Ingrown nail (synonym: onchocryptosis) - the growth of the nail plate into the edge of the nail roll. Inflammation occurs because the edge of the nail affects the skin: the immune system can respond to the nail (foreign body reaction) and the penetration of bacteria.
Causes of onchocryptosis
The causes of ingrown nails are usually too narrow shoes or improperly cut nails. If the skin is damaged, granulation tissue forms. It grows above the nail, which penetrates even deeper into the tissue. Another possible cause of onchocryptosis is a genetic disease.
Bacteria can enter the skin and cause inflammation due to injuries. In severe and untreated cases, osteitis may occur. A serious complication of oncocryptosis is bacterial arthritis of the interphalangeal joint of the thumb.
It is not recommended to treat the ingrown nail with folk remedies at home. Before using any substances or methods, you should consult your doctor.
Ingrown nail: treatment with folk remedies at home with herbs
1. Grind the aloe leaf, and then dilute the resulting purge with water. Wet a piece of tissue with the resulting solution and tie a finger around.
Doctor's comment: Aloe vera leaf contains about 200 active ingredients, including vitamins, enzymes, minerals, amino acids, essential oils and salicylic acid. A viscous, slimy gel from a fresh leaf is absorbed very quickly by the skin. Aloe vera gel should also help with radiation damage caused by radiation therapy.
Aloe vera affects indigestion, allergies, asthma, fungal diseases and diabetes. In addition, it is used in the treatment of cancer and AIDS as a dietary supplement, since it is intended to mobilize the body's defense.
Adverse documentation can be found on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) websites. About 30 cases of serious illness associated with aloe vera are listed here. These include fluctuations in blood pressure and panic attacks. Side effects, such as pancreatitis and kidney failure, have also been reported in combination with other herbal ingredients and vitamins.
The prescription is useless against onchocryptosis, but will help relieve pain. Due to potential side effects, treatment of ingrown toenails at home with folk remedies with aloe is not recommended.
2. Baths with ½ pack of soda and 5 ml of iodine.
Doctor's comment: iodine is used as a disinfectant and antiseptic with a wide spectrum of action - it has a bactericidal (mainly against staphylococci, streptococci, as well as mycobacteria), antiprotozoal, antifungal and antiviral effects.
Iodopovidone is also soluble in ethanol, isopropanol and glycerol. The use of ethanol or 2-propanol enhances its disinfectant and antibacterial properties. However, one of the advantages of an aqueous solution is lost - it is much more unpleasant to use, since it causes a burning sensation.
Iodine and soda will help reduce inflammation and pain. If the cause of the ingrown nail is a fungal disease - a folk recipe will help. In other cases, it eliminates only the symptoms.
3. Dressings with a solution of chamomile and calendula.
Doctor's comment: Plants contain from 0.4 to 1.0% essential oil. Main components: 1-alpha-bisabolol, chamazulene, sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, quercetin and patwer), coumarins (dioxicoumarin, herniarin), resins (triacontane, phytosterol), valerianic acid and phenols.
Chamomile and calendula are used in medicine as anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, anxiolytic and muscle relaxants. Local application of the solution effectively reduces inflammation, but does not help eliminate the ingrown nail. The plant can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people; cases of allergic anaphylaxis have also been reported.
4. Plantain wraps.
Doctor's comment: plantain has an astringent, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, expectorant, hemostatic and diuretic effects. Outwardly, a poultice of leaves is useful for insect bites, small ulcers and boils.
Plantain wraps reduce inflammation, pain and can help with bacterial arthritis. With osteitis or primary onchocryptosis, a herbal remedy is ineffective, since it does not affect the root cause.
Ingrown nail: treatment with folk remedies at home with ointments and dressings
1. Ointment with urea.
Doctor's comment: urea is used in medicine as a keratolytic agent. In a highly concentrated form (40%), the ointment is used with antifungal agents against onchomycosis. Urea makes the nail so soft that the infected substance can be removed in parts. In addition, it serves as a moisturizer to combat atopic dermatitis and lichen. Previously, urea in an aqueous solution was prescribed as a diuretic for pleurisy and cirrhosis.
If onchocryptosis is caused by a fungal disease (Candida albicans), a urea ointment can effectively eliminate the pathological condition. In other cases, the effect is comparable to placebo, since urea does not have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect even in high doses.
2. Antiseptic dressings.
Doctor's comment: antiseptics effectively eliminate bacterial, protozoal, fungal and viral pathogens. In the first studies, the prevention of decay was fundamental. Research was aimed at determining how much agent had to be added to a particular solution in order for the pathogens to die. But for several reasons, it was an inaccurate method, and currently an antiseptic is valued for its effect on the cultures of some pathogenic microbes.
Antiseptic dressings help reduce inflammation and therefore pain. However, in the long run, they are useless, since they do not act on the root cause.
3. Dressings with antibiotics.
Doctor's comment: It is strictly forbidden to use dressings with antibiotics for a long time without the recommendation of a doctor. Antibiotic resistance is a dangerous consequence of prolonged use of antibiotic substances. Many bacteria in the population in question will die or be inhibited in growth by an antibiotic, but a few remaining resistant pathogens will remain. After some time, all bacteria will become resistant to the antibiotic.
Resistance develops not only to one specific antibiotic, but to the whole group. However, multiple resistance can sometimes occur with improper antibiotic therapy. In some bacteria, possibly resistance genes are located on the same plasmid.
In April 2014, WHO published a report on global antibiotic resistance. Scientists also discussed an approach to preventing the further spread of antibiotic resistance. It is important for patients to consult a doctor, and not to use antibacterial agents on their own.
Ingrown nail: treatment with folk remedies at home and non-standard methods
1. Self removal of the nail.
Doctor's comment: It is forbidden to independently remove parts of deeply ingrown nails. Additional trauma or penetration of the infection into the systemic circulation can aggravate the state of health. Surgical removal of the nail is performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. Even surgical resection of the edge of the growing nail does not give the patient a full guarantee of the absence of repetition (relapse) of the disease.
Treatment of ingrown nail with folk remedies at home effectively relieves symptoms and helps prevent the further spread of infection. Traditional medicine is unable to cure the root cause - flat feet, hallux valgus deformity of the foot or congenital excess of soft tissue - therefore, you must consult a doctor.
