bent.
Morton's neuroma is more common in women, the ratio being 4:1. The symptoms are usually felt on one foot and they commonly occur in the fifth decade of life.
Neuroma treatment depends on the extent of the symptoms. Some treatments for neuroma are the use of arch supports, shoe inserts, steroid injections, decompression surgery, or removal of the nerve.
Foot pads or arch supports are worn inside the shoe to help decrease the pressure on the nerve. These may be custom-made or can also be purchased over the counter. The advantage of prescribed shoe inserts are these are molded to fit the exact shape of your feet.
Some individuals benefit from steroid injections into the affected area. Other treatments are cryogenic neuroablation and surgery. This can be decompression surgery to relieve the pressure on the nerve or this may also involve removal of the nerve if the other treatments fail. This type of surgery is often the last resort because it has the risk of causing permanent numbness in the affected toes.
Morton's neuroma is common among dancers, runners, and other athletes but can affect anyone. If you feel that you might be suffering from Morton's neuroma, seek advice from a doctor or surgeon who specializes in foot disorders.

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