Is this toe infected?

[JamesMcM]

I haven't seen my big toe in quite a while, and tonight I just got my first look of it and this is the condition it's in! About two years ago I had a very bad ingrown toenail; they cut it out, and my nail kind of never grew back normal, it kind of grew crooked unfortunately really ugly. But this is awful looking

[Bonnette]

It looks infected to me - hope the nurse will chime in.

[Apparelyzed]

Looks like a yeast infection to me. You could try using anti-fungal spray on it, or get it checked out by your doctor.

[2drwhofans]

Black scab on the upper, outer toe with surrounding redness and swelling. There may be pus under the scab.

Could be from another ingrown toenail or from a paronychia ( toenail separates from the nail bed - happens when someone is trimming nails with a clipper, leaves a little bit of nail hanging off the edge and then tries to manually pull away the little bit of nail ).

Whomever is trimming your toenails should have a technique touch-up.

In the second picture, it looks like you have something similar starting up on the outer part of the third toe.

Needs medical attention.

Also, there appears to be skin redness near the "knuckle" of your big toe. If your AFO strap runs across there, caregivers should loosen it.

Be well.

[JamesMcM]

Thanks for the info guys. We sprayed it with alcohol,and then we put some hydrocortisone where the dried blood is. The redness went down substantially I stillhad a med visit Dr. come in he's going to prescribe some antibiotic cream for the one side. He also said that my nail is growing into another nail and The bad now is going to fall off eventually as the one under continues to grow. Feet in general really take a beating with this whole paralysis nonsense don't they, sometimes I forget to even looked down their; lack of any sensation has completely disassociated myself from a lot of my body, but caregivers can miss stuff like anyone the more eyes the merrier... anyways thanks again!

[vjls]

make it a point to check toes in between also keep dry make sure they are dried well and lotion its your job to make sure they do their job but it is easy to get lax

[crags]

Looks pretty disgusting to me. You need to check that out. A routine toe problem can land you in the hospital and escalate to a very serious infectious disease situation.

[SCI-Nurse]

I would see a podiatrist periodically to prevent this problem.
CWO

[HACKNSACK44]

I would see a podiatrist periodically to prevent this problem.
CWO

I know this is a old thread but I had two ingrown toenails that got infected. The podiatrist removed both toenails and he said everything is ok.. I usually get my nails done at the mall every couple weeks. He doesn't recommend that. But with Medicare you can only go to the podiatrist every 65 days. We also discussed removing the toenails permanently so I wouldn't have to worry about them at all. How do you all take care of your nails?

[Scott C4/5]

I had both big toenails removed a couple times. My regular doctor did them in his office and put phenol into the nail-bed/cuticle but both regrew. The left one is now very thin and non-problematic but the right gets thick and crackly. My main caregiver keeps an eye on it and maintained though.

[SCI-Nurse]

We don't fully understand why people with SCI get more ingrown toenails than ABs, but that is the case. It may have something to do with changes in nail growth when you are not ambulatory.

People with SCI should care for their toenails pretty much the same as diabetics are instructed. Bathe daily, dry well, and inspect the feet, toes (and between toes), and toenails for any signs of cuts, scrapes, bruises, or blisters.

When providing your own toe nail care, it is critical that toenails be cut straight across, and not down at the corners as most people do with their fingernails. Avoid cutting toenails very short as well.


A podiatrist or wound care nurse can show you how to do this properly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISiqhWGK_DM

Just because a toenail is ingrown does not mean that the entire nail must be removed. Partial removal and special slicing the the toenail may also be possible. If you find an ingrown toenail, apply antibiotic ointment like Neosporin, and you can also apply warm (not hot) compresses to decrease the swelling, but these are often the cause of pretty severe AD, and should be treated by a podiatrist. You may cautiously use the home remedies here, but if AD does not resolve, or you have infection (lots of redness, swelling, and pus), you need to see a podiatrist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAGu7ZRB2tI

(KLD)

[HACKNSACK44]

We don't fully understand why people with SCI get more ingrown toenails than ABs, but that is the case. It may have something to do with changes in nail growth when you are not ambulatory.

People with SCI should care for their toenails pretty much the same as diabetics are instructed. Bathe daily, dry well, and inspect the feet, toes (and between toes), and toenails for any signs of cuts, scrapes, bruises, or blisters.

When providing your own toe nail care, it is critical that toenails be cut straight across, and not down at the corners as most people do with their fingernails. Avoid cutting toenails very short as well.


A podiatrist or wound care nurse can show you how to do this properly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISiqhWGK_DM

Just because a toenail is ingrown does not mean that the entire nail must be removed. Partial removal and special slicing the the toenail may also be possible. If you find an ingrown toenail, apply antibiotic ointment like Neosporin, and you can also apply warm (not hot) compresses to decrease the swelling, but these are often the cause of pretty severe AD, and should be treated by a podiatrist. You may cautiously use the home remedies here, but if AD does not resolve, or you have infection (lots of redness, swelling, and pus), you need to see a podiatrist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAGu7ZRB2tI

(KLD)

I'm a c3c4 quad and cannot do my own toenails. My home health nurses are not allowed to do them either. So who can? Or better who should do them?

[SCI-Nurse]

Do you have any other caregivers or family members who can learn how to help you with this? If not, check to see if your insurance will cover at least monthly podiatrist visits for this.

(KLD)

[HACKNSACK44]

Do you have any other caregivers or family members who can learn how to help you with this? If not, check to see if your insurance will cover at least monthly podiatrist visits for this.

(KLD)

Thanks for the reply! I will check with my wc adjuster.