How to treat paronychia on a child's big toe

Children may have ingrown toenails because their nails are trimmed too short, their feet are not clean enough, or they are infected with bacteria. Parents must pay attention to this. So how do you treat a child with paronychia on his big toe?

Common causes of ingrown toenails in children

Incorrect nail trimming: If your child has ingrown nails, it may be because the nails were not trimmed properly or were trimmed too short, causing the ingrown nails. So parents must be careful when trimming their baby's nails.

Unsuitable shoes: When it comes to shoes, remember one principle: don't wear unsuitable shoes, because unsuitable shoes can easily cause ingrown toenails.

Toe injuries: If a child loses a nail due to injury, it is easy for the new nail to become ingrown when it grows back, so always pay attention to your child's foot safety.

Repeated pressure on the toes: Sometimes repetitive foot movements can cause pressure on the toes, such as repeatedly kicking a ball. This can result in ingrown toenails and cause nail problems.

Unhygienic feet: If the baby's feet are not kept clean enough, there is a chance that ingrown toenails will develop, so be sure to clean the child's feet carefully when bathing.

Nail infection: Sometimes nail infection can also cause ingrown nails, such as onychomycosis, athlete's foot, etc., so the feet must be kept clean and hygienic to avoid bacterial infection.

How to prevent ingrown toenails in children

Trim your nails correctly: You can teach your child how to trim their nails properly, or you can do it for them. Make sure the toenails are cut straight and not too short to avoid ingrown toenails.

Buy suitable shoes: When buying shoes for your baby, make sure they fit. Make sure the widest part of the shoe fits the widest part of the baby's foot, so that the baby will not feel uncomfortable or develop ingrown toenails.

Keep feet dry: If your baby's feet are prone to excessive sweating, you can use socks to help keep them dry, which can prevent foot health problems and ingrown toenails.

Proper foot hygiene: Teach your baby proper foot hygiene, how to wash, etc. Babies should wash their feet regularly with soap and water to avoid bacterial infection that can cause ingrown toenails.

Prevent foot pressure: If your baby is going to exercise, it is best to buy some suitable shoes to avoid foot injuries due to constant pressure, which can cause ingrown toenails and affect the baby's foot development.

How to treat ingrown toenails in children

In the early stage, 3% iodine tincture can be repeatedly applied, which can often control the infection. Before pus formation, ichthyol ointment, golden powder paste, etc. can be applied locally. Short-wave ultraviolet rays, ultra-short waves, infrared rays and other physical treatments can also be used, or cotton plugging and rubber tube plugging methods can be used. The rubber tube for dripping can be used instead of cotton to fill the nail groove and glued with special glue.

After the pus forms, the nail is incised and drained. Use lidocaine to block the digital nerve at the base of the finger, and then make an incision. For unilateral subcutaneous abscesses, parallel incisions can be made on the outside of the nail groove; bilateral subcutaneous abscesses require bilateral drainage. For abscesses at the root of the nail, remove part or all of the nail after separation (but do not damage the base tissue too much to avoid losing the ability of the nail to regenerate in the future) to fully drain the pus under the nail. It should be noted that the two sides of the nail groove and the posterior nail fold should not be incised at the same time to avoid the posterior nail fold wall shrinking, the nail root being exposed, and abnormal nail growth.

Treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. Internal treatment: Generally, internal treatment is not required. If the condition is serious, it is advisable to clear away heat and detoxify, and use Wuwei Xiaodu Yin plus Huanglian Jiedu Tang. External treatment: Mix the paronychia powder with honey evenly, and apply the medicine to the red and swollen area about 0.5cm for those without wounds, and bandage it with gauze, once a day. Principle: Because the prescription contains Chinese herbal medicines such as turmeric, rhubarb, phellodendron, coptis, and cnidium monnieri that can clear away heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and discharge pus.