Can an ingrown toe nail infection travel to the foot and leg?!
Question: I noticed that i had a swollen toe, which would puss out now and again. I went to the doctor about this and he gave me some tablets to take. He mentioned that it was an ingrown toenail. I took the tablets until after my 9th one, I would get severe headaches and feel sick, and they brought me out in a rash so i stopped taking them. Since i have noticed that my foot and the back of my leg on its muscle is really sore when i walk or even when its resting. Im not sure if this has anything to do with my toe. The tablets seemed to have dried up my toe and it looks a little better, but I'm worried that its spread to my leg. Im phoning the doctor again on Monday for another appointment. Hopefully ill get some more answers then. Should I be worried??
Answers: I noticed that i had a swollen toe, which would puss out now and again. I went to the doctor about this and he gave me some tablets to take. He mentioned that it was an ingrown toenail. I took the tablets until after my 9th one, I would get severe headaches and feel sick, and they brought me out in a rash so i stopped taking them. Since i have noticed that my foot and the back of my leg on its muscle is really sore when i walk or even when its resting. Im not sure if this has anything to do with my toe. The tablets seemed to have dried up my toe and it looks a little better, but I'm worried that its spread to my leg. Im phoning the doctor again on Monday for another appointment. Hopefully ill get some more answers then. Should I be worried??
Hi hon, you need to see a podiatrist (foot doctor) to have the ingrown toenail or nail border removed properly. The infection will continue to recur as long as the offending nail is penetrating the skin. So you can take antibiotics and clear it up, but it will come back within days of finishing the prescription. If the infection travels through the skin and up the leg, this is called cellulitis, if it begins to invade the deeper tissues, this is necrotizing fasciitis. Cellulitis will generally clear with oral antibiotics, but necrotizing fasciitis is a "flesh eating disease" and must be cut out surgically. (this is not that common and you would be quite ill with fever and a lot of pain - but you need to know the risks). Also, the anatomy of the toes is such that the bone is just below the nail bed and with prolonged or repeated infections of the nail, the bone can become infected. This can be difficult to treat and may require surgery. So, call your doctor and get a referral to a podiatrist. All will be fine, just get it taken care of soon. Hope this helps!
Inanswer toyour original question, yes it can. It can also travel up to your underarms and neck, in the lymph nodes.
YES !!! as a nurse I took care of a man who plucked an ingrown hair on his calf and within months he was dead...(long story short - he wasn't too clean in his habits and didn't follow Dr.'s orders to stay off his feet)
you really do need to get back to the doctor as soon as possible, yes infections can spread, and yours had the chance because you had to stop mid-treatment, because of your reaction to the anti-biotics( which by the way you must mention to the doctor too..its important!). Also jot down the name of the anti-biotic you reacted to somewhere safe,so that you can tell ppl who may ask you in the future which medicines you are allergic to, saves more problems later. hope your soon better.