I broke my ankle about three years ago in a car accident. I followed all of the doctor's instructions as my ankle healed, but something didn't heal quite right. Two and a half years later, I was still having severe pain and my doctor couldn't figure out why. He suggested that I see a podiatrist to have it looked at more closely. It turns out that there is a lot more to an ankle injury than I had known. Scroll through my site to find out what can really happen to your ankle when it is broken and what could cause the pain to continue long after the injury is sustained.
During pregnancy, your feet often swell, which can lead to a number of ailments including ingrown toenails. If the skin around the toenail is rough and red, the toenail itself appears curved, and you're maybe even experiencing some bleeding from the edge of the nail, chances are good that you have an ingrown toenail. Follow these dos and don'ts to treat it in a way that's safe for both you and the baby.
Don't use someone else's prescription cream for ingrown toenails.
There are prescription creams and sprays prescribed for the treatment of ingrown toenails, but they may not be safe for pregnant women to apply. Even through these creams are applied topically, they are often absorbed through the skin and may have harmful effects on the unborn baby. For this reason, you should not apply any medicated creams, prescription or otherwise, to your ingrown toenails while pregnant unless your doctor specifically tells you to do so.
Don't pick at the ingrown toenail.
Picking at the nail introduces all sorts of bacteria that are lingering on your hands to the sore area, increasing the chances that the ingrown nail will become infected. Treating an infection safely during pregnancy is tricky, so fight the urge to pick. If you're having trouble neatly trimming your ingrown nail, ask your physician or podiatrist to do so for you.
Do soak your feet in an Epsom salts bath.
Epsom salts are wonderful for relieving the pain and swelling of ingrown toenails. Epsom salts are just magnesium sulfate, so you can rest assured that soaking your feet in them is fine for your baby. Prepare a tub of warm water, add a few handfuls of Epsom salts, and let your feet soak for about 15 minutes. Repeat this process a few times per week.
Do purchase looser shoes to wear throughout your pregnancy.
Ingrown toenails are often caused, at least partially, by your shoe pressing on your nail as it becomes tighter on your ever-more-swollen foot. To prevent your ingrown nails from getting worse, invest in some larger-sized shoes to wear for the duration of your pregnancy.
Do tell your doctor about the symptoms.
An ingrown toenail may seem like a minor affliction, but it is important that you let your doctor know you're suffering from this condition. That way, he or she can tell you how to best manage the discomfort throughout the rest of your pregnancy without putting your baby at risk. Often, once a woman gives birth, her podiatrist is able to use more aggressive methods, like medications and minor surgical procedures, to correct the ingrown toenail more quickly.
Share30 July 2015
