Medicine is not always high drama.

It’s the little discomforts which take the patient to the doctor. And it’s the minor complaints which fill a doctor’s working hours.

Ingrown toenails fall into this category.

They usually affect the big toe and may be on either side of the nail.

The cause is thought to be due to improperly cutting the nail or wearing tight shoes.

The edge of the nail at the side digs into the tissue. The toe becomes painful and infected. There is often a heaped-up area of proud flesh or granulation tissue overlying the nail and preventing healing.

In treatment the doctor will cut back the wedge of nail cutting into the skin. This will relieve the pain and produce temporary relief.

The granulation tissue is best treated by touching it with silver nitrate. The raw area shrivels up and is replaced by healthy skin.

Local antiseptics or antibiotics, or even antibiotics given by mouth, may be necessary if the infection is spreading.

It is importrant to trim the nails correctly. This is best done, not in a convex way with the centre higher than the edges, but the reverse — in a concave fashion.

But this condition is prone to recur. If so, it is best treated by operation.

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