Why You Should Care for Your Toenails: Dan Preece, DPM & Darren Groberg, DPM: Board Certified Podiatrist Foot & Ankle Surgeon

It ’ mho easy to let toenail care slip down to the bottom of your precedence number. For the most partially, they seem to need little more than a shave now and then. But if you use the wrong tools or use them the improper way, you could be doing more damage than good. And it ’ s not barely about clippers and files. Your shoes and socks play a role, as do the environment and your overall health .
so with all these variables conspiring to trip up your toenails, where can you find reliable information about the best way to care for them, and what should you do when your toenails take a turn for the worse ?
Dr. Dan Preece and Dr. Darren Groberg, our two technical podiatrists at the Salt Lake City outgrowth of the Utah Musculoskeletal Specialists, have a venture in your toenails and are here to help you make surely you do all you can to keep them healthy. But if you end up with a toe disorder, you can besides count on us to provide the right treatments to get your toenails spinal column in tip-top form .

How to care for toenails

Taking care of your toenails is n’t hard if you follow some dim-witted rules and stay consistent.

here are some tips for regular toe sustenance .

Cutting

Trim your toenails at least once a workweek. You can skip a week if there hasn ’ t been much growth, but don ’ thymine let excessively much meter die in between trimmings. When they get besides long, there ’ second more potential for problems .
Keep your toenails short, trim them square across, and then use a file to slightly round out the corners. This helps prevent ingrowing toenails and infections. And always use clippers designed for toenails because they ’ rhenium stronger and are able to cut through thick nails than fingernail clippers can .

Cuticles

Cuticles are those thin strips of clear skin where your nails meet the edge of your toes, and they ’ re there for a reason. Cuticles form a mean seal to keep bacteria and early pathogens out, so preceptor ’ triiodothyronine trim, cut, poke, or prod them .

Socks

Your socks are in ceaseless contact with your feet and toes, so the condition of your socks affects the condition of your nails. Damp, sweaty socks create the ideal environment for bacterial growth that penetrates your complete beds and can lead to infection and fungus .
Change your socks daily. Change them respective times if they become wet or dampen during solve or sports. Choose cotton for the best moisture wicking .

Shoes

Proper-fitting shoes are critical to toenail care. If they ’ re besides easy or excessively tight, you can end up with blisters. Too pointed can cause bunions and hammertoes, and excessively narrow or besides high can push your feet into a cramped outer space that forces toenails to grow inward.

While walking around barefoot can be pure rejoice at times, make sure you never walk around with naked feet in public places where fungus may be lurking. Any little scribble or cut on your foot creates an entry for bacteria from consortium decks and gymnasium floors, thus faux pas into some pass flops before strolling around on wet, ardent, or dirty surfaces .

A extra note about diabetic foot caution

If you have diabetes and can ’ t control your blood sugar well, your feet face particular challenges. Because high blood sugar is known for causing steel damage, particularly in the feet where circulation is poor, many people lose the touch in their feet. That means you may not even realize you ’ re cutting your clamber alternatively of your toe .
If you have diabetes, and you can ’ metric ton experience or feel your feet or toes, come see us for master toe care to prevent damage that could lead to infection and even amputation .

Fungal infections

The argue we listed these tips is to help you prevent one of the most common toe problems — fungus. About 20 % of Americans suffer from a fungal infection in their toenails, and that act jumps up to 75 % for folks over 60 .
authoritative signs of a fungal infection are thickened nails that become discolored, brittle, cracked, and jagged. They typically become hard to cut on your own, and you may find it hard to wear certain shoes .
Dr. Preece and Dr. Groberg specify for certain if your symptoms are caused by a fungus, and then develop a treatment plan best suited for your symptoms. Fungal infections may take a while to wholly get rid of, but with some patience and proper caution, you can have healthy toenails once again.

We may prescribe topical solutions like an antifungal nail polish or cream, or an oral medicine may be more effective in some cases .
If these treatments don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate do the whoremaster, we may recommend surgery to remove the complete so we can treat the clamber underneath. When your new collar grows in, you can start over with a clean slate .
If you have questions about toe care or have symptoms of infection or fungus, call our team to make an appointment or request one on-line .

source : https://nutritionline.net
Category : Healthy