Why is my toenail swollen and hurts?

Why is my toenail swollen and hurts?

Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, redness, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect your big toe. Often you can take care of ingrown toenails on your own.

Why is around my toenail swollen?

What Is Paronychia? Paronychia (pahr-uh-NIK-ee-uh) is an infection of the skin around a fingernail or toenail. The infected area can become swollen, red, and painful, and a pus-filled blister (abscess) may form. Most of the time, paronychia is not serious and can be treated at home.

Why does my toe feel tender?

Many cases of toe pain are due to injury or age-related wear and tear on the skin, muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments of the toe. Common causes of toe pain include calluses, arthritis and bunions. However, infectious diseases, neurological conditions, and other abnormal processes can also affect the toe.

How do you treat a swollen toenail?

Here’s how:

  1. Soak your feet in warm water. Do this for 15 to 20 minutes three to four times a day.
  2. Place cotton or dental floss under your toenail. After each soaking, put fresh bits of cotton or waxed dental floss under the ingrown edge.
  3. Apply antibiotic cream.
  4. Choose sensible footwear.
  5. Take pain relievers.

What does an infected toenail look like?

Infected nails are usually thicker than normal and could be warped or oddly shaped. They can break easily. Nails with fungus might look yellow. Sometimes a white dot shows up on the nail and then gets bigger.

How long does it take for a swollen toe to go down?

It can take 4 to 6 weeks for complete healing. Most pain and swelling will go away within a few days to a week. If something was dropped on the toe, the area under the toenail can bruise. This will go away in time with nail growth.

Which antibiotic is best for toe infection?

Medication Summary Agents such as cephalexin, dicloxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, or clindamycin are effective choices. If methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) infection is suspected, then clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, minocycline, or linezolid may be used.

What does it mean when your toenails are swollen?

When the side or corner of a [&toenail&] grows into the flesh of the [&toe&], it’s called an ingrown [&toenail&]. Ingrown [&toenails&] cause swelling, [&pain&], and redness. Ingrown [&toenails&] can …

What are some of the most common toenail problems?

1 Toenail fungus. Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, is a common condition. 2 Ingrown toenail. Ingrown toenails are one of the most common and most painful toenail problems. 3 Toenail trauma. 4 Clubbed nails. 5 Discoloration of the nail plates. 6 Nail-patella syndrome. 7 Leukonychia. …

Why does my toe feel red and swollen?

The swollen toe may appear red and feel warm to the touch. Hallux rigidus Inflammation in this joint can cause pain and stiffness in the toe, which may also cause difficulty walking.

What causes your toenails to grow into the flesh?

Ingrown toenails are one of the most common and most painful toenail problems. It occurs when the corner or side of your toenail grows into the flesh. This can be caused by: cutting your toenails too short. cutting your toenails on a curve instead of straight across.

What causes redness and swelling in the toenails?

Paronychia is a skin condition that causes redness and swelling around the nail. Over time and multiple infections, both fingernails and toenails may become thick. A person may notice that layers of the nail start to peel off.

What are the symptoms of an infected toenail?

1 Redness 2 Soreness or pain 3 A pus-filled blister, or pus that drains from your toe 4 Cracked, thickened, yellow toenails (from a fungal infection)

Why does my pinky toe hurt so much?

Bunions are the product of misalignment of the joint between a [&toe&] and its matching metatarsal bone. (Metatarsals are the long bones along the top of your foot that join your [&toes&] to your ankle.) Most bunions affect the base of the big [&toe&].

What causes an infection in the skin around the toe?

An infection in the skinaround the toenail is called paronychia. It’s normally caused by a bacterium. The toenail can also be infected with a fungus. If your toe is infected, one of these things might be to blame: You cut the nail too short, or you cut the cuticle around the nail.