Don't Be Embarrassed By Discolored Toenails.
Dr. Eric Pack explains, "Discolored toenails ranging from white, yellow, green, brown, black - any color except a healthy, pink nail bed through a translucent nail unit, means you have a medical condition that should be diagnosed and treated. And the sooner the better. Abnormal looking toenails are usually a symptom of infection, a result of untreated trauma, and sometimes, most serious of all, a melanoma lesion."
Toenail Fungus Symptoms
Signs you may have a toenail fungus include:
- thickness and discoloration of your toenail,
- discoloration may be yellow, brown, black or shades of any color of the rainbow,
- your toenail will begin to lift from the nail bed,
- the edges of your nail may look jagged and splitting, crumbling or in some way deformed,
- you'll notice debris under the nail and,
- in the case of a yeast infection, the debris and nail will have a foul odor.
How to Get Rid of Toenail Fungus
Toenail Bacterial Infections
Bacterial infection of the toenail is caused when you have a contusion, crush injury or repeated trauma from chronic fungal infection to your toenail.
A break in the skin covering your nail bed allow bacteria to enter, get under the nail and cause inflammation.
- Redness, swelling and pain around the nail is a sign of bacterial toenail infection.
- You may notice a purulent green, yellow, brown or white drainage coming from underneath your nail.
- Lymphangitis (red streaking) may occur heading away from your toenail base to the tip of your toe.
- Your nail may be loose or it may fall off.
How to Get Rid of Bacterial Toenail Infection
Toenail Viral Infections
A viral toenail infection occurs as a Subungal Verruca, a toe wart on
your toenail bed under your toenail. You will notice a fleshy growth underneath your nail that bleeds easily and causes toe pain. As the wart grows it will lift your nail from the nail bed and will cause it to fall off. If you have this condition it is important that you do not pick at the nail or touch it. Subungal warts spread very easily. A viral toenail infection can spread from your toenail to your fingers, your mouth, to any area of your body or to another person's body that may come into contact with the virus.
How to Get Rid of Viral Toenail Infection
Toenail Melanoma Symptoms
Lesions or discoloration that occur on your nail unit, or the palms of
your hands or the soles of your feet need to be diagnosed carefully for malignant transformation.
Lesions changing in color, size and shape are more likely atypical or pre-malignant.
Melanoma can affect any toenail.
You will see:
- a pigmented streak that starts in the back of your nail, toward your cuticle, and goes forward to the tip of your nail.
- The pigmented lesion may ulcerate or bleed.
- A nodule may develop under your nail plate, lifting it up.
- You may see a thinning, cracking or distortion of the nail plate.
If you notice any of these signs you need to seek examination from a specialist immediately.
Diagnosis and Treatment For Subungual Melanoma
Toenail Trauma Infections
Trauma to the toenail, due to forceful stubbing of your toe or a crush
injury, can cause blood to pool underneath your nail because you have lacerated the nail bed underneath the nail plate.
If 25% or greater, of your nail plate has blood under it then the suspicion of a subungal laceration and a bone fracture needs to be evaluated.
If you get blood trapped underneath your toenail and you don't do anything about it you can get an infection in the nail bed. That infection can spread to the bone and you can end up needing a course of IV antibiotics to treat it. If left untreated long enough for the infection to spread to the bone (osteomyelitis), a partial amputation may be necessary to keep the bone infection from spreading to the joint.
Treatment For Toenail Trauma Complications
When to Seek Treatment For Thick, Painful, Discolored Toenails
Many medical conditions causing nail discoloration and distortion
have similar, if not identical, symptoms. A condition that seems relatively common and easily treatable may upon medical examination, be a more serious condition that needs to be urgently treated.
If you have toenails that look abnormal, aren't clearing up and you are experiencing bleeding or pain from under the toenail, don't try to tough it out hoping it will get better. Take steps to care for your health and see a foot specialist as soon as possible.
