When the sharp corner of the toenail grows toward the inner skin of the toe, there is pain and discomfort. This is what’s commonly known as an ingrown toenail. It is like a sharp object digging into the skin. If this sharp corner is not removed or treated, it could lead to toe inflammation or infection.

Proper foot care is crucial for your feeling of overall well-being, and some seemingly minor foot conditions can turn into painful experiences that could affect your mood at work and around your family.  Ingrown toenails are very painful. Most people who have this condition cannot walk normally, and some people find it difficult to even walk at all. If left untreated, the sharp corner that digs into the skin would develop new painful skin or yellowish fluid. In other words, the longer the ingrown toenail stays, the more likely that it will develop other complications to the toes.

Causes of Ingrown Toenails

Our toenails grow normally in a straight manner starting from birth. Toenails are intended to grow within their line without touching the skin. However, if the person does not know proper foot care, an ingrown toenail may develop. The most common causes of this condition are the following:

• Use of tight- fitting shoes. This causes pressure to the toes. As a result, the toenails develop improperly so  they touch the skin on the edge.  People who do not know proper foot care tend to use any shoes, even if they are not healthy for their feet, or not suitable for their size.
• Not using the right shoe inserts.  Generally, orthotic insoles are used to relieve pain and align your feet properly, thus reducing this condition. However, you should be guided by a professional, otherwise it may cause compression or pressure to the feet. When this happens, the toenail may grow abnormally.
• Improper cutting of toenails. The proper way to cut toenails is straight across. If the cutting is rounded or arched, it leaves a space of skin on the edge. When the toenail grows, it could touch the skin, thus causing growth to develop  inwards.
• Foot infection, injury, or toe damage may cause the toenail to grow abnormally. It is advisable to wear orthotic insoles if you experience some foot disorders. Otherwise, growth of the toenail could be curled towards the skin.

Treating Ingrown Toenails

As soon as the ingrown toenail develops, you feel a sharp pain. To prevent further damage or infection, appropriate foot care should be undertaken right away. You can follow the simple steps below to treat ingrown toenails:

• Soak your feet in a warm water to soften your skin and temporarily relieve pain.
• Wash the toes with water and soap and keep them dry.
• Remove the ingrown toenail with a nail cutter or a device that elevates the nail away from the skin. This is a painful process, but it is the only way to remove the abnormal toenail growth.
• Avoid using tight-fitting shoes, so that compression of the skin to the toenail is prevented. If possible, use orthotics to give your feet comfort while healing the feet from ingrown toenails.
• If you think you cannot remove the ingrown toenail yoursel, or the condition is severe, you need to seek medical assistance. From then on, proper foot care should be applied regularly.

Many people do not realize how important proper footwear is to foot health, and even to parts of your body that seem entirely unrelated, such as your knees or lower back.  There are a great deal of people who suffer from back problems, unaware that many of their aches and pains can be relieved if they use the right footwear, and by wearing proper insoles or inserts for their shoes. The way your back is aligned depends a great deal on the way you stand, so if you wear a pair of shoes that do no allow you to adopt a correct body posture, then you will suffer other ailments such as lower backaches.

If you take the time to make sure that the arch in your feet is properly supported, then you will enjoy a much better posture, as well as fewer aches and pains.  Podiatrists unanimously emphasize the importance of wearing proper footwear in order to keep your feet in top condition.  Although most podiatrists measure your feet for a custom-made shoe insert, most people will benefit greatly from inexpensive, standard off-the-shelf orthotic insoles that provide the proper level of arch or metatarsal support.

There are many foot problems that result from not standing correctly and letting your arch fall lower than it should be, or even having it higher than it should be.   Some of the most common foot problems include bunions, Morton’s Neuroma, calluses, corns, and plantar fasciitis.  There are many more foot problems that can arise from not wearing the right footwear, so chances are that if you do not see your foot problem.

Foot health is crucial to your overall well-being, and foot problems that are not treated promptly can result in more serious complications over time.  Many people do not take their feet as a serious issue, and can run into a great deal of problems that affect their entire body, only because they do not take care of their feet.  Be sure to choose the proper footwear, as this can greatly improve your foot health.  If you wear appropriate footwear and arch supports, then you greatly decrease the probability of having to deal with these common foot problems that affect your overall health.

Proper footwear depends on the type of activity to be performed, such as working, engaging in sports and other leisure activities, or just lounging around your home.  In general, appropriate footwear have the following features:

Be the appropriate size for your foot, neither too loose or tight

• Offer ample support for your feet’s arches and ankles
• Provide your toes with plenty of room to move
• Feature soles that provide appropriate cushioning
• Have a non-skid outsole to prevent accidents

If you suffer from foot health problems, then it is advisable to consult with your doctor to make sure that you are doing what is right for your feet as well as your body.  Your feet hold your entire body upright, so you want to be sure to take care of them the best way you can.  Healthy feet make enhance your overall well-being and make you feel better.

Flat feet in children can be difficult to notice when they are first born, since baby fat often hides the true shape of the foot.  As months go by and the baby enters walking stage, the condition becomes more obvious.  As a child ages, a normal arch should appear between the ages of four to six, as it is often developed by walking barefoot on uneven terrain, which develops muscles, tendons and ligaments.  If a normal arch doesn’t occur during this stage of development, then it could become necessary to look into the use of orthotic solutions to keep back or lower extremity problems from emerging later.

You can test whether an arch is developing by using a wet blotter, where you make a footprint of your child’s damp foot on colored paper, and check whether the footprint leaves a visible gap left by the foot arch.  You can also do this on a beach or in a sandbox by looking at the foot impression, though the blotter test is much more telling. Another sign of flat feet is when the child complains about his or her calf muscles or ankles aching after walking for a period of time, as flat feet in children can cause additional strain on ankles and calves to compensate for the lack of foot arches. Sometimes a child may walk on the outer edges of his feet, and this is sometimes mistaken for bowlegged-ness, when it is really a result of over-pronation caused by flat feet.

Pronation –the excessive rolling inwards of the ankles and feet and resulting collapse of the arches– is found in up to 70% of the population. Over a period of time, excessive pronation in addition to foot pain will also cause back problems, in addition to leg and foot problems.  Many people do not realize how proper foot, leg and back alignment are connected, and it is important to remedy any foot problems, such as flat feet in children or adults, to prevent further damage to other lower body parts.

It is advisable to become aware of flat feet in children as soon as possible to prevent the resulting problems later in life.  While sometimes it is a normal part of aging, it is possible for adults of any age to develop flat feet.  It may be caused for a reason such as injury, illness, or pregnancy, and can be temporary or permanent, depending on the reason. Excessive weight-bearing in adults or children can also cause flat feet.

Flat feet in children can be corrected and further damage to ankles, calves, or lower back prevented through orthotics. A podiatrist should be able to analyze the symptoms and recommend appropriate treatment, which could include arch support, orthotics or foot exercises, depending on the severity of the problem. There are many orthotics products available on the Internet, without the need for expensive custom-made orthotic insoles or other aids.

The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to flat feet in children is that early detection can prevent many serious complications to other body parts, such as the lower back, later in life. It is easy to treat flat feet in children and adults and pronation through readily available and affordable orthotics products.