A nail injury can have a tremendous impact on your ability to move and, therefore, require you to significantly alter your daily routine, even if it is only temporary.
An injury to your toenail can arise from choosing poor-fitting footwear (which leads to repetitive trauma), biomechanical issues (i.e., how you walk/move), or the stress placed on the nail when engaging in sports. A toenail injury can also happen from an unexpected trauma -
- Who hasn’t stubbed their toe on the bed frame at night half asleep?
- Can anyone truly forget how painful it is to drop something really heavy on their toe?
What Do You Do When You Injure a Toenail?
If you injure your toenail, there are important steps you can take to manage the toenail injury best and ensure it heals properly.
First, determine the severity of the toenail injury. If you experience any of the following, it is of utmost importance to seek guidance or advice from a medical professional/podiatrist as soon as possible.
- You cannot determine the severity of the injury yourself.
- There is uncontrolled bleeding.
- Your injured toenail is completely detached.
- There are signs of infection.
- If the injured individual has diabetes or a weakened immune system.
If the injury is not severe enough to require immediate medical attention, take the following steps to treat and help heal your injured toenail –
- Clean the injured toenail and the surrounding area with warm water and any mild soap – gently removing any debris or dirt. Then, dab the injured area dry using a cotton ball/clean cloth.
- If the injury causes the area to swell or if it is painful, applying a cold compress (or, in a pinch, wrap ice in a cloth) can help decrease swelling and numb the area.
- This cold application can be done several times each day.
- It is advisable to limit these cold applications to 15 - 20 minutes at a time.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers (i.e., acetaminophen or ibuprofen, etc.) help to manage discomfort/pain. Follow the package’s dosing instructions for your age.
- If the injury or trauma causes the injured toenail to bleed, it is important to control the bleeding.
- Apply pressure gently using a sterile gauze.
- Elevate the impacted toe/foot, as this will help restrict blood flow, which helps control bleeding.
If the nail has partially separated, carefully and gently trim loose edges with sterile, clean nail clippers/scissors. Cover and protect your injured toenail from further injury using a clean bandage that you change daily to keep the wounded area clean.
Moving Forward…Caring for Your Injured Toenail
As the injury heals, it is important to continue to wear comfortable, loose-fitting shoes. By choosing this, you proactively prevent unnecessary pressure from being placed on the injured toenail or foot.
In addition, it is also important to keep your injured toenail dry and clean. You should avoid soaking the injured area in water for extended periods because it may make the area more vulnerable to infection by softening the nail.
It is essential to monitor and stay aware of how your injured toenail is healing. This means you should look for signs of infection that may include, in part, the following -
- Increased pain in the affected area.
- Swelling around the toe or toenail.
- Warmth or redness in the injured area.
- Drainage of pus, among others.
If your injury has any of the above symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention from a podiatrist immediately. Occasionally, if the toenail has sustained a bad enough injury, it has the potential to cause long-term damage if not treated properly.
Remember, if you are uncertain about how to treat your injury or if you have any related, it's always best to consult with a podiatrist or healthcare professional for guidance.