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Symptoms, Their Causes & Cures: Toenail Discoloration

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Toenail Discoloration

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* The discoloration from your nail spreads to the surrounding tissue.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

It's really not fair to single out one particular toe for special treatment. But in a way, you already have.

Out of all ten digits, you picked this one to use as a final resting place for your errant bowling ball. Or to pound into the pavement during your morning 10-K. And now blackness has descended across your toenail like a little piece of night.

While it may be unsightly, your black toenail is caused by nothing more than dried blood collecting underneath the nail. Nothing dangerous. Nothing permanent. And with a little therapy and patience, you'll be throwing strikes (or be on the run) again in no time.

Symptom Relief

If a blow to your toe has made the blood flow, try these tips.

Water the pain. Immediately run cold water over the injured nail, submerge it in cold water or apply an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes. This reduces swelling, says Richard K. Scher, M.D., a professor of dermatology and nail specialist at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.

Give yourself a raise. Elevating your foot after a soak may also provide relief, says Mark Scioli, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the Center for Orthopedic Surgery in Lubbock, Texas.

Poke a hole. You can relieve painful pressure and discoloration caused by blood building up under a nail by having your doctor gently poke a small hole in it, says Dr. Scioli. You may not lose the nail, but if it does come off, it could take three to four months to grow back, he says.

Tape that toenail. Afraid you'll rip off the injured toenail while putting on socks or slacks? Carefully secure the nail by wrapping it with adhesive tape, says Patrick O'Connor, M.D., author of Footworks: The Patient's Guide to the Foot and Ankle.

"When I was running, at any given time I had a toenail that was coming off," says Dr. O'Connor. "So this comes from practical experience."

Check your shoes. Running in shoes that are too tight—athletic or not—can pound your toes into blackness, says Martin L. Kabongo, M.D., Ph.D., dermatology coordinator for the family practice residency program at Bon Secours Hospital in Grosse Point, Michigan. For added protection, buy running shoes with soles that cover some of the toe area, he says. You can also shield your toes from damage at work by wearing steel-toed boots, says Dr. O'Connor.

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