Is It Paronychia or an Ingrown Toenail?
A patient may be confused by an infection in the toes. Ingrown toenail is a common condition in adults involving the big toe, but it may affect any toenail. According to eMedicine Health online, an ingrown toenail occurs when the nail of the toe, most commonly the big toe, cuts into the skin around it. The symptoms can be similar. Ingrown toenails present with redness, swelling, and pain, as do both types of paronychia. However, an important difference is that paronychia involves the loss of the cuticle and usually differs in location. Paronychia may involve only the skin at the bottom of the nail, or it may encircle the whole nail while ingrown toenails usually only affect the corners at the top. This is an important distinction. Another interesting difference is that paronychia afflicts mostly women with a 3:1 ratio while ingrown toenails are more typically found in men. Treating Paronychia Treatment depends on the type of infection, whether it is chronic or acute, or the type of inf
