Explore more about bruised toenail causes and its treatment. You will also get insights on bruising easily and unexplained bruises that may develop on the legs.
Bruised Toenail Causes
A toenail bruise is an injury to internal tissues of a toe that does not broke the skin. The trauma to the skin causes the blood vessels near the skin to rupture resulting to leakage of blood under the nail. It may cause discoloration that may disappear on its own or with little treatment after a period of two weeks. It may also take longer depending with the cause.
There are various medical conditions and other possible causes that may cause a toenail bruise. When you start experiencing the symptoms, it is advisable to visit your doctor to determine the exact cause especially for bruising easily with no reason. The different causes includes the following:
- Trauma from blunt objects that may hit your nail
- Taking anticoagulant medications
- Road traffic and sports accidents
- A fracture on the toenail
- Internal body infections
- Foot sprain
In most cases, a toenail bruise normally results from trauma on the toe. Dropping heavy objects on the toe, wearing ill-fitting shoe, hitting the toe against an object, stubbing the toe on a hard surface or slamming it in a house door may result to breakage of blood vessels under the nail bed. The blood may leak in the internal tissues of the toe to cause a blue-black discoloration.
The nail itself cannot become bruised since it contains dead tissues. The nail may experience discoloration and pain on the affected area. When the pain is severe, you may apply some of the bruised toenail remedy to control the discomfort. Pain from minor injuries can easily be controlled by refraining from duties to have a rest.
A bruise that may develop under the toenail tissues without an injury may be an indication of a blood condition. You are supposed to visit your health care provider to diagnose your condition. Anticoagulant medications and some pain relievers may also cause bruising on different parts of your body including the toenail.
Severe injury that results to a serious bruising may cause the toenail to fall off. It is not recommended to remove a bruised nail but if it is badly injured, you may remove it to allow a growth of a new toenail. Although it may take several month to heal. Minor toe nail bruises normally heals on their own as a new nail grows to replace the damaged one.
If you experience a severe bruise on the toenail, it is important to visit your doctor right away. The doctor will make an assessment of your injury and provide the necessary treatment. You will be given some pain relievers and antibiotics to prevent infections and relieve the discomfort.
Bruised Toenail Treatment
Minor toenail bruises may heal on their own with little or no treatment, however severe bruises may require treatment to heal. It is always better to prevent the bruise than treating by taking the various precautions. In case it has already happened, there are various treatments on how to get rid of a bruise at home as follows:
- Trim the toenail to become short as possible. Take care while trimming to avoid injuring yourself. You should also make the edge flat rather than rounded to avoid other complications such as ingrown toenail.
- Apply a cold compress on the affected toe. You may use ice chips or cold water.
- Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines such as acetaminophen to alleviate the pain, swelling and stiffness. Avoid aspirin as it may worsen your condition.
- Elevate the affected area to reduce flow of blood.
- Soak the affected toenail in warm water for several times a day until your condition improves. Warm water salt water helps to minimize pain as well as initiating the healing process.
- Apply a topical antibacterial cream such as bacitracin and cover the affected toe and cover with a bandage to prevent infections.
- Consider cushioning toe pads, they are best treatment for bruised toenail as they help to prevent friction of the toenail against the shoe.
- Wear a shoe that has extra room for your toe until the toenail heals.
- Have enough rest and avoid activities that may cause further bruising. Take off from duties that requires physical engagement. You may read a book, watch movies or listen to music.
- Consider to apply some of the home remedy treatments that contain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties such as turmeric paste.
Severe toe nail bruises may require a doctor’s assessment and treatment. You are supposed to visit your podiatrist right away you start noticing the symptoms below, he or she will ask you some questions and provide the required treatment.
- Severe pain that is not relieved by pain killers
- If you experience bleeding on other areas such as nose bleed, presence of blood in urine and stool
- Fever, tingling and unusual sensation of the toe
- Sore, redness and an open wound that may develop on the affected area.
- Blue or grey discoloration near the bruised toenail.
Bruised Toe
Have you ever remove a shoe and noticed a bruise on your toe? The common reason that causes this condition is wearing ill-fitting shoe. The friction of the toe against the shoes causes the small blood capillaries near the affected area to rupture. They may leak blood in to internal tissues to form a bruise.
If you are a runner, you are likely to experience this problem especially after running downhill or exercising. A bruised toe may not be a serious condition but it may be quite painful. It may prevent you from doing your daily activities. It is important to take good care of the affected area especially when the bruise burst.
Minor bruises may heal on their own without treatment, but there are various treatments you may perform to relieve the pain, swelling and other discomfort on the affected area. Soaking the affected toe in cold water may help to relieve the pain or you my taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
Bruised toenail may form unpleasant discoloration. You may also spend most of your time and money on treating severe bruises. There are various measures you can employ to minimize this condition from happening. They include the following:
- Avoid ill-fitting shoes and boots
Ensure that you wear a shoe or boots that fits you properly. If you are an athlete, your shoe should provide enough space for your toes. Running or walking downhill causes the toes to be pushed against the shoe causing a trauma that may result to a bruise.
- Consider padding and wearing socks
Wearing socks with padding is very important in guarding your toes against injury with your shoe. You can simply find decent socks with paddings in the market. They are found in different varieties and brand names. You may consider buying thicker or lighter.
- Trim your toe nails
Long toe nails may also contribute to bruising especially when wearing closed shoes. You are supposed to keep your nails short. Be very careful when cutting the nails, you are supposed to cut then edges flat to avoid other complications.
- Use insoles
Fitting your boots and shoes with insoles may be the solution to your recurrent bruised big toe. Insoles may be a good alternative if you are not okay with thick socks.
Bruising Easily on Legs
Apart from bruised toenail, you can also experience this condition on other parts of your body. In most cases, a bruise normally occurs after an injury but there is other cases whereby you may experience bruising easily on legs without noticing the cause. Various factors may result to this condition as described below:
- Over-exposure to the sun rays. Excessive exposure to the sun may lead to bruising especially to individuals with thinner skin such as older people and children. If your family has a life history of skin damage from the sun, you need to protect your skin while going out for long.
- Thin skin. As you age, your skin becomes prone to bruising. Collagen is lost which makes your skin susceptible to minor injuries that may cause bruising.
- Taking of certain medicines. Taking certain medicines may prevent the blood from clotting or they may cause thinning of blood. When taking such medicines, you are likely to develop a bruise from minor injuries.
- Deficiency of certain nutrients. Low levels of vitamin C in your body may result to bruises on legs for no reason and other parts of your body. Such vitamins are important in production of collagen that protect the skin against minor injuries.
- Reduction in body fat. Body fats are important as they provides the cushioning effects to the internal body tissues. You are likely to experience bruises when you are on a quick weight loss plan.
- Internal body conditions. Blood diseases and diabetes among other conditions may also result to bruising easily on legs and other parts of your body.
Unexplained Bruises on Legs
Unexplained bruises on legs should worry you, it may be sending a signal of an internal body diseases. This condition may also occur on other parts of your body such as bruised toenail, face, chest, back and hands. You need to see your doctor right away for treatment. You will be diagnosed to determine the exact cause of your problem.
There are various blood diseases that may cause random bruises on legs and other parts of your body. Example of such diseases includes hemophilia, leukemia, and sepsis and platelets dysfunction. Some of this condition normally lead to deficiency or excessive of certain blood cells that leads to poor functioning. Therefore you may experience excessive bruising’s on your body that may disappear after treating the disease.