Is this your symptom?
- The corner of the toenail grows into the skin around it
- Almost always involves the big toe
Symptoms of an Ingrown Toenail
- Toe pain from sharp corner of toenail cutting into surrounding skin.
- Redness and swelling around the corner of the toenail is common.
- The area may drain pus or yellow fluid.
- The red area is very tender to touch. Pressure from wearing a shoe may make it worse.
- Some people with an ingrown toenail can barely walk.
Cause of an Ingrown Toenail
- The toenail is usually pushed into the skin by wearing tight shoes.
- The tiny cut made by the nail allows bacteria to enter the skin. The cut then becomes infected.
- The sharp corner of the buried nail keeps growing. The deeper it goes, the more painful it becomes.
When to Call for Toenail - Ingrown
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Self Care at Home
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Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- You have a fever and spreading red area from your toenail
- Spreading red area or red streak that's very large
- Severe pain
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Spreading red area or streak, but no fever
- Entire toe is red and swollen
- Pus pocket (yellow or green) seen in skin around toenail or under toenail.
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- Can't locate and free up corner of toenail
- After using Care Advice more than 2 days, pus is not gone
- After using Care Advice more than 3 days, still hard to walk
- After using Care Advice more than 7 days, not starting to get better
- After using Care Advice more than 14 days, not cleared up
- Ingrown toenails happen often
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Minor ingrown toenail
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
