Usually warts on the skin are nearly painless, but because subungual verruca are located under the toenail, this type of viral toenail infection puts pressure on the nail bed and is painful. The wart will not go away on its own and cannot be treated with over the counter or home remedies. Because it can be spread easily, if you pick at it with your fingernails you can spread it from your toes to your fingers. Some people who chew on their fingernails will spread it to their mouth.
After a local digital nerve block is given to numb up the toe and the surgical site is scrubbed, your physician will trim the nail back to the point where they can expose and fully see the subungual wart. The physician will then excise it with a surgical scalpel from the basement membrane. The excised wart is then sent to a pathology lab to confirm that it is in fact a subungual wart and not a subungual melanoma.
Benign subungual warts can damage your nail bed and permanently distort your nail if left untreated. A more serious bacterial infection can occur from the toenail detaching from the nail bed as the wart gets bigger. Most importantly, any discolored nail or growth under the nail should be excised and tested to rule out malignant lesion. If you experience any of the signs and symptoms above see a foot specialist to for an accurate diagnosis and to relieve your pain.