While minor aches and pains in your feet probably won’t have you rushing to the podiatrist’s office for care, certain seemingly innocuous foot problems might require a professional’s touch. Take ingrown toenails, for example. While you may be able to soothe and ease the pain on your own, it’s also important to recognize when an ingrown toenail may require treatment from a podiatrist.

• Increased pain, swelling, or redness
• Skin that’s hard to the touch
• Odor
• Pus or drainage coming from the nail

• Not picking, pulling, or tearing your toenails (especially torn edges)
• Making sure that you are trimming your nails straight across (never curved) and that you keep them level with the tips of your toes
• Wearing shoes that have a large toe box and don’t bunch up your toes (shoes with a pointed toe will put too much pressure on the toenails)
• Wearing the appropriate footwear for certain activities, such as construction work or sports, to prevent injuries

Has walking or wearing shoes become painful due to an ingrown toenail? Your McKinney and Prosper, TX, podiatrists at Advanced Foot and Ankle Center offer treatments that end the pain of ingrown toenails.

What causes ingrown toenails?

Ingrown toenails can be caused by:

• The way you cut your nails: Do you round the edges of your toenails? Rounding makes it much easier for the nails to grow into your skin. Cutting toenails straight across reduces your risk of ingrown nails.
• Curved nails: You're much more likely to develop an ingrown toenail if your nails curve downward.
• Nail trauma: Even if you cut your toenails straight across, you can still develop an ingrown nail if you stub your toe or something heavy falls on it.
• The shoes and socks you wear: Tight shoes and socks press against your skin, forcing the edges of the nails into the skin.
• Excessive sweating: Sweat moistens and softens the skin, making it much easier for your toenail to grow into the skin at the sides of your nails.
• Fungal infections: Toenail fungus thickens your nail, increasing your ingrown toenail risk.

When should you visit your podiatrist?

If your ingrown toenail has just begun to grow into the skin, you may be able to free it by inserting a piece of dental floss or cotton under the nail after soaking your foot in warm water. (Don't try to free your nail at home if you have diabetes, as you have a much higher risk for infection due to the disease.)

It's time to call your McKinney and Prosper foot doctor if your nail can't be gently freed at home. You'll also want to schedule an appointment if the pain is severe or interferes with your life, you have ingrown toenails often, or you think you might have an infection. Signs and symptoms of an infected ingrown toenail include redness, pus on your toe, red streaks on your skin, pain, tenderness, or a throbbing sensation.

Your podiatrist can perform a minor, in-office surgical procedure to remove the trapped part of the nail. You may also need to take antibiotics to prevent or treat an infection. If you have frequent ingrown toenails, removing the nail may be the best solution.

Do you struggle with ingrown toenails? Call your podiatrists in McKinney and Prosper, TX, at (972) 542-2155 to schedule an appointment.

What's the best way to take care of your feet and ankles? We suggest routine check-ups with one of our four podiatrists at Advanced Foot & Ankle Center in McKinney and Prosper, TX. Fully board-certified, Dr. Eric Silvers, Dr. Dustin Lloyd, Dr. Christopher Witt, and Dr. Melissa Sgro have the experience and diagnostic and treatment skills to keep your feet and ankles in tip-top shape. And, they are invaluable in the case of an injury or other urgent problem.

Just what is a podiatrist?

A podiatrist or foot doctor is an expert in all things foot and ankle. Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine, podiatrists study diseases and other problems associated with your lower extremities. They heal infections, protect injuries and deformities, correct biomechanical imbalances in how you walk and run, and more.

And yes, even common, but stubborn, issues such as Athlete's foot and fungal toenails fall under their purview. So, if you're worried about your feet and ankles in any way, see your podiatrist at Advanced Foot & Ankle Center in McKinney, TX.

Also, you should know that your foot doctor will work with your primary care physician and other health care providers so your treatment is accurate. He or she will review your medical history, prescriptions, past injuries, and the details on your presenting problem.

We offer in-office X-ray imaging, too. This is so convenient and reassuring as your podiatrist will review your images right at Advanced Foot & Ankle Center in McKinney, TX, or Prosper, TX.

See us right away

Not all foot and ankle problems are urgent. However, many are, particularly if you are:

• Of advanced age (begin routine podiatric exams at 40)
• Have compromising arthritis or gout
• Are diabetic
• Have been diagnosed with neuropathy (pain and reduced sensation)
• Cannot bear weight as usual (have pain and/or swelling)
• Have an open wound or sore which will not heal, particularly if it is draining
• Have a developing bunion, hammertoes, flat feet, or other deformities
• Cannot trim your toenails yourself or have one or more ingrown nails
• Require a recommendation on athletic shoes
• Have repeat ankle sprains, warts, corns, and calluses

You'll be treated right

At Advanced Foot & Ankle Center, Drs. Silvers, Lloyd, Wit, and Sgro are feet-first health care providers. They'll take good care of you at either the McKinney or Prosper, TX, location. Phone our office team for an appointment with one of these wonderful podiatrists: (972) 542-2155.

Are you wondering whether you should be turning to a podiatrist for care?

• Ingrown toenails
• Chronic heel pain
• A broken foot or ankle
• Numbness, tingling or loss of sensation in the feet
• Severe pain
• Difficulty bearing weight on a foot or ankle
• A visible foot deformity
• Signs of infection (e.g. redness; swelling; fever)
• An ulcer or open wound

• Our group has called McKinney, Texas home since 1998 and have treated thousands of patients from all over Texas 
• Drs. Silvers, Lloyd, Witt and Sgro will treat you like family.  Our providers care about your foot and ankle condition and we assure you that the care that you are provided will be personalized so that we can get you back on your feet as quickly as possible 
• We listen to you, your foot and ankle complaints, and your expected goals of treatment.  We will tailor a treatment plan that is the best for you, your problem, your lifestyle and your goals. 
• Trusted, experienced, ethical, skilled Doctors of Podiatric Medicine
• Residency Trained Foot and Ankle Surgeons
• Dr. Silvers and Dr. Lloyd are Board Certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery
• Dr. Lloyd and Dr. Witt are Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine
• We  strive to deliver the best foot and ankle care available with a skilled and gentle hand
• Quality Boots, supports and braces. We only dispense the industry best medical equipment. At AFAC, you will not get a generic equivalent.
• Seasoned and friendly staff
• Expert Insurance Claims Specialists
• On staff at several area Hospitals and Surgery Centers
• Same Day appointments and Walk-Ins Available