Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral that is important for many systems in the body especially the muscles and nerves. Magnesium sulfate also increases water in the intestines. Magnesium sulfate is used as a laxative to relieve occasional constipation.

Epsom salt is a compound of magnesium and sulphate; whereas. Magnesium chloride flakes (sometimes referred to as “magnesium salt”) are a compound of—you guessed it—magnesium and chloride.

Some people claim that taking Epsom salt baths can reduce muscle soreness and relieve cramps — both important factors for exercise performance and recovery. It is well known that adequate magnesium levels are helpful for exercise because magnesium helps your body use glucose and lactic acid ( 8 ).

One of the most common uses for Epsom salt is to treat body aches. The magnesium and other compounds are absorbed into your skin and work to relieve aches and pains caused from tension and inflammation. Epsom salt draws toxins from your body to relieve swelling, sprains and bruises.

If your feet are swollen, a foot soak on cool water can actually help bring down inflammation. You can enhance a warm foot soak by using Epsom salts, herbs, and essential oils, which can also encourage the muscles in your feet to relax.

Do not use magnesium sulfate as a laxative without medical advice if you have: severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, a perforated bowel, a bowel obstruction, severe constipation, colitis, toxic megacolon, or a sudden change in bowel habits that has lasted 2 weeks or longer.

The National Eczema Association recommends adding 1 cup of table salt to your bath during a flare-up to help prevent stinging when bathing. You can also use Epsom salt or sea salt to treat skin irritation and inflammation.

Epsom salt, aka magnesium sulfate, is easy to get, inexpensive, and dissolves readily in water. All of that makes it great for baths.

Iodized table salt is a salt, but should not be used for bath salts. When bathing, some of the salt is absorbed by the skin and any sensitivity to iodine will cause a skin reaction from the salt.

It works well as a natural solution to dry and scaly skin. Besides, sea salt relaxes the sore muscles and soothes the body. Although sea salt can be used as an Epsom salt substitute, there are certain differences. Check out our article, “What Is The Difference Between Epsom Salt and Sea Salt,” to learn more.

Wound Cleansing WIth Salt Sea salt is a natural antiseptic and anti inflammatory that for thousands of years has been used in wound cleansing. Remember the expression, “throwing salt on a wound?” That’s because that’s what people actually did to clean out infected cuts, and scraps.

Basically, they differ in terms of structure, chemical compound, and uses. However, if you are asking the question, “can I use sea salt instead of Epsom salt for bath?” then, yes you can. Both Epsom salt and sea salt can be used for beauty and health purposes.

Poultice for abscess An Epsom salt poultice is a common choice for treating abscesses in humans and animals. Epsom salt helps to dry out the pus and cause the boil to drain.

Yeast infections (candidiasis) Baking soda’s positive effects on fungal infections may also make it an effective treatment for the itchiness, redness, and swelling caused by candidiasis, an overgrowth of Candida yeast on skin. Research is limited, but you may try soaking in a baking soda bath to help treat candidiasis.

Mix 1-2 tablespoons of unscented Epsom salts into one quart of warm water and soak your foot for 15 minutes at a time. Do this several times a day for the first few days. Always dry your foot completely after soaking. Soaking your ingrown or infected toe will help relieve the pain and pressure of an infection.

Soak your toe and change the piece of cotton each day until the nail grows out and can be trimmed. Do not use a sharp object like manicure scissors to dig under your nail, because the toe might get infected. Do not try to use a needle to drain the pus from your toe. This could make the infection worse.

Here’s how:

1. Soak your feet in warm water. Do this for 15 to 20 minutes three to four times a day.
2. Place cotton or dental floss under your toenail. After each soaking, put fresh bits of cotton or waxed dental floss under the ingrown edge.
3. Apply antibiotic cream.
4. Choose sensible footwear.
5. Take pain relievers.

Pus is a sign of infection. Pus after surgery indicates that there is a post-surgical complication in the form of an infection. People who detect a discharge of pus following surgery should tell their doctor immediately.

Step 1 – Take a Soak (Andersen prefers Epsom, but says you can use table salt in a pinch.) “Soak your foot for 20 minutes twice a day,” she says. “It’ll draw out any fluid that might be under the nail, and Epsom salts are really soothing if you’re dealing with an infection.”

Here are 10 common ingrown toenail remedies.

• Soak in warm, soapy water.
• Soak in apple cider vinegar.
• Pack the area with dental floss or cotton.
• Apply antibiotic ointment.
• Wear comfortable shoes and socks.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
• Use a toe protector.
• Try a toe brace.

If you have apple cider vinegar around your house, you can soak your foot in it for relief. Apple cider vinegar will kill some of the bacteria in your ingrown toenail and reduce inflammation.

Use a pair of tweezers to gently push a tiny piece of cotton or gauze into the corner of your toenail where it’s ingrown. This helps to make a space between the nail and the skin. Cut the visible nail corner or the ingrown spur away to help relieve the pressure and pain.

The American Academy of Dermatology also recommend that people avoid digging out or clipping an already ingrown nail. Sometimes, an ingrown nail can break the skin. This makes it easier for bacteria and other microbes to enter the skin, potentially causing a painful infection.

An ingrown toenail can be permanently corrected with a procedure called a chemical matrixectomy. This procedure involves removing either a portion of the nail that is ingrown or the entire toenail in certain cases. To perform this procedure, we will first numb the toe with a local anesthetic.

The entire ingrown toenail surgery is completely painless due to the effects of the anesthetic. By the time the anesthetic wears off, your pain level will be significantly reduced from where it was before the procedure. Downtime is extremely minimal for almost all patients.

Ingrown toenail procedures are by nature painless, because the toe is completely made numb by a local anesthetic before the procedure is performed. This numbing injection does sting and burn, usually no longer than 20 seconds. The toe will feel like it is filling with a hot fluid.

If left untreated, an ingrown toenail infection can cause an infection in the bone in your toe. A toenail infection can also lead to foot ulcers, or open sores, and a loss of blood flow to the infected area. Tissue decay and tissue death at the site of infection are possible.

On MDsave, the cost of an Ingrown Toenail Removal (in office) ranges from $240 to $269. Those on high deductible health plans or without insurance can save when they buy their procedure upfront through MDsave.