Nail Problems And Injuries: Check Your Symptoms

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When to See a Doctor

Do you have an ingrown nail ?

See significance of an ingrown nail if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Call your health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Do you have diabetes?

Yes

Do you have peripheral arterial disease?

Yes

Do you have a disease or take a medicine that causes problems with your immune system?

Yes

Do you have red streaks extending from an ingrown nail?

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Is an ingrown nail causing moderate to severe pain that has not gotten better with home treatment?

Yes

Do you have increased pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around an ingrown nail?

Yes

Is the area around an ingrown nail increasingly tender to the touch?

Yes

Do you have pus in or around an ingrown nail?

Yes

Do you know or think you have a fever?

Yes

Is an ingrown nail cutting deeply into your skin?

You may wait to see if the symptoms improve over the next 24 hours (or specified time period) if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Have you had mild pain and swelling with redness less than around the nail for longer than 24 hours?

Yes

Is an ingrown nail causing mild to moderate pain that has not improved with 48 to 72 hours of home treatment?

Yes

Have you had swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the elbow, armpit, or groin for longer than 24 hours?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Last updated:	November 13, 2008
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer