Almost everyone has had a situation in their life when a heavy object fell on their leg. Or an accidental kick against something led to the appearance of a hematoma. And the consequences were depressing. In addition to the bruise that appears on the leg, a nail injury occurs. A blue nail plate just can’t please the eye, especially a woman’s. But it also happens that the nail turns blue suddenly, on its own. Where does everything come from? What to do in such situations?
One fine day, while washing your feet, you suddenly notice that one nail has turned blue. At the same time, memory helpfully suggests that on that day you did not hit anywhere, did not stumble or fall. Why did my toenail turn blue? You should know the answer to this question, if only to prevent the color of other nails from changing. Well, to correctly prescribe treatment for a blue nail.
In addition to direct mechanical impact on the nail, there are other causes of damage to the nail plate.
If first the nail and then the finger turn blue, this may be a sign of an acutely developing circulatory disorder. As a result of impaired blood flow, tissues suffer from a lack of oxygen. This is dangerous for the development of gangrene. In this case, see a doctor immediately. Delay will have an immediate impact. The sooner you find yourself in the hands of qualified specialists, the more tissue will be saved.
Blue nails can also be a sign of congestive heart failure. Small vessels swell, blood stagnates in the venules. As a result, the color of not only the nails, but also the surrounding skin changes.
Another cause could be fungus. The presence of fungus can be determined by the accompanying deformation and thickening of the nail plate. Itching of the skin of the feet and the skin between the toes often occurs, and the patient experiences a strong burning sensation. A nail affected by fungus not only turns blue, but also crumbles, flakes and breaks. Treating fungus is very difficult. Fungal infection is prone to frequent relapses. Therefore, entrust the treatment to professionals. You can go to a private clinic and pay a considerable amount, or you can go to the clinic at your place of residence and get a referral to a dermatologist.
What to do if your nail turns blue? For some reason, a person who sees a blue nail on his foot immediately tries to get rid of the unusual coloring by all available means. This especially applies to women and suspicious people.
If the cause is a nail injury, you cannot avoid discomfort in the form of painful pulsation. The aching pain may remain for quite a long time. The feeling of pain in this case is a consequence of blood accumulated under the nail plate. The fluid simply has nowhere to go and puts pressure on the surrounding tissue. It seems to a person that his finger is simply torn apart.
The Internet offers rather barbaric means of getting rid of blood accumulated under the nail. For example, after disinfecting a nail, you should burn the nail plate with a hot paper clip. This way you will release the liquid. After which it is suggested to cool the finger with a compress. Allegedly, in the opposite case, nail detachment cannot be avoided.
However, not everyone will like to admire a nail with a hole burned in the middle. It is better to wait for the nail plate to gradually grow back. Of course, this can take quite a lot of time. But on the other hand, a person will certainly avoid infection and other troubles that may arise when removing a blue nail on their own.
If the desire to get rid of an injured nail is too great, contact a qualified surgeon. In addition to high-quality removal of the nail plate, the patient will be anesthetized, which is not always feasible at home. But remember: after removing the nail, the sensitivity of the finger not covered by the nail plate will increase sharply. Putting on any shoes, let alone walking in them, will be a painful procedure. So it is better to trust the natural natural process of nail growth.
It is very good if at the time of injury you have a cold water tap at hand. Place your injured finger under running water. Cold helps the hematoma to resolve, pain and inflammation to subside. You can also apply a gauze bandage to the nail and apply ice on top for three minutes. You can repeat the manipulation after a quarter of an hour, about four times in total. Timely measures will help avoid rejection of the nail plate.
Be more responsible when purchasing shoes. Buy only shoes that are spacious and comfortable to wear, of high quality. Shoes should be larger than your feet in length and slightly tight in width. Don't wear synthetic socks. They quickly cause hangnails and infection to develop. Wash your feet thoroughly with soap before going to bed. Dry thoroughly after water procedures. If you violate the rules of personal hygiene, don’t be surprised why your nails turn blue.
Has your thumbnail turned blue? Keep an eye on your pedicure. The injury may be preceded by an excessively long nail. When trimming the cuticle, be careful. Visit only trusted salons and qualified pedicurists. If you do get injured, disinfect the wound with any antiseptic. Cuticles and hangnails should only be cut with a disinfected tool. After the procedure, do not wear shoes or socks for at least two hours. In general, it is better to perform a pedicure at home before bed.
Don't despair if your toenail turns blue. First of all, try to determine the cause of this phenomenon. And after that, start treating the nail, if possible. Or wait until it grows back on its own after an injury.
A blue nail is a rather unpleasant sight that you want to get rid of as soon as possible. To do this, you need to know the reason for the blueness of the nail. The reasons can be quite different, starting from a simple bruise and ending with various hidden diseases of the internal organs.
Trauma is the most common reason why a nail is blue. After a severe bruise, which a person cannot help but notice, the nail turns blue. This is due to a hematoma that forms under the injured nail plate. To avoid such an unpleasant phenomenon, it is necessary to apply something cold to your finger in the first minutes after a bruise, ideally ice. In this case, the swelling will decrease and it will be possible to maintain the natural color of the nail.
If the nail is blue and the finger hurts extremely badly, you should urgently consult a specialist, in this case a surgeon. He will be able to remove blood from under the nail and prescribe treatment. If necessary, the doctor can quickly remove the nail plate. This is done only as a last resort, when the hematoma poses a danger. If a finger is not protected by a nail plate, it becomes more sensitive to external irritants. This can cause considerable discomfort, even when wearing shoes normally.
If you can’t see a doctor, you can try to get rid of the hematoma yourself. To do this, you will need a hot needle, which you need to pierce the nail plate. Then simply release the accumulated blood from the hematoma. This must be done very carefully so as not to worsen the condition of the sore finger. It is believed that if the blood is not released, the nail will soon begin to peel off. If you do everything correctly, there will be no pain, since the human nail does not have nerve endings. The main thing is not to puncture the plate more than necessary, this can cause damage to the sensitive and delicate tissues of the finger, then the pain will be much stronger than before. But it should be taken into account that such an intervention is quite dangerous, since it is possible to introduce an infection, which can lead to very bad consequences. Therefore, if your nail turns blue from a blow, it is better to consult a specialist. If you don't take any action, it will grow back after a couple of months, and the blue discoloration will disappear after a few weeks. But at the same time, there is a very high probability that the nail will peel off from the skin.
But there are also cases when the nails turn blue not from a bruise. This could be a minor injury to the finger or various diseases.
Quite often, patients complain that their toenail has turned blue for no reason. There is always a reason, you can simply not notice it. For example, tight and uncomfortable shoes that put constant pressure on the toes, thereby injuring them, which causes the nail to turn blue. In order to avoid such phenomena, you need to wear soft shoes of your size or even a little loose. The length of the sole should be slightly longer than the foot, and the width slightly smaller.
Also, a blue nail may be due to a fungal infection. In this case, in addition to the blueness of the nail, other symptoms appear, such as itching and the appearance of cracks in the skin. A grayish or yellow tint may also appear on the nails. In this case, the nail plate becomes fragile and brittle, it delaminates and is completely deformed. If there is even the slightest suspicion of a fungal infection, you should consult a dermatologist.
Often girls complain about blue nails on their hands. The reasons for this can be quite different, but the main one is improper manicure. The master can cause a traumatic effect by severely cutting or pushing back the cuticle. This can not only cause the nail to turn blue, but also cause it to grow abnormally and become wavy. To avoid this, you should contact trusted specialists or salons with a good reputation.
Blue fingernails may be a consequence of using low-quality cosmetics. If they are used frequently, the health of the nail plate can deteriorate significantly. It may not only acquire a blue or yellow tint, but also begin to crumble or delaminate. To avoid this, it is necessary to use natural remedies. But if damage to the nails has already occurred, you must first stop using chemicals and carry out medical procedures. To do this, you can use masks and baths made from natural cosmetics. You also need to start using special vitamin and mineral complexes that are aimed at strengthening your nails. It is advisable to quit bad habits and change your diet.
Blue nails can be caused not only by external effects. Poor circulation can lead to this. You can understand this if you look closely at the finger. Its tip also turns blue along with the nail. This happens if the body develops a circulatory disorder or a chronic disease. In this regard, the tissues suffer without receiving a sufficient amount of oxygen. The consequences of such disorders can lead to gangrene. Therefore, in order to keep your limbs healthy, you must consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Blue fingernails can also indicate other diseases of the body. Causes may include heart failure. This disease causes swollen small blood vessels and frozen blood in the venules. As a result, not only the nails turn blue, but also the tissues surrounding them. This disease is quite serious, therefore, if you notice the first signs, you should immediately contact a specialist.
Blue nails may also be associated with pulmonary insufficiency. In addition to these symptoms, headaches, rapid breathing and increased heart rate may occur. Very often, pulmonary failure occurs together with heart failure. You should urgently consult a doctor if the patient not only has blue nails, but also generally feels unwell.
It has now become clear that a blue nail can be for various reasons. They can be either simple and understandable, although unpleasant, or more complex, unnoticeable, but very serious. Finding out the cause of blue nails does not need to be put off until later; it is better to find out the cause immediately and begin treatment in order to avoid serious consequences in the future.
Abnormal changes in the color of the nail, as a rule, “signal” damage to the tissue underneath.
Sometimes the problem that arises turns out to be relatively minor (for example, a change in the color of the nail may occur due to a slight bruise).
However, it also happens that a change in nail color warns of serious problems that require immediate assistance from a qualified specialist.
Symptoms of a black or blue nail may include:
Here are some tips to help you prevent black or blue nails:
If there is no pain or signs of infection (such as pus, inflammation, foul odor, fever, chills), you do not need to seek medical attention immediately.
In most cases, your visit to the podiatrist will be an act of self-soothing.
The specialist will check to see if you have an open or closed fracture of the injured leg, if there is an infection, and if further medical intervention is necessary.
Depending on the type and severity of the injury with laceration and exposed bone and the degree of discoloration of the nail, the doctor may decide to remove the nail to examine the nail bed. If there is no wound, but there is blackening of the toenail, the doctor may order special tests, including a biopsy. He or she will ask you about your occupation, the situation that caused the nail color to change, and your medical and family history.
Here are some questions you can ask your doctor if your toenail turns black:
Typically, why a toenail turns blue can be explained by repeated trauma over time, such as the constant “collision” of your toes and the toe of your shoe. And sometimes this can be the result of a one-time, sudden, traumatic injury to the foot (for example, a heavy object fell on the foot).
In some cases, drug treatment is not necessary, especially if the injury was minor.
The bruise under the nail will go away without outside help. However, if you have any concerns about your health, make an appointment with a podiatrist. Only he will be able to determine the cause and severity of the problem, which will determine the treatment.
If the doctor has found out why the toenail turns blue and wants to relieve the pain and pressure of the hematoma, then there are three ways to do this:
Your doctor may recommend a follow-up visit within a week after treatment. You may be asked to soak the nail in Epsom salts and warm water twice a day for ten to fifteen minutes, followed by antibiotic ointment and a dry, sterile bandage.
Recovery time will depend on the severity of the injury, the type of treatment, and how well you respond to treatment. On average, nails will take up to three months or more to completely heal and return to their normal appearance. Nails typically grow at a rate of approximately 3 mm per month.
And, I would like to say that a bruised big toe is not only a bruise and pain for 3 to 4 weeks. In this situation, the pain may continue for months. Has your thumbnail turned blue? Today at work I hit my toe (second after the big one). Therefore, if you think you have a severe bruise to your toe, it’s better to play it safe and go for an x-ray. The finger is swollen, possibly cracked or fractured.
And it didn’t even swell. A little later the pain disappeared, although the finger felt uncomfortable. And only now did I pay attention to him. What advice can you give now? What to put/anoint. Not a very scary story. Good luck and stay healthy. How to distinguish a minor injury from a fracture? If you feel that the damage is severe, it is most likely a fracture. Well, at least a crack. How can this be determined? The thing is that rubbing a bruised toe can provoke a blood clot (blood clots) in the vessels and capillaries.
Almost everyone has had a situation in their life when a heavy object fell on their leg. Or an accidental kick against something led to the appearance of a hematoma. In addition to the bruise that appears on the leg, a nail injury occurs. A blue nail plate just can’t please the eye, especially a woman’s. What to do in such situations? One fine day, while washing your feet, you suddenly notice that one nail has turned blue.
Why did my toenail turn blue? You should know the answer to this question, if only to prevent the color of other nails from changing. If first the nail and then the finger turn blue, this may be a sign of an acutely developing circulatory disorder. This is dangerous for the development of gangrene. Blue nails can also be a sign of congestive heart failure. Itching of the skin of the feet and the skin between the toes often occurs, and the patient experiences a strong burning sensation. After which it is suggested to cool the finger with a compress.
But remember: after removing the nail, the sensitivity of the finger not covered by the nail plate will increase sharply. Shoes should be larger than your feet in length and slightly tight in width. The injury may be preceded by an excessively long nail. When trimming the cuticle, be careful. Don't despair if your toenail turns blue. First of all, try to determine the cause of this phenomenon.
Not much, although there was some pain. An hour later I looked and everything seemed fine. It’s clear that we’re going to the emergency room, but it’s one in the morning. I'll head there tomorrow afternoon. And tomorrow you can go to the emergency room. For bruises, you can use, for example, “Ketanov”, “Finalgon”, as well as a venotonic balm (cream). 2) After three days, take warm baths, gently massage your finger with soap, then apply a venotonic balm (cream).
At the same time, all you observe and feel is pain, blueness and a growing tumor. But what to do in this case and where to go? What to apply in this case or how to start treating it? Actually, we will try to find answers to all these questions. Although, if you do exactly what was described above, everything will go much faster.
Sometimes you suddenly and unexpectedly discover that the nail on your big toe has turned blue. You remember for sure that you didn’t hit yourself anywhere, nothing fell on your leg. However, the nail is blue and it is alarming. There can be a great variety of reasons for blue nails - from the most harmless to symptoms that signal serious health problems.
When a person sees a blue toenail, the first thought that comes to mind is that this is an injury. Perhaps you did not pay attention to a minor blow or your foot was stepped on in transport. In the best case, such an injury will go away on its own, because a small hematoma will resolve in a few days.
With a more serious lesion, the nail turns blue to black due to the accumulation of blood that has formed under it. After a while it will begin to delaminate and peel off. This process is lengthy, and the finger looks unsightly. Therefore, many try to remove accumulated liquid from under the nail plate in order to avoid detachment of the nail plate. You can try to do this yourself without resorting to the help of a surgeon. In this case, you should remember the need to use antiseptics to avoid infection and subsequent suppuration of the soft tissues. Sterilized instruments should be used. But it is better to consult a surgeon.
A varied range of bluish tints can be observed due to pinching of the toes when wearing uncomfortable shoes. Tight, narrow or unsuitable shoes in size and style squeeze the foot when walking, putting pressure on it, and the result is blue toenails on the big toes. Due to their anatomical structure, it is the thumbs that are most often injured. The final picture is exactly the same as with a bruise: the nail turns blue, and if the damage is severe, it can peel off. To avoid this, you should wear comfortable shoes that fit and fit. It's not just the appearance of bruises on the toes; unsuitable shoes disfigure the feet as a whole. This includes venous insufficiency, deformation of the toes, and painful protrusion of the valgus bones of the foot.
If the bruises are small and mild, for a speedy recovery you need to lubricate your fingers with bruise ointments with anticoagulating properties. If your fingers are seriously injured, you will have to expect the nail to peel off.
Manifestations of a traumatic nature can occur implicitly, over a long period of time, and imperceptibly. For example, the legs receive the greatest load during prolonged or intense sports. As a result of heavy loads, capillaries burst, and hemorrhage occurs in the soft tissues of the fingers or subungual areas. The result is a blue hematoma under the nail.
Injuries during pedicure are a common cause of suppuration and blue discoloration of subungual soft tissues. Low-quality cosmetics can be the culprit for turning your toenails blue. For example, long-term use of even ordinary varnishes leads to thinning and discoloration of the nail plate. What can we say about non-certified varnishes, creams and varnish removers. Often the extremely corrosive coloring pigment in nail polish is the cause of the bluish tint.
There is another unpleasant reason why nails turn blue. These are fungal diseases. The nail plate changes: it collapses, becomes thinner, and changes its color. An unpleasant blue color indicates an extreme degree of advanced disease. A fungal disease is accompanied by itching, flaking of the skin, and an unpleasant odor.
One of the banal reasons why a nail turns blue is frost. Cold constricts blood vessels, slowing blood circulation and outflow of blood from tissues. Paleness and bluishness of the skin and fingers from hypothermia will quickly go away if the person is warm.
In rare cases, the cause of blue nails is contact with household chemicals. When working with chemicals without protective gloves, the skin and nail plates may become stained. The blue color is predominantly found in copper compounds (copper sulfate) and some alkalis.
There are a number of life-threatening diseases that are indicated by blue nails.
Heart failure often presents itself in this way. Blue toenail? Take a close look at the skin around you, at your fingertips. If there is pallor, a bluish or bluish tint to the skin and nails, such a symptom may indicate a circulatory disorder. Stagnation of blood in capillaries and small veins gives this color. Heart failure in itself is dangerous, and if blood stagnates in the general circulation, this is fraught with the formation of blood clots.
The picture of heart failure often occurs against the background of diabetes mellitus. In this case, blueness of the nails and fingertips from stagnant blood may cause the development of gangrene. The tissues are poorly supplied with oxygen, and this is a direct path to gangrene and amputation of fingers or limbs.
Copper metabolism disorder syndrome (Wilson-Konovalov disease) causes an imbalance in the central nervous system and blood circulation. The result is insufficient blood supply to organs and tissues, a bluish tint to the nails and skin of the fingers.
Cyanosis is the coloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to the high content of depleted hemoglobin in the blood. This is a clinical sign of a number of diseases - from pulmonary to cardiovascular. In case of cardiac and pulmonary pathologies, some areas of the patient’s skin, including arms, legs and nails, become blue. Some liver diseases manifest themselves by turning the nail hole blue.
An extremely serious disease, one of the signs of which is blue discoloration of nails and body tissues, is scleroderma. This is a connective tissue disease, a specific form of arthritis. The type of diffuse scleroderma “specializes” in the extremities, including nails. It is characterized by hardening of tissues and their coloring blue.
Some medications turn nails blue. These are preparations containing silver.
If a blue nail does not indicate a serious illness, but is the result of mechanical injuries, all that remains is to wait out the unpleasant time, but it will restore its original color. If the nail is severely bruised, it will most likely come off. This is a natural self-healing process, quite long, but it is better not to interfere with it yourself. You can use the help of a surgeon. There is no particular need to take care of a new growing nail, the main thing is to prevent it from deforming so that it grows evenly. To do this, you will need loose, non-squeezing shoes; you can cover your toe with a bandage.
To avoid injury to your nails and feet in general, you should be thoughtful about your choice of shoes. Comfortable and appropriately sized shoes made from high-quality natural materials are the key to healthy feet. Slim high-heeled shoes should be a weekend option, not an everyday option.
If you paint your nails with low-quality cosmetics, you will have to wait for a natural change in pigmentation and no longer use cheap or untested products. You can try whitening compresses with lemon juice or vinegar. Let your varnish, creams and other cosmetic and hygiene products in the future be much more expensive, but with a guarantee.
Medical illnesses are dangerous to ignore. If you have the slightest suspicion of heart failure, diabetes or other pathologies, rush to see a doctor.
It is not recommended to treat the fungus yourself. After all, only a doctor, using special tests, will be able to determine the type of fungus, and, therefore, prescribe effective treatment.
You should listen carefully to your body, because it promptly signals all the changes occurring to it. Any manifestations that go beyond the norm, including changes in the color and condition of the nails, should be a reason to pay attention to your health.
It's no secret that the nails of our limbs should have a pink color, a shiny and smooth surface of the nail plate. Any deviations from the norm are a signal that there is no longer order here.
Toenails may turn yellow, grow into the skin of the toe, turn green or blue. In any case, this is a problem that needs to be dealt with. In some cases, everything can be fixed at home, and sometimes it is impossible to do without the help of specialists or doctors.
There are many reasons for a blue nail. Let's look at a couple of the most common cases.
The most common and well-known is a bruise or injury. In this case, a darker nail indicates that a hematoma has appeared under the nail. In such cases, you can be treated at home, but if pain occurs, immediately consult a doctor for help.
The second most common infection is a fungal or viral infection. In this case, you need to consult a doctor. Without his consultation, it will be very difficult to choose the right drug treatment.
Blue nails can also occur when wearing uncomfortable shoes. In most cases, this happens to athletes, since they wear uniforms that are not always comfortable for a long time.
With great and constant physical activity, mini blisters may form under the nails. They provoke the appearance of bloody spots under the nail plate. You can’t hesitate here and you need to see a doctor.
There is also a terrible reason for the appearance of blue under the nail - the melanoma virus. In other words, a malignant tumor that appears as dark spots.
Like every disease, a blue nail has its own symptoms:
If the nail has already turned blue due to minor injury, then you can do without medical intervention. It is better to leave the nail alone and it will rehabilitate itself. If it seems that the problem is much more serious, then you should consult an orthopedist. He will already prescribe treatment. It is possible that the nail will have to be removed, the soft tissues washed and disinfected. Apply stitches only if necessary. Later the nail will grow back on its own. Sometimes the doctor may prescribe baths and medications in the form of tablets that help resolve hematomas.
If there is no pain or unpleasant odors, you can disinfect every evening and not seek medical help at the hospital. For infectious diseases, the doctor independently prescribes an antibiotic.
If the injury is serious, then you need to urgently go to the hospital. The doctor will prescribe treatment and perform surgery to remove the nail plate. He will most likely schedule appointments in his office every 3 days.
To summarize, if you receive any injury, it is advisable to seek advice from a doctor, who will make the right decision and give a recommendation.
Now you know what to do when you have a blue toenail. Take care of your health! Everyone has one and no one will give or give another for a birthday. Follow the advice of experts.
To comply with them does not require much expenditure, both financial and physical. Therefore, there are no obstacles that can stop anyone from the goal to which a healthy person is heading!
Hello friends! I am often asked the question that my toenail turned blue for no reason.
Since this could very well happen to each of us, let’s talk about this in more detail.
We have already discussed with you that the main cause of this problem is bruise.
But this is not the only reason. It may well happen that there was no injury, and the nail turned blue on its own.
So, the main reasons could be:
But it also happens that a person’s toenail not only turns blue, but also begins to hurt...
It's no secret that the feeling of constant pain is very unpleasant and creates many problems, as it becomes difficult to walk, and every movement radiates pain throughout the body. But why then do your toenails hurt?
I'll start with the most common cases that we have already talked about. This:
Another serious problem that causes pain is the ingrowth of the plate into the skin. This pathology may be hereditary, or may arise due to the gradual destruction of the matrix of the nail plate (cells of the nail bed).
Much less often, pain occurs due to serious skin diseases, such as psoriasis or melanoma. Pain can also be a symptom of diseases such as:
You cannot cope with these problems on your own, so you can give only one correct advice - consult a doctor immediately. Believe me, it’s better to make sure that your alarms are false than to later lose your fingers due to gangrene or something else.
One more point that I want to draw the attention of women...
This section of my article is dedicated to lovers of high heels, anklets and rings. The fact is that all these decorations can affect the circulation of the feet.
Constantly wearing shoes with very high heels forces the foot to remain in a very uncomfortable tense position for a long time. This disrupts the normal functioning of blood vessels, and leads to the appearance of a black toenail, or it may turn blue.
Foot rings can also cut off the power supply to the finger, which can also turn blue, and the bracelet to the entire foot. What to do in such a situation?
I recommend wearing such shoes only for celebrations, and be sure to take off jewelry at night. Also, to restore normal blood flow after you remove all jewelry, it is recommended to take a hot bath with sea salt or chamomile.
This will not only prevent a situation where, God forbid, your toenail turns blue , but will improve your overall condition.